Phillies Sign Mark Kolozsvary To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have signed catcher Mark Kolozsvary to a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports. The deal contains an invitation for Kolozsvary to attend Philadelphia’s big league spring camp.
Kolozsvary has played in only 11 Major League games, and none since the 2023 season. Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs are the only other catchers in the Phillies organization with any big league playing time at all, so the 30-year-old Kolozsvary adds some experience to the depth chart. J.T. Realmuto‘s continued stay in free agency remains the biggest question hanging over the Phillies’ catching situation, but given how Marchan and Stubbs also haven’t shown much at the MLB level, adding another catcher to the Spring Training backup competition was likely on the Phils’ to-do list with or without Realmuto back in the fold.
A seventh-round pick for the Reds in the 2017 draft, Kolozsvary’s time with his original team culminated in 10 MLB games and 21 plate appearances during the 2022 season. The Orioles claimed Kolozsvary off waivers from Cincinnati following the 2022 campaign, and Kolozsvary ended up making a single appearance as a late-game defensive sub during a brief stay on Baltimore’s active roster in June 2023. The O’s designated him for assignment shortly thereafter and Kolozsvary caught on with the Twins on a minor league deal, and he then spent the 2024-25 seasons playing in the Red Sox farm system.
Kolozsvary has a reputation as a very solid defensive catcher, which has helped him extend his career despite a modest .194/.309/.338 slash line over 407 plate appearances at the Triple-A level (let alone his .200/.238/.450 slash in the small sample size of his 21 PA with the Reds).
Kolozsvary has two minor league options remaining, which is a notable detail because both Marchan and Stubbs are out of options. While the Phillies avoided arbitration with Marchan and Stubbs by signing them to guaranteed salaries for the 2026 season, neither contract is expensive, and Stubbs’ deal is a split contract. This opens the door for Kolozsvary to possibly supplant Stubbs as the top depth catcher, though the Phillies’ catching mix remains fluid as long as Realmuto remains unsigned.
Diamondbacks Sign Luken Baker To Minor League Contract
The Diamondbacks have signed first baseman Luken Baker to a minors deal, Just Baseball Media’s Aram Leighton reports. Baker qualified for minor league free agency at the end of the season, and he chose to test the open market rather than stick in the Dodgers’ organization.
A second-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2018 draft, Baker spent most of his career in the St. Louis organization before he was claimed off the waiver wire by the Dodgers in early August. Baker never saw any MLB playing time in Los Angeles, so his big league resume remains his 73 games played with the Cardinals over the 2023-25 seasons, with a .206/.317/.338 slash line and four home runs to show for 189 plate appearances.
This lack of production didn’t exactly merit more playing time, yet Baker was also blocked to some extent by the presence of Paul Goldschmidt, Willson Contreras, Alec Burleson, and others at first base. Baker is limited by his lack of defensive versatility, as he has played only first base and DH during his pro career. This made him an expendable piece even on a Cardinals team that is turning into a rebuild, as Baker is entering his age-29 season.
Baker got his first call-up to the majors on the strength of a huge season with Triple-A Memphis in 2023, when he hit .334/.439/.720 with 33 home runs over 380 PA. He followed that year up with a 32-homer campaign and a lesser (.231/.345/.535) slash line in Memphis in 2024, but his numbers continued to tail off, as Baker hit only .223/.335/.441 with 18 homers over 409 combined PA with the Cardinals’ and Dodgers’ top affiliates in 2025. While Baker’s numbers improved greatly after his move from Memphis to Oklahoma City, this may have had less to do with a change of scenery and more to do with the move to the pitcher-friendly Pacific Coast League.
The Diamondbacks’ Triple-A Reno club is also in the PCL, so it wouldn’t be a shock if Baker posts some numbers in 2026 that look pretty gaudy on paper. There’s no risk for the Snakes in seeing what Baker can do in at least a depth capacity, and if he can turn his raw power into any sort of consistent production at the big league level. In terms of the MLB roster, the right-handed hitting Baker could be a fit in a platoon situation with the lefty-swinging Pavin Smith at first base and DH, and the D’Backs may be hoping that Baker can follow Smith’s example as a late bloomer who didn’t start to break out in the majors until his late 20s.
