The Cubs have signed catcher Josh Phegley to a minor-league contract, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). No further details are available, although it seems likely Phegley will receive an invite to MLB spring training. Phegley is represented by Pro Star Management.
Phegley (32 in February) has been with the A’s the past four seasons. He got his most extensive MLB action in 2019, logging 342 plate appearances of .239/.282/.411 hitting (82 wRC+). That’s passable work at the dish for a catcher, but Phegley’s framing metrics were among the league’s worst. With top prospect Sean Murphy reaching the big leagues last September, Oakland elected to non-tender Phegley after the season.
The Cubs’ catching tandem of Willson Contreras and Víctor Caratini is among the league’s best, so Phegley could have an uphill battle cracking the roster. Contreras, though, has been bandied about as a potential trade candidate this offseason.
Dumpster Divin’ Jed
Fun
***UPDATE*** Theo now rummaging through White Sox scrap heap
Dumpsters are an inexpensive source of cheese.
There goes J Bates spouting the only two words he knows. Can mommy teach you any others?
Smh… if you only knew what true ‘dumpster diving’ was. What has the Cubs payroll been, say the last 4 years? Complaining about a Cubs team that have been one of the top spending teams in all of MLB the last few years? Gimme a break.
Damn , I wanted the Mets to sign him .
Does this forecast the trading of Contreras with Caratini starting and Phegley buying for a back up roll? Are they concerned that with the Bryant decision taking so long it won’t go in their favor and moving on to trading Contreras to save a few bucks?
No and no. No way KB wins his case. If he did, there would be a long line of others with similar arguments and MLB would be flooded with these cases. Teams have been using the service-time loophole for years.
he’ll get his cash. they’ll probably settle out of court.
There is no court and no cash. Either he will lose and have two years left or win and have one year left.
If you were to legitimately write off losses on your income taxes, would you call it a ‘tax loophole’ or would you call it legit as intended by the framers of the law?
Trading Contreras doesn’t see much money. $4.5M only I think.
Save*
Might lead to Contreras being dealt!
Yeah, not sure that’s a good thing but I think you’re right. Caratini is perfectly capable of holding down the fort until Amaya is ready (which won’t be too long) I just hope if they do move Willy that they keep the ask HIGH as reported.
Just adding organizational depth. Nothing more. Nothing less.
This is the correct answer
Of course. Not sure why people read so much into minor league signings.
blah blah dumpster
May not save a ton of money but would put close to getting under their desired tax threshold while restocking farm at same time by trading from one of the few areas in the minors where they have some good prospects .
Where’s the changes Theo talked about after the season? So far it’s been Maddon, strength and conditioning coaches and the long time organist shown the door.
As a kid growing up in Chicago it was the Dodgers, Cardinals,Reds and Pirates that were perennial ass kickers and I daydreamed the Cubs could someday be like that-farm systems that always fed the big club w/ great young players, making good trades and FA signings. They finally got to that point for 3 yrs and then –f’ed it up like only the Cubs could. Now it’s DFA and journeymen pickups and the never ending ” catch lightning in a bottle” veteran pitching and holding on to failed draft picks for far too long.
How in the world did he only get a Minor League contract, he should be the cubs backup.
Ex-White Sox should be starting for the Cubs!!
Trade one of your catchers already
have to have extra catchers for spring training
This is the making of WS championship team. Cubs 2020 record 100-62. Keep kB and let’s go for it. Wahoo.
Wahoo? Are you a closet Indians fan?
A real Cubs fan would have exclaimed hey-hey! or holy cow!
It was sarcasm
You can’t spell championship without Phegley.
Isn’t “pitch framing” by the catcher – moving the ball 2-3 inches until over the plate – really just CHEATING as much as, if not MORE, than sign stealing?
Talking about sign stealing, earlier I heard a good solution to the “buzzer” situation. If it did happen, here could be the solution. Let the pitcher and catcher wear buzzers to find out pitches, so that there was no point to sign stealing. It was a good though.
And no, pitch framing is not cheating, because it is not using technology to relay signs. Just like if you have a guy on 2nd relaying signs to the hitter, it isn’t cheating.
Pitch framing gives an unfair advantage to the pitcher who did not throw a strike and a disadvantage to the batter who didn’t swing at the pitch because it was a ball and not in the strike zone.
Electronic calls at the plate for strikes and balls will take care of that and pitch framing will be a thing of the past. Good for hitters!
But that’s the point of pitch framing, if you are a good catcher you give your team the advantage by being able to show balls as strikes, without illegal tech. It’s just like the runner on 2nd relaying signs back to the batter. It’s not illegal, you can do anything to give your team the advantage WITHOUT CHEATING. Now, I see where you are coming from, but if the catcher can give his team the advantage, he will get a larger contract for being able to help his team do whatever legal to win. That’s all.
So a guy on 2nd can relay signs to the hitter, but a camera in CF can’t. Technology is just… well, technology. I-pads in the dugout, video monitors in video room that are consulted before every at bat, now talking about electronic strike zone calls, instant replay reviews of umpire calls & home runs & out/safe calls at bases that are changed in every game, sabremetrics for team signings, drafting, and on-field management and on and on and on….
Actually a NEW game is being created that should be called “Tech Ball” for outrageous profits!
The GAME of BASEBALL is no longer being played on the field every season so they should change the name and start over with different record books.
I’m still happy to debate with you about this, and my view on this is as follows. Technology is terrible to use to cheat, because the other team is not aware whether or not the other team is using tech for an advantage. (here’s what I mean) If there is a runner on 2nd relaying signs, then the pitcher will use a more complex set of signs, so it will confuse the runner. If a camera is relaying signs, then the pitcher will use the same average sign set, and it will be a true disadvantage for the team on the field. I do think teams should use i-pads to look at footage like they do now, use replay systems, and so on, but the cheating team just needs to stop for anything to happen to the cheating crisis. I just don’t know how, besides what I stated earlier.
Phegley was popular amongs A’s rotation and he is reliable. Good backup signing…
OMG. Does this mean Contreras gets traded? Does this mean Bryant gets traded? Maybe David Ross is going to manage and be a part time catcher to mentor Caratini and Phegley!
It’s a minor league depth signing people – RELAX!
Does anyone think that Phegley could be a late bloomer like a Josh Donaldson 2.0. Both were drafted late in first round as catchers. Last year Phegley showed some power, mostly in the begining of last season, perhaps a move to 3rd would help bring up his avg.