The Cubs have agreed to a major league contract for 2021 with free-agent right-hander Kohl Stewart, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago was among those to report. The deal is worth $700K, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic tweets. Stewart is a Frontline client.
Now 26 years old, Stewart entered the pros as the No. 4 overall pick of the Twins in 2013. Although he did eventually reach the majors with the team, he could only put up a 4.79 ERA/5.21 SIERA with a subpar 12.7 strikeout rate against a 9.7 walk percentage in 62 innings from 2018-19. Stewart owns a similar 4.87 ERA over 136 2/3 innings in Triple-A ball.
Stewart signed with the Orioles before last season, but the type 1 diabetic ultimately opted out of the campaign because of concerns related to COVID-19. He’ll now try to get back on the mound in Chicago, which has questions in its rotation and its bullpen.
Junkyard Jed strikes again.
Who’s next? Mark Appel?
nah we still have him under contract?
*nix that “?”
Mark Appel and Carlos Rodon should round out the rotation.
And Samardjza (sp?)
Rizzo is gonna pitch ever 10th day as an opener.
The Ricketts must have had some leftover Kohl’s cash from Christmas for this gift to their fans!
@Chitown311
You must be a Cubs fan as well, I see you on every post.
He’s a Sox fan who cares more about the Cubs then the entire AL Central.
There are a few Sox fans that lurk in here who are 10x as obsessed with the Cubs than they are their own team. I’ve never seen anything like it. Seems like little brother syndrome or a Napoleon complex to me.
It’s the same guy, he has multiple accounts
Dogbone and Bryzzo say hi.
Next year they’ll make a donation in the name of all Cubs’ fans to the Human Fund!
(insert “start printing world series tickets” joke here)
LOL I bet this would be funny!!
sad he never got to appear for Bmore
Agreed! Made a lot more sense with us than the perennially contending Cubs…
fr, still wishing him luck
I’m surprised they don’t have their players selling hot dogs and beers between innings to save on payroll. Maybe even have them double as grounds crew staff.
Whoa!! Does the Rickets know they have to pay him a salary?
Look like the The Rickets made enough change on the streets to add a player, Stewart will likely have to play LF and as be the GM of the team too. No way The Rickets can collect enough change to add another player.
Jake Arrieta 2.0?
Maybe if this guy discovers “yoga”.
Or those “vitamins” ;-)
I wouldn’t mind Jake for a one year on the cheap might be magic in that dugout. Sign him can’t believe Lester gave a free open check like Dawson did and Ricketts broke ass couldn’t re sign him
Cub fans will hope for another Arietta miracle with every crap pitcher they sign. This looks more and more like the Cubs of the 70’s and 80’s. Where’s Manny Trillo?
Chatwood replacement. Nothing more. My guess is he’ll be a long man out of the bullpen.
I really don’t see what his height has to do with anything…
For about $3M more, they could have signed Chatwood. Ricketts is pathetic.
Why on earth would the Cubs have resigned Chitwood?
The AAAA Cubs strike again. Any time they care to re-join the MLB, have at it.
They’re really signing anyone these days
I know, looks like I left a bit too early – time to start warming the arm back up again!
still like the idea of giving this guy an extended shot. might provide some cheap upside.
Especially at 700k.
Or he’s taking a roster spot away from someone who could ACTUALLY help the team. Stewart sucks, he doesn’t strike anyone out and is not a crafty pitcher. Ridiculous move.
They should save the money on these buy-low high upside guys that will never contribute and buy a few guaranteed starters for a few million each instead.
Never contribute? Look up Jake Arrieta. You might have heard of him. When moves like this pay off they become more valuable to a team than the expensive signings. Will anything good come out of this signing? Probably not. But for 700k it is worth a look..
Arrieta was the benefit of a trade, not an off-season signing. Sign 20 of these guys and you will be very lucky if one pans out. Better off signing someone of use that you can count on. Ricketts acting like they have zero money. Such BS
Arrieta was 27 with bad career numbers. I am sure you had the same hissy fit when he was acquired for Hammel. Again, this transaction is 700k and he is controllable for up to 5 years. If you can’t see the low risk to this type of signing then it is what it is. I won’t explain the upside to you further.
