"Brad Keller broke out as one of the best relievers in baseball last season with the Cubs, and he's now reaping the rewards of that rebirth. After proving himself during spring training as a non-roster invitee, the big righty broke camp with the big club and never looked back. And though there was mutual interest in a reunion, the Cubs were unwilling to get close enough to the Phillies' offer of $22 million over two years."
"That's the exact same deal righty Luke Weaver recently signed with the Mets, meaning the Cubs just saw two possible options fall off the board. It's not surprising that Jed Hoyer wasn't willing to pay $11 million annually for a non-closer, so this may not necessarily mean the Cubs are out of the running for a big-ticket addition. It does, however, reinforce what we already know about Hoyer's aversion to stretching beyond a prescribed value for a particular player or role."
Brad Keller emerged as one of baseball’s best relievers last season with the Cubs after spring training and breaking camp as a non-roster invitee. The Cubs were unwilling to approach the Phillies' $22 million, two-year offer despite mutual interest in a reunion. Righty Luke Weaver accepted the same deal with the Mets, removing another potential option. Jed Hoyer resisted paying $11 million per year for a non-closer and has shown reluctance to exceed prescribed valuations for players or roles. The Cubs added Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Caleb Thielbar, providing bullpen depth and shifting focus to rotation and right-handed offense. Pete Fairbanks is likely off the list.
Read at Cubsinsider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]