The Cubs are considering having left-handers Brett Anderson and Mike Montgomery share the fifth spot in their rotation because they “have not been satisfactorily stretched out,” manager Joe Maddon told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com on Saturday. Injury issues have long beset Anderson, who only notched 11 1/3 innings as a member of the Dodgers last season, while Montgomery has only gone past the 150-frame plateau twice in a professional season. Montgomery last accomplished that in 2015, when the then-Mariner split his season between the Triple-A level and the majors. Maddon opined that Montgomery, 27, has “really high-quality stuff” and could rack up “10 to 15” wins per year.
Cubs Rumors
Cubs Extend Pedro Strop
The Cubs have agreed to a contract extension with right-hander Pedro Strop, per ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers. The new deal will run through the 2018 campaign and comes with a club option for the 2019 season. That buys out one year of free agency for Strop, who was set to hit the open market next winter, and gives Chicago an option over what would’ve been his second free-agent season.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Strop will be guaranteed $5.85MM in 2018, and the option season is valued at $6.25MM (with a $500K buyout). Paired with Strop’s $5.5MM salary for the upcoming 2017 campaign, the right-hander is now playing on a two-year, $11.85MM deal with a reasonable option for the 2019 campaign. Strop is represented by the Legacy Agency.
The 31-year-old Strop is the oft-unheralded second piece the Cubs received in the 2013 Jake Arrieta heist. But while he doesn’t generate the headlines and fanfare of his Cy Young teammate, Strop has nonetheless been an outstanding bullpen piece for the Cubs since being acquired from Baltimore.
Strop has never posted an ERA north of 3.00 in any of his four years with the Cubs, and he’s worked to an overall ERA of 2.68 in 211 1/3 innings in Chicago. Along the way, he’s averaged 10.8 strikeouts against 3.4 walks per nine innings pitched to go along with a 53.6 percent ground-ball rate and a fastball that has averaged 95.2 mph.
Given that level of excellence, it’s at least somewhat of a surprise to see Strop take a short-term extension when free agency was just around the corner. He’d have landed on the open market in advance of his age-33 season (he’ll turn 32 this June) and hasn’t worked extensively as a closer, so he wouldn’t have been in line for any of the record-setting mega-deals we saw earlier this offseason. However, the market for top-level relief help has become more robust in recent years, and Strop still could’ve had a chance at cashing in on a fairly significant multi-year deal in free agency.
There’s something to be said, of course, for taking a risk-averse approach to financial security, and Strop had earned fewer than $10MM in his career prior to this deal. He did also miss nearly six weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee last season, and any lingering effects from that injury could have negatively impacted his earning capacity. By signing the new contract, Strop assures himself of an additional $6.35MM while also remaining in an environment where he’s comfortable and knows he has a chance to win over the life of the deal. That last part seems to have been a key factor for the righty, who told reporters that he recognizes he could’ve potentially been viewed as a closer in free agency (Twitter links via Rogers and via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times). “I like to win better than roles,” Strop told the media.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cubs Showed Brief Interest In Utley
- Prior to Chase Utley’s agreement to return to the Dodgers, the Cubs briefly spoke to the veteran infielder about a bench/pinch-hitting role, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently tweeted. The talks never became serious, however, and a formal offer was never made to Utley’s camp. The Cubs clearly value depth, though it’s tough to imagine how Utley would receive any semblance of regular playing time with the reigning World Series champs. Javier Baez’s emergence may have already pushed Ben Zobrist into a crowded outfield, and the team also has Tommy La Stella on the roster as an additional infield option on the bench.
Latest On Cubs, Jake Arrieta
- Both Jake Arrieta and Cubs GM Jed Hoyer spoke to ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers about the complicated factors that go into a a theoretical extension for Arrieta. The 2015 Cy Young winner was candid about the fact that he knows he’ll be paid handsomely next winter barring any form of injury or sudden decline. Arrieta again mentioned that there’s little reason for any player — himself or anyone else — to take a discount on a contract with free agency just six months away. Teammate Anthony Rizzo, too, weighed in on the matter and suggested that no one in the clubhouse would blame Arrieta for pursuing maximum dollars. “He has enough money to last him the rest of his life,” said Rizzo. “”What he gets a year from now is going to be icing on the cake. … But he’ll try to set the bar for the next guy just like the guy before us did.” The Cubs will soon have to try to find ways to retain as much of their young core as possible, with Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Kyle Hendricks all nearing arbitration. And, as Rogers notes, at some point the team will have to at least consider tearing up the remainder of Rizzo’s contract and attempting to make him a Cub for the remainder of his career.
NL Notes: Sosa, Norris, Wieters, Magic, Ichiro
The Cubs’ rocky relationship with former star Sammy Sosa — or, perhaps, the lack thereof — has been well documented. But Sosa himself hasn’t been much willing to discuss it, until participating in a chat with MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom at his personal blog. Sosa admits to some mishandling of the end of his tenure with the Cubs, saying: “My intention was to finish my career in Chicago. … The only thing we cannot do is turn back time. We can’t do that. But hey, we have to move forward. I understand I made a mistake. I regret it, definitely, but I have to move on.” There’s quite a bit of interesting information for Cubbies fans to digest; you’ll want to give the interview a full read.
