Cubs Sign Grabow (2 years, $7.5 Million)

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cubs Start Talking Extension With Grabow

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [september 15 at 9:38am CST]

The Cubs have started discussing a two-year contract extension with John Grabow, according to ESPN.com's Bruce Levine. The lefty, who is scheduled to hit free agency after the season, would be a setup man to Carlos Marmol and occasional closer in the Chicago 'pen.

 

I really like 7,8,9 consisitng of Grabow, Guzman, Marmol. Marmol has had his ups and downs, but since being given the closers role, hes been great in actual save situations. Theres no reason to hang on to Heilman, as we have what it takes to put togther the rest of the pen in house, maybe ad a cheap free agent vet or 2 to Gaub, Stevens, and a few of our others.

[SouthSideRyan]

Oh what the [expletive].

[JeffH]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I like to think he wont give out another Howry or Eyre type contract to Grabow, but if we could get him for 2 years at say 1.5 mil/year, I dont see the harm in it.

[Tyrant]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

 

Blah blah blah blah.

[CUBZ99]

I like to think he wont give out another Howry or Eyre type contract to Grabow, but if we could get him for 2 years at say 1.5 mil/year, I dont see the harm in it.

 

Yes, this better not be a 2/6 or 2/8MM deal.

[pitchcs]

I mean, if Hendry is going to give money to relievers (hopefully 2 years/$5 mill) at least it's better that he give it to someone who has actually pitched well for us and at Wrigley.

[Backtobanks]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

 

Blah blah blah blah.

 

Amen! If he didn't extend Grabow, people would be complaining that Hendry left them short a lefty in the bullpen.

[SouthSideRyan]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

 

Blah blah blah blah.

 

Amen! If he didn't extend Grabow, people would be complaining that Hendry left them short a lefty in the bullpen.

 

I'd rather start the year with Casey Fossum as a LOOGY than spend money 4M a year on Grabow.

[Backtobanks]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

 

Blah blah blah blah.

 

Amen! If he didn't extend Grabow, people would be complaining that Hendry left them short a lefty in the bullpen.

 

I'd rather start the year with Casey Fossum as a LOOGY than spend money 4M a year on Grabow.

 

Apparently you have inside information about the negotiations.

[SouthSideRyan]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

 

Blah blah blah blah.

 

Amen! If he didn't extend Grabow, people would be complaining that Hendry left them short a lefty in the bullpen.

 

I'd rather start the year with Casey Fossum as a LOOGY than spend money 4M a year on Grabow.

 

Apparently you have inside information about the negotiations.

 

Fine, you got me, if John Grabow's agent is mentally handicapped, and gets him signed to a 2Y/1M extension I'm all about this.

 

Farnsworth is making 4.25M this year and hasn't been any good since '05.

 

And you can be damn sure that Hendry is judging Grabow solely on his ERA as a Cub(maybe how many holds he has too)

 

He's making 2.3M this year, what do you think he'd be signed for?

Edited September 15, 2009 by SouthSideRyan

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hendry is awful.

 

Really, just a historically bad GM.

 

Blah blah blah blah.

 

Amen! If he didn't extend Grabow, people would be complaining that Hendry left them short a lefty in the bullpen.

 

I'd rather start the year with Casey Fossum as a LOOGY than spend money 4M a year on Grabow.

 

Personally, Id prefer Gaub over Fossum and keep Grabow if we can get Grabow for 3-4 mil for 2 years.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I do not have a problem with a 2 year deal work 3-4 million, if he extends past 2 years I would not be happy about this.

 

I think Gaub should get a shot with Grabow to be the 2 lefties in the pen and if for some reason the Cubs do trade Z, there will be a possible opening for Marshall.

 

Maybe Grabow will just hog tie Miles up in a hotel room and steal whats remaining on his contract so the Cubs do not have to put much else out.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

We have Marshall, Gorzelanny, and Gaub, plus Fossum, Lambert, Russell, and Papelbon are all degrees of non-terrible. There's no need for Grabow to be making millions of dollars, especially when there's a pretty good chance he'd be at best the 3rd best LH in the organization.

[biittner77]

Isn't Old Style already signed through next season? Seemingly they intend to keep him around as the vet RH or they would have traded him to the Giants. So if they give Grabow 3 million per that means that the pen will look like this:

 

Marmol- closer

Guzman- 8th

Grabow- 7th

Marshall/ Gorzelany 2nd LH pitcher

Heilman- 6th inning

leaving the last 2 spots to be decided among Patton, Stevens, Gaub, Parker, Caridad, Simardzila and perhaps Wells/ Gorzelany/ Marshall depending on what they do with the rotation.