Signing Baker to a non-guaranteed deal shouldn’t prevent the D’Backs from exploring more prominent right-handed bats for this role, such as former Arizona star Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks’ infield situation in general remains in something of a state of flux, as rumors continue to swirl that Ketel Marte could be traded, and that the D’Backs could be a dark horse suitor for Alex Bregman. Such moves wouldn’t necessarily impact the first base role, unless another first base candidate or right-handed bat was potentially brought on board as part of a Marte trade package.
NPB’s Hanshin Tigers Sign Carson Ragsdale
The Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball announced that right-hander Carson Ragsdale has signed a one-year contract. Ragsdale hit the open market after being non-tendered by the Braves last month.
The move to Japan concludes a whirlwind five-month stretch for Ragsdale that saw the 27-year-old change teams four times on the waiver wire, and make his Major League debut. His breakthrough in the Show consisted of two appearances with the Orioles in September, with very different outcomes — Ragsdale was torched for eight earned runs over three innings in Baltimore’s 11-2 loss to the Blue Jays on September 14, but he rebounded for two scoreless innings in the Orioles’ 6-1 loss to the Yankees on September 27. As a result, Ragsdale’s career line as a big leaguer is a 14.40 ERA over five innings of work.
These two games represent two separate stints for Ragsdale in an Orioles uniform. Claimed off waivers from the Giants in early August, Ragsdale was designated for assignment by the O’s after his rough MLB debut, and then claimed by the Braves. He lasted just over a week in Atlanta’s organization since the Braves DFA’d Ragsdale in order to clear roster space for Charlie Morton, and Ragsdale was claimed again by the Orioles, paving the way for his second outing on a big league mound. The yo-yo continued for Ragsdale when he was designated at the start of November, and then claimed once more by the Braves.
Signing a guaranteed deal with the Tigers represents some stability for Ragsdale in the wake of this transactional flurry, and a chance to showcase that he can do as a starting pitcher. Ragsdale has a 5.15 ERA, 21.24% strikeout rate, and 11.73% walk rate over 143 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, with most of that time spent in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League pitching with San Francisco’s top affiliate. The 2025 season saw Ragsdale post only a 19.5% strikeout rate, after he easily cleared the 30% threshold earlier in his career while pitching in the lower minors.
Eighty of Ragsdale’s 89 career games in the minors came as a starting pitcher, and it can be assumed that the Tigers will give Ragsdale a look in their rotation. The righty will try to become the latest hurler to re-invent himself with a move to Japan, and performing well in more of a generally pitcher-friendly environment could help boost Ragsdale’s stock for a possible return to North American baseball down the road.
Reds To Sign Michael Chavis To Minor League Deal
The Reds and infielder Michael Chavis have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The CAA Sports client also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.
Chavis, 30, returns to North America after a brief stint overseas. He signed with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in July. However, he hit just .171/.267/.352 in 38 games for the Dragons.
The Reds have overlooked that small-sample disappointment and brought him aboard via a non-roster pact. Chavis was once a notable prospect, getting selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2014 draft. He had a breakout season in 2017 when he launched 31 home runs in the minors. Baseball America ranked him as the #85 prospect in the league going into the 2018 season.
He made a major league debut with a bit of a splash in 2019, hitting 18 home runs in just 382 plate appearances, but with some asterisks. That was the juiced-ball season, so Chavis was one of 151 players to reach the 18-homer mark that year. He also struck out in 33.2% of his plate appearances.
The strikeouts would continue to be a problem and bumped his stock down. In the coming years, he would bounce from Boston to Pittsburgh and Washington while continuing to whiff. He currently has 1,186 big league plate appearances on his statsheet with a 31.9% strikeout rate in those. His 5.4% walk rate is also subpar. Despite launching 42 home runs, his .238/.283/.401 batting line translates to an 80 wRC+, indicating he’s been 20% below average overall.
