JANUARY 4: Morgan’s deal comes with a $900K base salary if he makes the majors, with additional incentives available, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
JANUARY 3: The Cubs have signed left-hander Adam Morgan to a minor league deal with an invitation to Chicago’s big league spring camp, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury (Twitter link).
Morgan chose to become a free agent after the Phillies outrighted him off their 40-man roster at the end of the season. It was effectively an early non-tender, as Morgan was arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter and wasn’t likely to be retained. After posting a 5.54 ERA over 13 relief innings for Philadelphia in 2020, Morgan underwent flexor tendon repair surgery in October. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune has good news on Morgan’s recovery timeline, tweeting that Morgan is “expected to be game ready sometime in March.”
On a minor league deal, there isn’t much risk for the Cubs in monitoring Morgan’s health and seeing if he can contribute to their bullpen at some point next year. A familiar face will be waiting for Morgan in the pen, as former Phillies pitching coach Chris Young is entering his second year as Chicago’s bullpen coach.
Morgan has posted some decent numbers since becoming a full-time relief pitcher, delivering a 3.97 ERA, 2.84 K/BB rate, and 9.6 K/9 over 133 2/3 innings from 2017-19. Homers have been a consistent issue, as Morgan has a 1.5 HR/9 over his career and allowed three home runs during the smaller sample size of his 2020 workload. Morgan has some pretty significant career splits (left-handed batters have a .640 OPS against him, but righty swingers have an .859 OPS) but he could provide some help to a Cubs relief corps that is thin on reliable southpaw options.
Jed’s League
The cubs print there own money
This is how the Cubs have re-allocated the $60mm they saved by dumping Darvish for a bunch of scratch off tickets? Cubs fans should be up in arms with this ownership. It is an absolute slap in the face to one of the most loyal fan bases in baseball
I’m a very devoted fan of the cubs. Probably how you feel about the white sox. Or hatred for the cubs. The cubs ownership is so bad. I hate all of them. The refusal to spend money when you have it is very frustrating.
Don’t worry, a bunch of the Cubs fans here will try to do mental gymnastics about how this is a great deal like the Darvish trade. Even though it is a sign that ownership continues to cry poor when they are the top money making team in Chicago and play in a division easily up for grabs.
LOL
Yes Darvish Dump was no trade
Hey Wrek,
I’m going to have to defend the owners really quick, they had a 1/2 billion bill due for Wrigley renovations and just had a season with serious revenue loss. On top of that they face a 2021 season of uncertainty regarding fan attendance. Lastly there could potentially be a lockout/strike during the 2022 season. Meanwhile the renovation bills still need paid. In other words, if there is any team that understandably needs to cut operating cost on the short term, the Cubs are that team.
I still have hopes that the Cubs field a competitive team, a few minor tweaks/trades can accomplish this goal. The offense was not a total wreck, it was just unbalanced and needs some adjusting. The rotation isn’t awful either if they make a couple moves.
I’m not overly optimistic the Cubs make any moves to make the roster more competitive but my fingers are crossed. The fact Hoyer said that the Contreras rumors were completely false does give me a little more reason for hope.
Personally I think Baez had a bad year because he feeds off the crowd so much. I dont see why at least mid way through the season all teams loved fans. The fake piped in noise was awful.
If they trade Contreras they’ll have no catchers. That would be a dumb move. He can trade KB to ATL. for his replacement at 3B and William Contreras. Lol. That would never happen o know. It would be cool to see them on the same team. It would be the first brother catcher since Yadi,Benji and Jose.
Baez struggled at the plate because his swing looked like when he first came into the league and he stopped using the opposite field power alley.
Baez, at his best, protects the outside portion of the plate and drives the low and outside slider to the opposite field. Last season, Baez was pulling off the low and outside slider and either missing or grounding out weakly. It was a direct result of his swing being long. It wasn’t so much that he was trying to pull everything, it’s just the result of trying to hit a home run every pitch with a swing that is too long.