 

That pen is pretty cost effective and they can probably afford the luxury of overpaying Grabow. It would be even better if they could find a taker for Mr. Krausening.

[jersey cubs fan]

Isn't Old Style already signed through next season?

 

G. Heileman is only signed through this year and is arbitration eligible, and he's not any good.

[SouthSideRyan]

Isn't Old Style already signed through next season? Seemingly they intend to keep him around as the vet RH or they would have traded him to the Giants. So if they give Grabow 3 million per that means that the pen will look like this:

 

Marmol- closer

Guzman- 8th

Grabow- 7th

Marshall/ Gorzelany 2nd LH pitcher

Heilman- 6th inning

leaving the last 2 spots to be decided among Patton, Stevens, Gaub, Parker, Caridad, Simardzila and perhaps Wells/ Gorzelany/ Marshall depending on what they do with the rotation.

 

That pen is pretty cost effective and they can probably afford the luxury of overpaying Grabow. It would be even better if they could find a taker for Mr. Krausening.

 

Heilman isn't on a contract for next year. The way to find a taker for him is to non-tender him, and I believe they will.

 

Marmol/Gooz/Marshall/Gorz/Pick 2/3 is my pen.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

Marmol/Gooz/Marshall/Gorz/Pick 2/3 is my pen.

 

I wouldn't be opposed to Grabow if only to satisfy the "must have a veteran presence in the pen" doctrine and guarantee you have at least one lefty therefore reducing the likelihood of them freaking out in March and demanding to get a lefty.

[SouthSideRyan]

 

Marmol/Gooz/Marshall/Gorz/Pick 2/3 is my pen.

 

I wouldn't be opposed to Grabow if only to satisfy the "must have a veteran presence in the pen" doctrine and guarantee you have at least one lefty therefore reducing the likelihood of them freaking out in March and demanding to get a lefty.

 

I see that, I just hate that we're back to Dusty-proofing thhe team.

[Backtobanks]

We have Marshall, Gorzelanny, and Gaub, plus Fossum, Lambert, Russell, and Papelbon are all degrees of non-terrible. There's no need for Grabow to be making millions of dollars, especially when there's a pretty good chance he'd be at best the 3rd best LH in the organization.

 

Until those others prove something in the majors, I don't see Grabow as the 3rd best LH.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't think it's a stretch to consider Marshall and Gorz as better than Grabow without even considering the rookies.

[RedFlash]

I'd rather start the year with Casey Fossum as a LOOGY than spend money 4M a year on Grabow.

 

 

:scratch:

 

Grabow at anything above 1.5 per (2 at the max) isn't ideal, but neither is Casey Fossum as a loogy. At least Grabow has shown he can get major league hitters out.

 

Ideally I would do a 1 yr deal (with an option) for about 1.5 to 2 mill (nothing more). But it also would hurt if the two sides can't agree to a deal.

[SouthSideRyan]

Grabow career vs. lefties: 262/.327/.380

Fossum career vs. lefties: .264/332/.388

 

I'm not saying Fossum is ideal(i'd give Gaub shot #1 and our other lefties shots 2 thru 4), this is just how badly I don't want John Grabow back on some dumbass 3 year contract.

 

Really? Dumb-A is censored?

[Serge]

Grabow career vs. lefties: 262/.327/.380

Fossum career vs. lefties: .264/332/.388

 

I'm not saying Fossum is ideal(i'd give Gaub shot #1 and our other lefties shots 2 thru 4), this is just how badly I don't want John Grabow back on some [expletive] 3 year contract.

 

Really? Dumb-A is censored?

 

Lefty Splits:

 

2007 - .238/.279/.325

2008 - .239/.321/.296

2009 - .216/.318/.284

 

I wouldn't want him if he costs more than about 2 million a year, but he is a pretty good LOOGY.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Between Eyre, Howry, and Remlinger, surely our organization has learned not to give big contracts to middle releivers/set up men so I doubt that theyd do the same for Grabow. I say sign Grabow to a modestly priced 2 year, use Gaub as the other lefty, Marshall or Gorzalanny as the long man/backup starter and trade the other. Marhshall or Gorz could be enticing to a team looking for a back of the rotation starter, especially a lefty and if one of those enticed teams has a decent middle infielder to offer, that would be a match made in heaven.