The Cubs will decline their 2020 club options on right-handers David Phelps ($5MM), Brandon Morrow ($12MM), Kendall Graveman ($3MM) and Tony Barnette ($3MM), per ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers.
As we explained back in September, Phelps’ club option rose from $1MM to $5MM after he hit several escalators. Graveman, meanwhile, will become a free agent with today’s move despite the fact that he doesn’t yet have six years of Major League service time. MLBTR reported last month that the right-hander’s contract contained a clause stipulating that he be released should his 2020 option not be picked up. Phelps’ option didn’t come with a buyout, and it doesn’t appear that the $3MM options for Barnette or Graveman did either. Morrow will be paid a $3MM buyout.
Phelps, 33, posted a solid 3.18 ERA in 17 innings with the Cubs and a similarly sharp 3.41 earned run average in 34 1/3 innings on the season as a whole (between Toronto and Chicago). However, while Phelps punched out 36 hitters in those 34 1/3 frames, he also issued 17 walks — including 10 in his 17 frames as a Cub. He also posted just a 7.8 percent swinging-strike rate on the season (9.9 percent as a Cub) and 26.8 percent opponents’ chase rate (29.7 percent as a Cub) — all of which check in south of the league average and suggest that Phelps may have had a tough time replicating those strikeout numbers. On the plus side for the veteran righty, he proved himself healthy after missing 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, so he could be in line for another big league deal this winter.
Morrow, on the other hand, didn’t prove himself to be healthy at all. The right-hander was the “buzz” free agent of the 2017-18 offseason on the heels of a dominant rebound in the Dodgers’ bullpen, but he ultimately threw just 30 2/3 innings after signing a two-year, $21MM contract that winter. Back, biceps and elbow injuries all contributed to the truncated nature of Morrow’s time on the mound as the Cubs’ closer.
Like Morrow, Graveman didn’t pitch for the Cubs in 2020. He, in fact, never stepped foot on the mound as a Cub. The right-hander inked a one-year, $575K pact after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018 and being non-tendered by the Athletics. Chicago picked him up and helped him to rehab in 2019, with an eye toward utilizing him as an affordable starter or swingman in 2020. Whether the organization didn’t feel Graveman had progressed enough or simply didn’t wish to allocate $3MM to such a wild card isn’t clear, but he’ll head to the open market in better health than he exhibited last time around — and he’ll do so with four-plus total years of service time. In other words, any new teams that signs Graveman to a one-year deal could control him not only for 2020 but also 2021.
Barnette, meanwhile, tossed just 1 1/3 innings as a Cub after signing a $750K contract in Spring Training. He spent some time pitching with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate as well but was eventually placed on the restricted list for personal reasons as he sought to “reevaluate” his situation with his family while taking some time away from the game.
Oh hooray! Only three hours after I reported it in the comments a few posts down.
you suck
Congrats, your trophy is in the mail.
Yep. I know. I won a gold glove.
Lol anyone with a small amount of baseball knowledge could have said those guys were going to be let go
The idea behind signing Graveman was for next year. Makes you wonder if he’s not progressing well from TJS.
Let’s use the 12 million saved with 20 million Hamels and 12 million zobrist and grab cole , Strasburg or ryu
The other two, Cole/Strasberg, make sense, but gambling on Hyun Jin Ryu to remain healthy, is a lot like gambling on Brandon Morrow to be healthy, not a wise bet at all.
Start with Bryant and Kimblow to Dodgers for May, Lux and Jansen.
Báez to Mets for Thor.
Schwarber to Tigers for Fulmer.
Sign Rendon
NO,,,
NO,,,
NO,,,
and NO !
Theo Epstein, depending on Brandon Morrow, who has never stayed healthy his entire career, to remain healthy, was a major mistake and acquiring Craig Kimbrel only makes it worse, but for different reasons…..
I think you need to freshen up on what commas are and how they’re used.
+1
why not pick up that Phelps option? he had a pretty good year and it’s not like good BP arms grow on trees.
Maybe because he can still be signed as a free agent for less dollars. Does anybody see David Phelps garnering a FA contract with an AAV approaching $5MM this offseason? I don’t.
Dodgers need to bring back Morrow.
Dodgers damaged him pretty bad in the 2017 World Series, pitching him in all 7 games. Don’t think they’ll grab him unless it’s with a very low base and incentive heavy short-term contract. Actually would not be surprised if they did go after him. That’s Friedman’s style. Feel like he was pressured to give Jansen a contract and acquire Joe Kelly after Dodger fans complaining. Both have turned out to be a mistake.
Morrow should be charged criminally for all the money he stole from the Cubs lol
No
His agent
A purge is taking place with the Cubs. Russell and Descalso likely next.
Good. That’s another 10 mil total. that’s 53mil off the books.
If ordizzi doesnt accept the QO the Cubs should try to sign him 3/45 with a 4th year option
That makes more sense then most of these Cubs’ fans saying sign Cole or Strasburg as if the Cubs don’t have other needs like a bullpen!
If that were true they wouldn’t be paying Quintana 11M for garbage performance
Cubs 40 Man roster stands at 32..
Theo will add several players to protect from Rule 5 draft.
23mil off the books plus another 20mil for Hamels this doesnt include what they did to pick up Quintana and Rizzo.
Now they need to use that 43 mil to offer nicholas castellanos a long term deal and then sign Cishek and 3 other relief pitchers .. find a lead off man
They need pitching, not another right handed bat that can’t lay of the outside slider.
Hello
One of the reasons Maddon was let go was because of Morrow.
The front office and Maddon had agreed to not use him on consecutive days.
Maddon broke that rule mid season 2018 and shortly thereafter Morrow went on the DL and never threw another MLB pitch.
Why not have just kept Graveman instead of Quintana and save 8 millon bucks? Did Graveman look that bad in his rehab to suggest he couldn’t top Quintana’s performance of 4.68 ERA and 1.4 WHIP? Cubs absolutely can’t win with Darvish, Hendricks, Lester, and Quintana being the rotation in 2020. Even if they miraculously pulled it off to get Cole for their number one it still wouldn’t be enough because Lester and Quintana are just too weak as the 4 and 5. They needed 2 solid arms if they were serious about contending, but Now that Bumgarner and Wheeler have received qualifying offers it is doubtful they get much help at all from free agency. Trading Bryant might be their only viable option to get back an arm. Luckily, Bryant is not just a 3B, but can also play both outfield positions which could interest teams like the Indians.
Cubs will regret not keeping Graveman for only $3M. He is ready to go for 2020.