Arrieta at least started for Baltimore for years…this guy hasn’t started anything..enough said
My guy, stop talking, Arriteta and Strop were acquired for Feldman
…and showed terribly. he was a shrewd get given what he became.
@nmendoza7
You’re correct, I named the wrong pitcher. But my point still stands and unless you can prove that this isn’t a low risk signing then I suggest you stop talking. Go ahead and respond, but I’m through with this conversation. It doesn’t take much brain power to understand my point, but maybe someone can draw you guys a picture so you can get a clue.
@DarkSide830
One of the few here who understands.
It was Steve Clevinger and Scott Feldman. Jason Hammel with Samardzija was traded to Oakland for Addison, Dan Straily and Billy McKinney (who never pitched for the big league cubs teams ) Jason Hammel then re-sign with the cubs the following winter.
Quite the subthread. 10 posts later the pretzel twists and turns into a product ready for consumption. Yum yum.
Jeff Samardjiza certainly had a hissy fit when the Cubs traded Feldman. I remember the “how does this make us better” comment.
It’s humorous to me that fans are still angry about the cost cutting… it’s a reality, deal with it and accept and get excited about guys like Stewart who have a high ceiling.
Seems like a good deal for Stewart and low risk for the team. Wish him the best as it must be frustrating to be such a high draft pick and then kind of not really have you’re career go as smoothly as I’m sure he hoped. But he’s been solid enough in the minors and maybe this is the break he needs to finally put things together and “breakout” to some extent anyway. Either as a RP or potentially a SP if he pitches really well.
It’s one thing to bring in a depth piece on a minor league contract but how does a pitcher with such a mediocre track record at AAA and with the Twins get signed to an MLB deal?
Hopefully Kohl Stewart works out better for the Cubs than Ian did back in 2012, the 3B that Theo traded DJ LeMahieu and Tyler Covin for.
Phil Humber says hi
At least the Cubs are actually giving out Major League contracts. Can’t say that for the rest of the Central.
I read the other day, that the 1.5 mil guarantee the Cubs gave to Austin Romine, was the largest guarantee handed out in the NL Central so far. It’s almost comical. NO ONE wants to win this division.The Cubs are operating like a small market team. They currently have about 2/5 of a rotation, maybe 3/5 if you think Alec Mills can give you 28-30 starts. St. Louis hasn’t made a peep. Cindy gave it one year. The Brewers signed Daniel Robertson. And the Pirates are currently trying to trade everyone that works for them. I’m hearing they have a deal in place sending a secretary, the bullpen catcher, and Adam Frazier to the Padres for a better package than the Cubs got for Darvish.
I’m sorry to hear that Cindy only gave it 1 year, better luck with the next one.
@DD yet still without adding anyone … we’ve still got the best pitching staff in the Central
Flaherty
Martinez
Kim
Mikolas
Reyes. With Ponce De Leon Gomber and more in reserve. Both of them are top 3 starters for anyone else in the central
Reyes is slated for the bullpen. Probably going Gomber for that last spot. Should look at the rest of the Central tho, bc Brewers/Cubs/Reds all have at least two starters who are either better or similar to the Cardinals’ guys behind Flaherty.
They absolutely have the best rotation but that lineup is a trash heap. There is not one team in the central without massive holes. I suspect the Pirates would of had a chance before they gutted the roster.
I think Cincinnati certainly has a case for the best rotation, but I’d agree it’s probably St. Louis atm. Castillo/Gray is a nasty 1-2 and Mahle could breakout in 2021. It’ll be interesting how Lorenzen works back into the fold as well
Fo GM unless Waino comes back… Reyes is the odds on fav for the 5th spot. BP is the fall back bc with Gallegos Miller and Hicks in the fold the high leverage spots are taken
Waino did just come back, but before that Fangraphs said otherwise on your Reyes being the favorite statement. Bullpen is never full and with those three plus Reyes, it seems the closer’s job is pretty much up for grabs. Reyes started one game last year and due to all his injuries, St. Louis should take a similar approach to what the Jays and Orioles have done with Borucki and Harvey – move him to the bullpen full-time. Hicks hasn’t even pitched yet post-TJS
So true!!