Here’s more from the National League:
- Nationals manager Dusty Baker strongly hinted that the club will look to find a taker for catcher Derek Norris after agreeing to terms with Matt Wieters, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweets. “There’s always someone looking for a front line catcher,” the veteran skipper said of Norris. The addition of Wieters creates an immediate glut at the catching position for the Nats, who also employ reserve Jose Lobaton and prospect Pedro Severino. While the immediate speculation turned to the youthful Severino, who’d be a much more likely candidate to help the Nats address another need at the major league level than is Norris, he still has options and likely maintains an important place in the team’s long-term picture at the catching position.
- Over at Fangraphs, Dave Cameron opines that the Nationals’ deal with Wieters doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. While the price is reasonable enough, says Cameron, it’s just not clear that Wieters represents a significant enough upgrade over Norris to make it worthwhile. I’d note that the maneuvering could make greater sense if Washington were instead considering parting with Lobaton, whose switch-hitting capabilities aren’t as useful with a fellow two-sided hitter joining the mix, though the above-cited comments from Baker suggest that’s not the likely outcome.
- In his own look at the Wieters move, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests that the signing was largely driven by the special relationship between agent Scott Boras and the Nationals’ ownership group. As discussed in our post on the deal, Boras and the Nats have linked up on a variety of contracts in recent years, often coming to fruition when the super agent sits down with principal owner Ted Lerner. As Rosenthal puts it, “Nats ownership … operates to its own rhythm, with Boras frequently calling out the beats.”
- NBA legend and part Dodgers owner Magic Johnson has taken over as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, and you can find all the details at MLBTR’s sister site, Hoops Rumors. Despite his new duties, Johnson’s role with the baseball organization won’t change, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). “Whenever we need Magic, he’s been available,” says Dodgers president & CEO Stan Kasten. “That won’t change.”
- Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki suffered a bruised knee in a collision with fellow outfielder Brandon Barnes today, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (links to Twitter), though it was perhaps notable for reasons other than the actual injury. The ageless Ichiro is expected only to miss a few days, but did require — incredibly — the very first training-room treatment of his 16-year MLB career. Teammates used the opportunity not only to mark that occasion, but also to have some fun at Barnes’ expense. A note, signed by Ichiro, was left at his emptied locker informing him that he had been cut loose and wishing him good luck in Korea.
Kyle Schwarber Catches First Bullpen In Nearly A Year
- Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber caught a bullpen session Friday for the first time since he tore multiple knee ligaments last April and informed Carrie Muskat of MLB.com on Sunday that he “loved it.” Schwarber realizes that he must “take it slow with the knee and the injury and everything like that,” though, and likely won’t do much catching this season with Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero on Chicago’s roster. “I’ve got to be ready at any time to come in late in the game from left field to maybe come catch and give those guys a blow,” Schwarber said. “It’s not like I’m going to be the everyday starter.”
Tom Ricketts On Jake Arrieta, Luxury Tax
Whether the Cubs extend right-hander Jake Arrieta prior to free agency next winter will be up to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, chairman Tom Ricketts told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “They have the right perspective on what they have to put a great team on the field this year but have a longer term perspective in realizing decisions that affect this year might hurt us in a few years,” said Ricketts, who added that the reigning World Series champions will be “thoughtful and strategic” in deciding when to exceed the luxury-tax threshold. The Cubs spent past the mark for the first time last year, but they’re on track to avoid the penalty this season, estimates Jason Martinez of Roster Resource and MLBTR. Allowing Arrieta to walk in free agency next year would help the Cubs stay under the limit in 2018, too, though they’d also lose the 2015 NL Cy Young winner and one of the game’s top starters. It seems that will happen, however, as Arrieta’s agent, Scott Boras, could push for a $200MM-plus deal. In the meantime, Arrieta will make $15.6375M in his final year of team control.
Latest On Possibility Of Arrieta Extension
Cubs hurler Jake Arrieta still expects to talk to the team about an extension before free agency and believes a deal is possible, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. However, Arrieta noted that extension talks aren’t his No. 1 priority as he focuses on his health and on the team’s chances of replicating last year’s World Series victory. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein, too, said he planned to meet with Arrieta’s agent, Scott Boras, but as Wittenmyer explains, an extension still feels like a long shot. Boras has already compared Arrieta to right-hander Max Scherzer, who signed a seven-year, $210MM contract with the Nationals two winters ago. Wittenmyer writes that the Cubs aren’t likely to be open to a mega-deal — Jon Lester is just two years into his own $155MM pact — which could lead to Arrieta landing elsewhere in the long run. For the time being, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago tweeted yesterday that there are no talks scheduled between Boras and the Cubs.
Epstein: Cubs Saving Resources For In-Season Moves
- The Cubs passed on matching the Royals’ offer to Travis Wood and on matching the recent commitments made to Jerry Blevins (by the Mets) and Boone Logan (by the Indians) in large part because they’re saving their resources for the summer trade market, writes CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney. “There were some relievers who became available on shorter deals late that we were interested in early on (with) those types of deals,” said president of baseball ops Theo Epstein. “But they weren’t really ready to commit yet to the shorter deal. And then by the time it rolled around late in the offseason, we kind of spent our money.” Epstein specifically cited a desire for “flexibility for in-season moves” and added that the baseball operations department had some “self-imposed limitations” late in the winter. As such, it doesn’t sound as if Cubs fans should expect much in the way of significant additions to the roster between now and Opening Day.
Cubs Weighing Options For Kyle Schwarber
- The Cubs are set to find out today whether slugger Kyle Schwarber will be cleared to get behind the plate, though the organization plans to be cautious regardless. As Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein put it in colorful terms, saying that “we’ll walk before we squat.” Regardless, Schwarber is expected to spend the bulk of his time in left field while serving as at most a third catcher, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
