NEWSLETTER
Brandon Morrow’s agent certainly hinted strongly at a return to the Cubs on a make-good kind of minor league deal, and Theo Epstein seemed very open to the idea, so it’s no surprise that it’s extremely likely to happen.
Look for a deal at the end of the month (that’s pretty common for minor league deals for various logistical reasons):
The Chicago Cubs working with relief specialist Brandon Morrow on coming back. It would be a minor league deal . Most likely end of December conclusion .
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 6, 2019
Morrow, 35, went on the shelf in mid-2018 after a great first-half with the Cubs, and hasn’t pitched since. He’s dealt with a stress reaction, biceps issues, a nerve problem, and multiple surgeries/procedures to try to get things right. He had one more procedure in September, from which he’s now recovering, to try to address ongoing nerve issues.
And that’s all after a career that was full of all that same kind of stuff: tantalizingly good performances cut short by injuries and surgeries. I don’t doubt that, when he’s fully healthy, even at 35, he can still be a dominating reliever. But given the track record and the challenge of overcoming injuries fully the older you get, I’m pretty dubious he can actually come back this time. Hence, it’s a minor league deal or nothing.
Previous quotes on the subject:
If Morrow can actually throw somewhat normally in the run-up to Spring Training, he’s probably going to be there with the Cubs. But there is still a long way between here and there, and then there’s an even longer way between Spring Training bullpen sessions and pitching in big league games – as we know all too well from last year. Keep him on the club for Spring Training, expect nothing. That’s fine by me.