Giving out major league contracts to minor league talent, nice going cubs!
Weird that everyone in this thread is poo-pooing this move; I wish my Orioles would’ve re–signed Stewart.
A veritable poo poo platter
Faced this kid in highschool when he played at st. pius. I always thought he would be a fielder and not a pitcher (granted he didnt pitch against us). he hit the second hardest ball ive seen. Almost hit our pitcher in the head, and ended up burning our center fielder. it was a ROCKET. I always root for guys from the houston area and would love to see him do well
I bet all those Cubs fans who complained about Ricketts not spending any money are feeling pretty foolish right about now. (sarcasm, if it’s not obvious)
I describe myself as a White Sox fan first and Cubs fan second. It ticks me off that they’ve been crying poor for a couple years now and let Darvish go in a salary dump, then lied about it. This team could contend if they wanted to. They could definitely win the NL Central again as currently constructed, but that’s more of a sad commentary on the rest of that division than any sort of praise for the Cubs.
It’s interesting that one can be considered, “crying poor”, in a year where they have the 3rd highest payroll in MLB. I learn new things on this site every day.
The Cubs are trying to become the Pirates but have too many high salaried players on expiring contracts coming off of bad years to move in a financially uncertain offseason due to COVID-19. Willson Contreras, who has two years of team control, is their most tradable position player before camp opens and just might be dealt now that J.T. Realmuto has finally signed.
Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo are each pending FA’s with MVP caliber talent who have limited trade value because of their poor 2020 production and huge 2021 contracts. Jed Hoyer might have to wait until the trade deadline to move any of them assuming the Cubs aren’t contending in the weak NL Central.
Mark Prior is next
He’d be great if he pitched for the NYM.
I mean it’s only 700k so what can you really expect…but I’m not a fan of the move. Stewart just does not miss bats enough to be effective. I highly doubt he will be able to carve out any role whatsoever and is really just occupying a roster space that could be better utilized.
Cubs have 40 man roster space for days. They have 3 openings and another 2-3 guys they could release without losing any sleep.
Who?
Junkyard Jed putting in that work.
It took you long enough to to log out of your other account and make another troll comment. Good job
You’d be a great pet detective.
Laces out!
They’ll probably still win the Central.
Yippee.
Sayeth Darth Pipsqueak
Does this make the proposition of trading Contreras any more realistic? Yankees have a bunch of young arms that could compete with these, I’d think.
Lots of jokes but this is a good low risk signing by Hoyer. If you Stewart somehow works out, the Cubs will have control over him through 2025. If he doesn’t oh well.
If the Cubs can land Rondon on a non-guarantee contract then letting Stewart/Miller and him battle it out for the fifth starter slot and bullpen roles during the spring would be intriguing. I would have loved to seen the Cubs do this more under Epstein as opposed to paying their 4/5 starters 10.5-13 million per season.
Lets get Kolton Wong and call it an off season. See how the season plays out and either fire sale at the deadline or augment the roster if one or two of these fliers work out.
What is the point?
Low risk moves is all the Cubs do. It’s a slow retreat, nothing more.
People can b*#^# moan and complain (and snicker) all they want about the Cubs off season but I understand the reality of their financial situation.
With that said, I also realize the Cubs have their issues but they also are still a solid team (as of right now). They have plenty of offensive upside, they field well but the pitching is a huge concern. It has upside but it definitely doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy.
Based on the free agents available, I’d love to see Wong and then move Nico to CF, Happ to LF which would boost the already impressive defensive unit.
The Cubs will have a couple glaring weaknesses this season but again, those weaknesses can be shored up at the trade deadline. If Baez and Bryant cannot rebound or other unforeseen issues come up, spending on the rotation would have been moot anyway so they can deal at the deadline.
Ha ha. Hee hee. Strange things are happening.
Hmm, wonder what’s hiding behind this plant. Oh. Some Oriole pitching.
Jed’s Ma said boy, pick up some stew and then stop by Kohls. Something got lost in translation when he returned home with Kohl Stew.