Some folks around the Cublogoverse are pretty excited that Jose Contreras has not landed on the Chicago Cubs. I was fairly ambivalent about the prospect of landing Contreras, thinking that he would get a minor league deal and an invite to Spring Training. Apparently he actually got a big league deal.
Jose Contreras has signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, a source confirmed for ESPNDeportes.com’s Enrique Rojas.
The Chicago Cubs expressed interest in Contreras and the pitcher was expected to sign with either the Cubs or the St. Louis Cardinals before striking a deal with Philadelphia. ESPN.
Contreras was dominant out of the pen in limited duty for the Rockies last year, so it’s possible this will work out for the Phillies. For the Cubs part, I’d hazard a guess that the failure to offer a guaranteed, big league deal is the reason Contreras is a Phillie today and not a Cub. And that’s just fine.