For the Reds, there’s no real harm in bringing him aboard via a minor league deal. For what it’s worth, his minor league production has been more viable. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has 740 Triple-A plate appearances, only striking out 22.3% of the time. He slashed .270/.339/.483 in that sample for a 103 wRC.
He can also provide plenty of defensive flexibility. He has big league experience at the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners.
The Reds have a lot of moving parts in their position player mix. Matt McLain could be the second baseman but he missed all of 2024 while injured and then had poor offensive results in 2025. Sal Stewart has second base experience in the minors but the Reds utilized him at first and third in the big leagues. Though he performed well down the stretch, he still has just 58 big league plate appearances. The hot corner should be locked down by Ke’Bryan Hayes after he was acquired at the deadline in 2025. If Stewart takes over at first, that could push Spencer Steer to the grass, the same way that Gavin Lux and Noelvi Marté have been largely pushed from the infield to the outfield. Steer, Lux and Marté were all around league average at the plate in 2025. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is also in the corner infield mix but is coming off two straight challenging seasons.
Chavis gives Cincy a bit of experience depth behind that group and can step in if there are openings due to injuries or underperformance. Chavis still has an option remaining, meaning he could be easily sent back to the minors if he gets a 40-man spot at some point.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Owen White Signs With KBO’s Hanwha Eagles
The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization announced that they have signed right-hander Owen White. The Wasserman client will make $1MM in the form of a $200K signing bonus and a salary of $800K. Hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net for relaying the news, translated into English.
White, now 26, was a notable prospect a couple of years ago. The Rangers drafted him 55th overall in 2018 but his professional debut wouldn’t come until a few years later. He missed 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and then the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out the minor leagues in 2020.
Once he was back in action, he hit the mound running. Between 2021 and 2022, he tossed 115 2/3 innings in the minors, allowing 3.42 earned runs per nine. His 7.5% walk rate was strong and his 34.1% strikeout rate excellent.
The Rangers gave him a 40-man spot in the 2022-23 offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. Going into the 2023 campaign, Baseball America ranked White as the #59 prospect in the league.
Since then, however, White has hit a number of speed bumps. He got shelled in his first major league appearances and his results also backed up in the minors. He tossed 207 2/3 innings for the Triple-A Round Rock Express over 2023 and 2024 with a 4.90 ERA. The Express play in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League but White’s 18.3% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate were both poor figures.
That performance pushed White to the fringe of the Texas roster. He was designated for assignment in December 2024. His past prospect status still attracted a number of teams. Prior to the 2025 season, he went to the Reds, Yankees and White Sox via small deals or waiver claims.
He spent 2025 with the Sox but was mostly kept on optional assignment. He threw only seven big league innings, allowing seven earned runs. Combined with his brief MLB appearances with the Rangers, he now has an unfortunate 12.86 ERA in 14 total innings in the majors.
He also tossed 81 Triple-A innings in Chicago’s system. His 4.44 ERA wasn’t awful and he got grounders on 46.7% of balls in play but his 18.8% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate were subpar.
He exhausted his final option season in 2025, meaning he will be out of options going forward, making it harder for him to cling to a roster spot. The Sox passed him through waivers unclaimed in October and he became a minor league free agent shortly thereafter.
If White had stayed in North America, he surely would have been limited to minor league deals. Even if he earned a roster spot with some club in 2026, his salary likely would have been near the $780K league minimum. By heading overseas, he gets a bigger guarantee and an opportunity to showcase himself on a notable stage.
It has become quite common for pitchers to reinvent themselves in Asia and return to North America for big paydays. This offseason alone has seen Cody Ponce, Anthony Kay, Drew Anderson, Foster Griffin and Ryan Weiss get deals with MLB clubs after pitching in Japan or South Korea in 2025. They all got at least a $2.6MM guarantee with Ponce getting all the way up to $30MM. White is still quite young and could go down this path if he’s able to find a new gear with the Eagles.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Nationals To Sign Matt Mervis To Minor League Deal
The Nationals and first baseman Matt Mervis have agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp in spring training. Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported that Mervis and the Nats had a deal in place. Andrew Golden of The Washington Post specified that it was a minor league deal with a camp invite.
