NEWSLETTER
Today the Chicago Cubs made a couple of minor moves. First, they avoided arbitration with back-up catcher Koyie Hill, signing him to a one-year, $850k contract. That’s right: Hill received a raise as a reward for hitting .552 last year. Correction. That was his OPS. A raise. He got one.
Did you get a raise this year? And now he’ll make $850k next year. Many folks won’t make that in a lifetime.
On a lighter note, the Cubs have brought back fan favorite (synonymous with gritty and scrappy) Reed Johnson on a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Johnson, 34, had a .657 OPS in a part-time role with the Dodgers last year, so he wasn’t going to get a big league contract. He’ll compete with some youngsters, assuming the Cubs don’t make an addition, for the fifth outfielder role. Right now, Fernando Perez – acquired in the Matt Garza trade – looks like his biggest competition.
