Hey, this is some great news to wake up to!
The Chicago Cubs are going to get to keep lefty reliever Brad Wieck around as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and then for another year after that:
Yes, two-year minor league deals are rare, if you were wondering. They happen almost exclusively in situations like this, where you’ve got a guy rehabbing from surgery, and neither side wants to break up the relationship in the middle of it. My guess is that Wieck is getting a very healthy minor league salary in exchange for signing on for two could-be-pure-minors years, and might even be getting a big league split that will pay him a good rate in the big leagues (he was to be arbitration-eligible this year).
Wieck, 31, has battled health issues throughout his time with the Cubs (elbow, knee, irregular heartbeat), but has flashed extreme ability when he’s been healthy enough to take the mound. The imposing 6’8″ lefty even threw 17.0 scoreless innings in 2021, with a 39.4% K rate. Last year was lost because of the elbow strain, the attempted rehab, and then ultimately the surgery, so he’ll have been out almost two full years if and when he returns to the mound late this season. But the upside there is very much worth keeping around.
Now, each of Wieck and the Cubs can really take the necessary time to work the rehab properly. And if Brad Wieck isn’t able to return to a minor league mound by late this season, that’s OK. Because they already have the deal in place for the following year. That means he can just continue into his offseason work with the same organization, in preparation for spring 2024. I love this.