Mervis, 28 in April, hasn’t found much major league success yet. He has appeared in 78 big league games over the past three seasons, stepping to the plate 261 times split between the Cubs and Marlins. He hit ten home runs in that time but also had a subpar 7.7% walk rate and an awful 34.5% strikeout rate. He currently sports a career batting line of .165/.238/.322.
That lack of offense is deadly for his viability. He is one of the slowest players in the majors and can only play first base. He needs to hit to provide value.
The reason he has been given a few major league chances is because his minor league production is vastly superior to what he’s done in the big leagues. He first gained attention as a minor leaguer with the Cubs in 2022. That year, he went from High-A to Double-A and Triple-A, hitting 36 homers on the year.
Since then, even as he has floundered in the majors, he has continued hitting fairly well on the farm. From 2023 to 2025, he has stepped to the plate 1,058 times at the Triple-A level with various clubs. His 25.8% strikeout rate in that time is still a bit high but far better than his big league work. He has also drawn walks at a strong 11.9% clip and hit 56 home runs. He has a combined .257/.354/.510 line and 112 wRC+ in that span, indicating he’s been 12% above league average.
The Cubs traded him to the Marlins last offseason. The Fish outrighted him off their 40-man in June and released him in August. He then landed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks but didn’t get called up down the stretch and became a minor league free agent at season’s end.
The Nats are a sensible landing spot for him. Not only was he born and raised in the D.C. area but the first base spot is fairly wide open in Washington. They had Nathaniel Lowe as their regular at that position this year but released him in August. They mostly used Josh Bell the rest of the way. He became a free agent after the season and subsequently signed with the Twins.
As of now, Washington’s top first basemen are Andrés Chaparro and Luis García Jr. Chaparro has a .203/.268/.358 batting line in 205 big league plate appearances. García has mostly been a second baseman in his career but his poor defensive grades might get him bumped to first, where he has only 16 big league innings of experience. Even if he can stick at first defensively, he probably doesn’t have the bat for the position, with a career .266/.299/.410 line and 93 wRC+.
With that situation, the Nats clearly need upgrades. Since they are rebuilding, they probably won’t make a big splash there. As spring training approaches, they could perhaps take a low-cost flier on a free agent, depending on who remains unsigned. Guys like Ty France, Rhys Hoskins, Dominic Smith, Carlos Santana, Rowdy Tellez or Justin Turner are some theoretical possibilities.
For now, they have added some non-roster depth. They signed Warming Bernabel to a minor league deal not too long ago and have now brought Mervis into the fold as well. If Mervis can earn a roster spot, he still has an option season remaining and also has less than a year of service time. If he finally clicks in the majors with his hometown team, he can be cheaply retained into the foreseeable future.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images
Mets To Sign Mike Baumann
The Mets and right-hander Mike Baumann have agreed to a deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman doesn’t specify whether it’s a major or minor league deal for the CAA Sports client. The Mets have a full 40-man roster and would need to open a spot for Baumann if he’s going on there.
It would be quite a shock if Baumann landed a major league deal. The 30-year-old spent the 2025 season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He wasn’t exactly dominant over there. He tossed 15 innings at the top NPB level with a 4.20 earned run average and 11 innings in the minors with a 4.09 ERA.
At the top level, he did strike out 25.3% of batters faced in that small sample but he also gave out walks to 16% of opponents. In the minors, he had a 20.9% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.
If it’s just a minor league deal, then it’s fine for the Mets. It adds some depth without using up a roster spot. Baumann has a bit of major league experience. He tossed 167 1/3 innings over the 2021 to 2024 seasons with a 4.95 ERA, 20% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 42.7% ground ball rate.
Those numbers weren’t elite but Baumann’s arsenal clearly intrigued teams. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged in the upper 90s. He also featured a low-90s slider in addition to a knuckle curve and a changeup which both averaged in the high-80s.
