After more than two weeks of radio silence since his signing was reported, the Chicago Cubs have officially inked righty reliever Brad Brach to his one-year-plus-option contract, the details of which I have to check again because it’s been so long. (Per reports, Brach will get $3 million in 2019, and the option situation works like this: the Cubs hold a $6.5 million club option for 2020 (buyout $1.35 million), and if they decline, Brach has a separate player option for 2020, but the value is not yet known (obviously some amount less than $6.5 million).)
The #Cubs and RHP Brad Brach have agreed to terms on a 2019 contract with a club/player option for 2020. pic.twitter.com/Vq28Wdwezd
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 11, 2019
Brach, 32, was excellent in the second half last year after a rough patch with the Orioles. It’s easier to guess the first half was a blip, because he’d otherwise had a long track record of being a very good set-up man before that. He’s a good, theoretically reliable addition to a Cubs bullpen group that’ll be trying to land on a final eight from among these options (Brandon Morrow is starting the season on the Injured List) – the enormous, full volume list:
Pedro Strop
Steve Cishek
Brad Brach
Mike Montgomery
Carl Edwards Jr.
Tony Barnette
Brian Duensing
Brandon Kintzler
Tyler Chatwood
Dillon Maples
James Norwood
Adbert Alzolay
Randy Rosario
Kyle Ryan
George Kontos
Junichi Tazawa
Rob Scahill
Alec Mills
Allen Webster
Christian Bergman
Matt Carasiti
Jerry Vasto
Mike Zagurski
Rowan Wick
Ian Clarkin
Dakota Mekkes
Duane Underwood
Conor Lillis-White
Rob Zastryzny
Trevor Clifton
Craig Brooks
In case you wonder about the unusually long gap between word of the signing and the officially official, my guess is it had something to do with the inclement weather around the country and the logistics of his physical. Wouldn’t be surprised if both sides tried to schedule something, ran into problems, and decided to just finish things up when he got to Arizona for the Spring. Again, just a guess. Either way, I wouldn’t worry about it.
The 40-man roster stands at a full 40, but the Cubs can bump it right back down to 39 in the coming days, because Kendall Graveman (Tommy John recovery) is going on the 60-day Injured List.