Cubs Roster Moves
Cubs Give a Wink and a Nod to a Righty Reliever
The Cubs have signed RHRP Dan Winkler to a 2020 MLB contract. The deal reportedly includes a $750K MLB salary and $750K more in potential performance bonuses with a $200K minor league split salary.
Winkler features a 90 MPH cutter (his bread & butter pitch), a low 80's slider and a low-90's FB, and an occasional CH, all thrown from a low 3/4 arm slot, somewhat like Steve Cishek. So think of Winkler as Cishek's probable bargain-bin replacement in the pen.
Cubs Could Try a Little Non-Tenderness
12/2 UPDATE:
The Cubs have tendered 2020 contracts to all unsigned players on their MLB 40-man roster except LHRP Danny Hultzen and INF Addison Russell, and RHP Jharel Cotton has agreed to a $640K 2020 non-guaranteed contract to avoid being non-tendered (see ORIGINAL POST below for the reasons).
So Hultzen and Russell have been removed from the Cubs MLB 40-man roster and both are now unrestricted free-agents, free to sign a major league or minor league contract with any club, including the Cubs.
NOTE: The Cubs MLB Reserve List now stands at 36 (four slots are open).
It's likely that the Cubs have tentatively agreed (in advance) to sign Hultzen to a minor league contract after the Rule 5 Draft (with an NRI to Spring Training and for more money than he would have received if he had remained on the 40 -- as happened with Allen Webster a year ago) - AS LONG AS - Hultzen does not receive an MLB contract offer (which would include a slot on an MLB 40-man roster) for even more money from another club in the interim (which is exactly what happened after the Cubs non-tendered Ronald Torreyes a year ago), or a substantial salary offer from an NPB (Japanese) club (as happened after the Cubs non-tendered Justin Hancock last year).
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11/26 ORIGINAL POST:
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The Taking of Pelham Easy As 1-2-3
The Cubs have claimed LHRP Christian Devont'a (C. D.) Pelham off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
The 24 year old 6'6 235 lefty was a 33rd round draft pick of the Texas Rangers out of Spartanburg Methodist JC ($40,000 bonus) in 2015 (he was also selected in the 25th round of the 2014 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers but did not sign).
Pelham features a mid-90's (T-98) CT FB and a power slider, but has had control issues throughout his career (kind of like another big lefty reliever the Cubs acquired a few months ago, Brad Wieck), especially in 2019 (40 BB in 32.1 IP split between AA and AAA).
Pelham was rated one of the Rangers Top 15 prospects by Baseball America post-2018 and he pitched in the Futures Game in July of that year.
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Cubs Pick Cotton
The Cubs have acquired the contract of RHP Jharel Cotton from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations (probably something in excess of the $50,000 waiver price).
Cotton was Designated for Assignment by the A's last Wednesday.
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Cubs Release Tazawa... But He Could Be Back
3/26 UPDATE
The Cubs have indeed re-signed RHP Junichi Tazawa to a new (different) 2019 minor league contract.
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3/23 ORIGINAL POST
The Cubs released NRI RHRP Junichi Tazawa today, but that might not be the end of the Tazawa-Cubs connection.
Because Tazawa was a post-2018 Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signed a minor league contract more than ten days prior to MLB Opening Day (he was signed on January 26th), the CBA mandates that if the Cubs did not release Tazawa by today (five days prior to MLB Opening Day), the Cubs would have had to either add him to their MLB 40-man roster (and 25-man roster) by MLB Opening Day or else pay him a $100K retention bonus with a June 1st opt-out.
So it's possible that the Cubs will re-sign Tazawa to a new (different) minor league contract without the automatic Article XX-B retention bonus and/or the June 1st opt-out (the Cubs actually did exactly this in 2016 with Shane Victorino, Manny Parra, and Munenori Kawasaki).
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Chicago - Des Moines Shuttle Not Always a Smooth Ride
Although it is not yet official, the Cubs have reportedly signed veteran RHRP Junichi Tazawa to a minor league contract. Because he was a post-2018 Article XX-B MLB free-agent, the 32-year old Tazawa will get a $100,000 retention bonus if he is not released at least five days prior to 2019 MLB Opening Day and added to an MLB 40-man roster by Opening Day, and he gets an automatic opt-out if he is not added to the Cubs MLB 40-man roster by June 1st.
Cubs Pull a Reinheimer off the Waiver Wire
The Cubs have claimed 26-year old infielder Jack Reinheimer off waivers from the New York Mets, sent INF Mike Freeman and OF Terrance Gore outright to AAA Iowa (both were declared minor league free-agents at 5 PM Eastern), and reinstated RHSP Yu Darvish, RHRP Justin Hancock, RHRP Brandon Morrow, and OF Mark Zagunis from the 60-day DL.
So the Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) now stands at 39 (one slot is open).
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Cubs Take the Field
The Cubs have claimed 26-year old OF Johnny Field off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
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Cubs Claim Lefty Reliever off Waivers
The Cubs have claimed 26-year old LHRP Jerry Vasto off waivers from the Kansas City Royals. Vasto was acquired by KC from COL for C Drew Butera in a trade on 8/31.
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Trade Assignment Waivers Are On Deck
The deadline for "non-waiver" (unrestricted) trades is 4 PM (Eastern) on July 31st, or 4 PM (Eastern) on Friday July 30th if July 31st falls on a Saturday. or 4 PM (Eastern) on Monday August 1st if July 31st falls on a Sunday.
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Recent comments
crunch (view)
SF snags b.snell...2/62m
Cubster (view)
AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.
Arizona Phil (view)
The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24).
However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time).
Arizona Phil (view)
Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.
Arizona Phil (view)
For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024:
* bats or throws left
Angel Cepeda, INF
* Miguel Cruz, P
Yidel Diaz, C
* Albert Gutierrez, 1B
Fraiman Marte, P
Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B)
Derniche Valdez, INF
Edward Vargas, OF
Jeral Vizcaino, P
And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.
Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect.
F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season.
The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher).
Arizona Phil (view)
DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically.
Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).
Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day.
Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.
The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster
Arizona Phil (view)
Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required.
They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).
If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.
If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option).
Childersb3 (view)
Phil,
Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?
Arizona Phil (view)
In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!
And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).