He began the 2024 season with the Orioles, the club he had played for since being drafted in 2017. But he exhausted his final option season in 2023, meaning his grip on a roster spot had loosened. Over the course of the 2024 season, he went from the O’s to the Mariners, Giants, Angels and Marlins via small trades or waiver claims.
After that hot-potato season, he tried to find a bit more security by heading to Japan. It didn’t pan out, so he has come back to North America and will join the Mets. Assuming this is a non-roster pact, he will try to pitch his way onto the club’s roster. Even if he does so, hanging onto his spot will be tricky on account of his aforementioned out-of-options status.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Harold Castro Signs With KBO’s Kia Tigers
The Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization have confirmed the four foreign players who will join their team for the 2026 season (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO). The foursome includes right-hander James Naile, who is entering his third year with the Tigers and whose signing was announced last month; right-hander Adam Oller, who re-signed for a second year with the club; infielder Jarryd Dale, a former Padres prospect and Australian Baseball League player who spent 2025 with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes; and utility player Harold Castro, a six-year MLB veteran who is heading overseas for the first time in his career.
Castro, a client of the MAS+ Agency, spent more than a decade in the Detroit Tigers organization. He signed in 2010 as an international free agent out of Venezuela, and eight years later, he made his big league debut at Comerica Park. Over parts of five seasons with MLB’s Tigers, he played in 351 games, appearing at every position except catcher. His .286 batting average was impressive, and his defensive versatility was valuable, but that was about all he contributed. He didn’t hit for power, he rarely walked, and his defense graded out poorly (albeit in small samples) wherever he played.
Detroit non-tendered Castro after the 2022 season, and he signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. The utility man cracked Colorado’s roster out of camp and stuck around all season, though he struggled to hit even at Coors Field. Finishing with a .589 OPS and 45 wRC+, Castro produced a -1.5 FanGraphs WAR, third-last among all MLB players in 2023.
The Rockies cut Castro soon after the season ended, and he would eventually sign with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He hit well with the Toros in 2024 and even better for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League the following offseason, enough so that he landed a minor league offer from the Royals for the 2025 campaign. Despite Castro’s best efforts at Triple-A – 21 home runs, a .307 batting average, and a 129 wRC+ in 99 contests – he never got the call to the majors. Yet, he clearly impressed the Kia Tigers, who signed the 32-year-old to a contract worth $1MM USD for 2026. He replaces Patrick Wisdom on their roster, who was no slouch in his first KBO season, hitting 35 home runs with a 126 wRC+.
Phillies To Sign Levi Stoudt To Minor League Deal
The Phillies and right-hander Levi Stoudt have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Ari Alexander of 7News Boston WHDH. The righty is represented by Gaeta Sports Management.
Stoudt, now 28, was once a notable prospect. The Mariners selected him with a third-round pick in 2019. He missed the 2020 season, both due to the pandemic and because Stoudt was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Over 2021 and the first half of 2022, he tossed 168 2/3 innings in Seattle’s system with a 4.32 earned run average, 23.7% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate.
He was one of four players traded to the Reds in the 2022 deadline deal which sent Luis Castillo to Seattle. Cincinnati gave him a 40-man spot in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.
Things didn’t work out with the Reds. He tossed 10 1/3 innings in the majors in 2023, allowing 11 earned runs. He also tossed 82 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level that year with a 6.23 ERA. His 15.1% strikeout rate and 13% walk rate were both poor figures.
The Reds designated him for assignment in the 2023-24 offseason. The Mariners grabbed him back via the waiver wire and kept him on optional assignment. They put him back on waivers in June. The Orioles claimed him but then passed him through waivers in July. Over 2024 and 2025, he had a 5.83 ERA in the minors with an 18.5% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate.
It’s been a while since Stoudt has been able to put up intriguing numbers but there’s an old saying that there’s no such thing as a bad minor league deal. Stoudt is still relatively young and could perhaps find another gear.
