The Chicago Cubs haven’t officially announced yesterday’s signings yet, though I suspect that’s coming today before the CBA expires. The team still has a lot of work to do if they sincerely want to give themselves a chance to compete in 2021, but yesterday’s moves were solid.
The accounting on the Yan Gomes signing:
Catching up on some accounting details…
Breakdown of C Yan Gomes 2y/$13m deal with #Cubs:
2022: $6m
2023: $6m
2024: club option for $6m (or $1m buyout)— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) November 30, 2021
Gomes can be among the best back-up catchers in the game, or a 1B “starter” to a 1A starter like Willson Contreras (and, yes, provide cover in case a trade arises). It’s nice to get the club option in there for the third year, though with Gomes playing next season at 34/35, it’s debatable how likely it is that he’ll still be playing at a high level come 2024. But, hey, some catchers who haven’t been ground down by 100+ starts every single year can be effective deep into their 30s in a back-up role.
Speaking of which, it would be nice for Gomes to take a lot of starts off of Willson Contreras’s plate this year, given how much he’s been worked in his career, and how there definitely seems to be a correlation between his performance late in the year and how heavily he’s been leaned on. To that point, for as much as folks wanted to focus on trade possibilities yesterday, it’s enough for today to just say that having Gomes available is hugely important to the Cubs AND Contreras. We’ve wanted a 1B catcher for Contreras for a long time. And with the DH arriving in the National League, you don’t even have to lose Contreras’s bat every day that Gomes starts if you don’t want.
As for the Cubs’ other signing, outfielder Clint Frazier gets less than he would’ve gotten if tendered a contract by the Yankees (estimated $2.4 million), but a chance to get to that level. Remember, it’s a one-year deal, but he’s still several years shy of qualifying for free agency, so the Cubs can keep him for another couple seasons if 2022 goes well:
Clint Frazier gets $1.5M plus $1M incentives on Cubs MLB deal
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 1, 2021
It’s pretty hard to dislike that deal. The risk to the Cubs is virtually non-existent, and although the chances Frazier breaks out are clearly quite low after things went so badly in 2021, it’s worth taking this chance (especially knowing that, if you’re right, he can be retained for two more seasons thereafter via arbitration (well, pending the CBA)).
Heck, even if Frazier winds up a bench bat who rotates in only periodically for match-ups, it’s not that hard to be worth $1.5 to $2 million. That said, the price tag should definitely inform you a bit on just how the league is envisioning Frazier’s future. He’s only 27 and comes with top raw talent at the plate, so this suggests (1) there are serious doubts he ever gets it back even in a part-time role, and (2) the outfield defense must be borderline unplayable (it certainly rates that way in the metrics).
The Cubs’ offseason so far, in context, where the Gomes and Frazier signings are very similar to the Wade Miley claim:
In a vacuum, the Wade Miley, Yan Gomes, and Clint Frazier deals are great.#Cubs filled two needs with solid, veteran players and got a roll-of-the-dice upside in a formerly studly 27-year-old.
The question now, however, is "Are these the complimentary moves or the real moves?"
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) November 30, 2021
Well put by Michael. In isolation, I like all three moves a lot … relative to the expectations you’d have for this tier of move. That is to say, you wouldn’t EXPECT these guys to move the needle a ton on their own. Instead, these are just nice, interesting, good risk, individual deals at spots where the Cubs could stand to make moves like that. But actually competing is going to require more – volume and impact.
In conclusion … clearly, the Cubs are back:
Biggest MLB deal given to a position player by the Cubs since Jason Heyward.
16-17: Jon Jay – 1 year, $8mil
17-18: none
18-19: Daniel Descalso – 2 years, $5mil
19-20: Steven Souza – 1 year, $1mil
20-21: Joc Pederson – 1 year, $7mil
21-22: Yan Gomes – 2 years, $13mil (so far)— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) November 30, 2021
As of now, Phillies are one of eight teams yet to spend $1 in major-league free agency. The others: Diamondbacks, Reds, Guardians, Royals, Twins*, A's, Padres. (Twins spent $100m on Buxton extension.)
League business expected to freeze at 11:59 p.m.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) December 1, 2021