I could also see a trade with the Rays making sense for the Cubs regarding Contreras. They can trade Wilco and pick up one of their catchers off their depth chart and they have a deep enough farm system to get a deal done.
If the Rays were willing to part with a package of Brujan, either Baz or McClanahan and Zunino to offset some of the money I’d be very interested.
That’s what cocky cub fans said a couple years ago. The cubs can have anyone they want. They print money we’re going to be a dynasty forever and ever. One lousy World Series in a 120 years. And certainly nothing in the near future.
I agree that it was one, but there was nothing lousy about it. Winning Game 7 was the best win I’ve ever seen.
Game seven was classic mismanagement by Mad man Madden
Everybody wanna talk about how the Cubs Dodgers and Yankees print money. Well here’s one for you, how much money did HALIBURTON print by placing bets on the rigged 2017 World Series? Nobody wants to talk about what Manfred covered up?
Yankees and Dodgers print money and only have 2 WS championship since 2009. The Yankees have always been known to deplete their farm to get everyone. I’m not even sure they a good farm.
@wrek305 – The reason the Yankees have a good farm is because they lost seven players in the Rule 5 draft this year. You say, “The Yankees have always been known to deplete their farm to get everyone. I’m not even sure they a good farm.” If that is the case how come seven different teams picked players from their farm system? C’mon Man
Just saying though when was they had a home grown prospect? Brett Gardner? Maybe? I don’t think he was ever a prospect either.
Aaron Judge anyone?
Joy destroyer Hoyer!
I think we now know why Theo jumped ship. The budget ain’t there.
Very good point
Mrtwotone——looks like you didn’t get your “Hooked on Phonics” for Christmas. Here’s hoping your birthday is coming up.
I’ve been hooked on phonics and Flintstones vitamins since I was a kid. I’m thinking about seeking treatment.
Ya, but are you stuck on Band-Aids ‘cuz Band Aids are stuck on you?
The real question is
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Skip the vitamins, I’ll have a Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity please
or
I’m not a pheasant plucker,
I’m a pheasant plucker’s son,
I’m only plucking pheasants til the pheasant plucking’s done.
Is Chuck related to Kerry?
There’s a whole lot of bottom feeding going on.
While he was straight-up awful in 2020, he was serviceable in 2018 and 2019. So there’s that.
Unfortunately the LOOGY role has gone with the wind, that’s where Morgan had the most use
I miss LOOGYs, and I miss their less common relatives, ROOGYs. I just miss being able to use the acronyms.
I am very shocked that the Phillies gave up on him considering how horrendous our BP was last season. He was a key part of our BP in 18-19, and was very consistent. He was a lot better than his numbers tell us. Considering he is healthy this season, the Cubs got a very good BP arm for practically nothing
Well, with the new rule in place, Morgan is sort of useless.
@vonpurplehaze
I miss the strategy of being able to send a specialist to the mound. I’m sure there are a lot of players that would have contracts now if they didn’t have the three battery rule. Either you are able to adapt like Adam Kolarek, Oliver Perez, or Alex Claudio or you find yourself unemployed or in the minors like Adam Morgan, Jerry Blevins, or Jonny Venters.
@Mrtwotone I absolutely agree. I’m not a fan of the new rule.
The new rule says thst you can bring in a pitcher to close out an inning so the lefty specialist can still be useful.
You could do worse for a lefty reliever… but then again, why would you want to do worse?
There is a very real possibility that a majority of teams are foregoing established 5-10 million per year guys to slash payroll. Players 35 and older may be left out in the cold and forced out unless they take it or leave it at 1 million or less per year. This type of collusion would in effect give players little choice, and potentially give the owners the upper hand for a couple years. It will be interesting to see what the next CBA looks like.
I don’t know that collusion is the right word. What happens is teams sit back and see what other teams or doing which eventually sets the market if you will. For actually collusion they’d have to get together and agree not to pay over a certain amount for a type of player. Most teams seem to be waiting for the market to develop but teams like the Mets are being more aggressive
You’re right, collusion was not the right word, my bad.