If he does so and earns a roster spot, he still has an option season, meaning the Phils could send him to Triple-A and back fairly freely for a year. He also has just ten days of big league service time, meaning he could be affordably controlled for years into the future, though a lot would have to go right before that even becomes a consideration.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Cubs Sign Jacob Webb
The Cubs announced the signing of righty reliever Jacob Webb to a one-year deal that includes a club option for the 2027 season. The KHG Sports Management client will reportedly make $1.5MM in 2026. The option comes with a $2.5MM base salary, and there are $500K available in annual incentives. Chicago’s 40-man roster count climbs to 35.
Webb, now 32, is coming off three straight solid seasons. He doesn’t overpower hitters or have pinpoint control but he can miss bats and also miss barrels.
He has thrown at least 53 2/3 innings in each of the past three campaigns. His earned run average has been 3.69 or lower in each of those. He walked 10.3% of batters faced in that time, a rate a bit higher than average. His 34.1% ground ball rate was also worse than par. His 23.5% strikeout rate was better than average but just barely.
Despite those underwhelming peripherals, he has kept runs off the board. He has perhaps had some help from the baseball gods, as he has allowed just a .235 batting average on balls in play over those three years, about 55 points below par. His 77.6% strand rate also leans to the fortunate side. His 4.11 FIP and 4.10 SIERA are skeptical of his 3.22 ERA for that span.
It might not be entirely luck, however. Statcast has pegged Webb’s exit velocity allowed as being in the 70th percentile or better in each of the past three years, including in the 95th percentile in 2025. His hard hit rate was middle of the pack in 2023 but 82nd percentile or better in each of the past two seasons. His barrel rate was 85th percentile or better in 2023 and 2025, though with a dip to 46th in 2024.
Despite the solid run of results, Webb has been fairly nomadic, perhaps since his arsenal isn’t dominant. His fastball has averaged in the 93 to 95 mile per hour range while he also throws a changeup and a sweeper in the low 80s. Teams love velocity and strikeouts these days and have perhaps been a bit skeptical of Webb’s numbers.
He was stuck in the minors in 2022 and sent through waivers unclaimed that year. Going into 2023, he settled for a minor league deal with the Angels. He eventually got a roster spot in Anaheim but went to the Orioles on waivers.
He stuck with the Orioles for a little over a year, from August of 2023 through the end of 2024. He posted a 3.02 ERA for Baltimore in 2024 and could have been retained for 2025, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a modest $1.7MM salary, but the O’s surprisingly non-tendered him.
The Rangers scooped Webb up and gave him a $1.25MM guarantee plus incentives. That turned into a great investment for Texas, with Webb posting a flat ERA of 3.00 this year. But once again, Webb found himself non-tendered, despite a modest $2MM salary projection for 2026.
The Cubs love to build a bullpen on the cheap. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer got his current title in November of 2020 and went five offseasons without giving a reliever a multi-year deal. Their 2025 relief corps featured contributions from Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz, Ryan Pressly, Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers, who were all acquired via trade or signed modest one-year deals, or sometimes even minor league deals.
That strategy has been effective for the Cubs as they have had some decent results from the bullpen without burdensome commitments. The downside is that so many short-term commitments means a big slate of guys reaching free agency at season’s end.
Going into 2026, there was work to do in rebuilding the relief corps. Hoyer finally broke his streak and gave a two-year deal to Phil Maton, though the $14.5MM guarantee was still quite affordable. The club has also added lefty Hoby Milner to a one-year deal with a $3.75MM guarantee. Perhaps coincidentally, each of Maton, Milner and Webb finished the 2025 season with the Rangers.
In addition to digging a runoff trench from Arlington to Wrigley, the Cubs also brought back Thielbar on a $4.5MM guarantee. Those four signees should slot in next to Daniel Palencia in the bullpen. The Cubs could give the final slots to in-house arms like Porter Hodge, Ethan Roberts, Luke Little and others but those guys still have options, so the Cubs could still find more external additions in what remains of the offseason.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic first reported the Cubs and Webb had agreed to a one-year deal with a club option. The Athletic’s Will Sammon had the $1.5MM guarantee and $2.5MM option value with $500K in incentives. Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Tim Heitman, Imagn Images