Cubs Reportedly Sign Brandon Morrow; Pending Physical
It’s looking like the Dodgers are on the verge of losing one of their most reliable bullpen pieces from 2017. Jon Heyman reported that the 33-year old Morrow has signed with the Cubs on a deal worth either $10 million or $11 million per season. Jeff Passan also added that the deal is for two years with an option and is pending a physical.
Morrow will have deal with cubs. Expected to be for 10 or 11M a year.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 10, 2017
Source: The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms with free agent RP Brandon Morrow on a two-year deal with an option. @MLBBruceLevine first said they were close. Deal is pending a physical.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 10, 2017
The Cubs are in need of a closer after the departure of Wade Davis and it appears that they want Morrow to fill that role. Morrow will have big shoes to fill, but after the season he had in 2017 there’s little doubt that he can handle it. Multiple relievers from the 2017 Cubs team are currently free agents, so adding Morrow has been a priority from the start of the offseason.
Morrow came to the Dodgers on a minor league contract prior to the 2017 season, and exceeded even the loftiest of expectations. The reliever pitched to a 2.06 ERA with 50 strikeouts over 43.2 innings. Morrow then pitched in 14 games during the postseason, posting a 3.95 ERA over 13.2 innings. The most critical part of 2017 for Morrow was staying healthy, as he’s been injury prone throughout his career. Morrow initially moved to the bullpen in large part because of his inability to stay healthy, and it ended up being a career-saving move.
If Morrow can match the level of effectiveness he had as a Dodger, there’s no doubt he’ll be a solid closer for the Cubs. Who will take his place in the Dodgers bullpen is still a question, but it will need to be addressed soon. Expect the Dodgers to be active in the market for relievers during this week’s winter meetings to fill the void left by Morrow.
With Morrow going to the Cubs, who do you think should be the Dodgers’ set-up man? Let us know in the comments below!
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Sorry to see Morrow go, but $10M to $11M per year for a pitcher with his injury history is very risky. Internal options pretty limited unless Dodgers want to restructure Maeda’s contract and change bonuses for starts/IP to number of appearances. External? Yankees have Chapman, Robertson, Betances, Green, and Kahnle. O’s open to trading Brach. Both Yankees and O’s in need of starting pitching. Ryu ($7M) and Rob Segedin for Yankees Chad Green and Aaron Hicks? Or Ryu to O’s for Brach and pitching prospect Scott Tanner? FA? Re-sign Watson? Anthony Swarzak?
Let me just say who the set up man should NOT be….Baez. This team has the resources to replace Morrow, so wss.
Let’s see; in the last month and a half, the Dodgers have lost to the Astros, the Angels, the Yankees, and now the Cubs. At this rate, they may not make the playoffs next year. But they will have the best minor league talent in the nation, full of hot shot hitters who can’t lay off a curve ball in the dirt and pitchers who choke in the playoffs. Gotta love that front office, right?
No way Baez sorry
Absolutely.. Baez should have been down the road last season.. BIG mistake letting Morrow get away.. Focus should be on getting Ozuna.. What a fit (piece) that would be For L.A.
Good riddance. He’s one of the guys who cost LA the series. Dump darbish next! Sorry but darvish and garbage rhyme really well since Nov 1st!!
Picked Darvish over Verlander?
Let The Yankees get Gianncarlo
and now Morrow is gone.
WTF is going on?
Bull pen should be a priority for the Dodgers and stop looking for big hitters and Morrow was excellent and should have been given what he asking. Wait maybe 5 more division titles and they will get it right ugh.
Sorry to lose him…
Another mistake by Dodger management: to lose the only reliable reliever except for Jansen. Good luck getting to Jansen in 2018, unless you (management and manager) allow the so-called starters to pitch at least 7 innings.