If a 24 year old making league minimum can produce at the MLB level there is no reason to sign that 35 year old to more money just to block the 24 year old from playing. Especially teams rebuilding which cuts down the 35-year old’s options. Universal DH would help.
So happy this bum will not be back. He stinks
I disagree. When healthy he was effective, especially for long stretches. If healthy, this is a nice under the radar move for the Cubs.
Cubs reinvesting that Darvish money. C’mon, you were thinking it too!
I was thinking I feel sorry for Cubs fans. They go from dumpster diving theo to trash heaping hoyer.
Same GM strategy. Different GMs.
The cubs fans deserve better.
Many fans deserve better than they get these days. Austerity is not usually a GM strategy. More often it has to do with ownership. Hard to tell though because we’re not privy to those conversations.
Not a bad minor league signing at all
good when healthy, but not currently healthy
There go the god damn brownies
They’re gonna sign Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan and Morgan.
The record is stuck.
Littering and littering and littering and littering and
Still just not funny. Why do you think that you are funny? Did your mom tell you that?
If I didn’t get the wings, so what? We still got that meat lovers pizza in the trunk.
Take lolzmets advice. Seriously.
If his velocity is back up he could still be useful.
Sing along, “Hey Chicago whaddya say, the Cubs dug through the trash today”.
Betcha Al Yellon’s son tim815 is busy barfing up an podcast about this transaction!!
Yeah, just one lousy World Series victory what a bummer.
Well Hot Damn
A lot of comments here about dumpster diving but the truth is it’s the money they spent poorly on bigger name players that have put them in this position. They’ve been over the tax for sometime now. How far should Ricketts push the payroll to make fans happy?
Teams aren’t much without fan support and cub fans are some of the most loyal ones you’ll find. The Ricketts haven’t owned the team that long and talked a big game once they took over. What’s happening now just looks bad. It’s as if they’re not even trying and the division is practically there for the taking.
Truth, our “dumpster diving” netted Wick, Jeffers, Winkler, Tempera, Ryan, Chavez, Hector Rendon back a few years ago.
Our “big moves and free agent signings” Kintzler who bombed his first year, Duensing, Wilson, Morrow who only pitched a couple games, Kimbrel… Heck the only really good signing I can remember was Cisheck and trade was Davis.
A bat hitter
A signing like this makes no sense to me. That being the player is recovering from an injury. But all that matters now is that it makes sense to the Cubs’ leadership team.Hoping to find another Diamond is the Ruff.
Chris Young is EVERYWHERE!!
Adam Morgan stinks, He was always good at coughing up the lead.
Should have been gone 4 years ago,but he wasnt the only one for sure! Wish him luck though
Every year fans throw a fit about deals like this. It’s filler – spend a limited amount of money on what is essentially a lottery pick. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, he fills out AAA or he goes away. It’s shouldn’t be worth anything more than a shrug in a normal year. This year, it’s magnified only because there has been so little noise in baseball.
us cubs fans throw a fit because these are the only moves we have seen in the last few years
I’m sure you also threw a fit when the Cubs signed Jeffers and Kipnis last season….
The Cubs M.O. when it comes to relievers has always been the same, load up with non-guaranteed split contracts and generally it has worked out decently. I mean fans complained about trading for Rowan Wick, that worked out pretty dang well so far.
I remember Cub fans complaining about the Cubs trading Feldman and Clevenger for Arrieta Strop and international money. Many said it was more about getting the slot money than the “garbage players” we got back in return.
Anyway, bottom line is, us fans are no where near as knowledgeable and intelligent about running baseball organizations as we pretend to be. Claiming a guy like Hector Rendon helped the Cubs win a title in 2016 and make a deep post season run in 2015…. but…. when the fans saw the claim… it was the same dumpster diving trash as they continue to complain about.
Agreed. Let’s let it play out.