The Chicago Cubs officially made their first free agent signing of the offseason, and although it is not a glamorous impact type, it is certainly a very useful utility man in Daniel Descalso. And if his bat keeps doing what he did last year, he’s also going to be a very nice bench bat and semi-regular starter.
How much will he cost the Cubs? Not much.
Descalso’s two-year, $5 million deal breaks down like this: he gets $1.5 million in 2019, $2.5 million in 2020, and the Cubs get a $3.5 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout. If you were being paranoid, you’d say, “Oh dear God they basically had to defer $1 million of his 2019 salary to 2021!” And to that I say … eh. I mean, kinda, but this structuring is not at all uncommon for all clubs, regardless of financial situation. In isolation, this does not mean anything about the 2019 budget. In context? At most, it means the Cubs are trying to preserve internal wiggle room.
Note, that I’m talking there only about actual money spent – i.e., the front office’s budget from ownership – not the payroll for luxury tax purposes. On that front, Descalso’s 2019 salary will be the $2.5 million AAV of his deal.
Descalso’s deal also includes bonuses if he should become a semi-regular starter:
Daniel Descalso: 1.5M in 2019, 2.5M in 2020, 3.5M club option in 2021 ( 1M buyout). 50K 425, 450, 475 plate appearances, 100K 500 plate appearances. #cubs
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 18, 2018
So, for example, if Descalso makes 500+ plate appearances in a given season, he’ll add $250,000 to his salary.
It’s a modest signing, to be sure, but seems like a pretty darn good deal for the Cubs to add a versatile glove, a bat that could be above league-average, and a veteran presence.