Hey, remember Brad Brach? The Cubs signed him in February and while we briefly saw him in a bullpen session during the first week of spring training he still hasn’t pitched in a game. His signing was pretty weird in the sense that it took longer than usual for the terms to become official after they were initially reported.
Ken Rosenthal first broke the signing on Jan. 24.
Brach deal with #Cubs is at least $4.35M for one year, sources tell The Athletic. Both player and club have options for 2020. Deal could grow to two years, $9.5M if Cubs exercise their option. Two-year guarantee would be less if team declines and Brach exercises his option.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 24, 2019
Then, almost three weeks later the Cubs finally announced the acquisition.
The #Cubs and RHP Brad Brach have agreed to terms on a 2019 contract with a club/player option for 2020. pic.twitter.com/Vq28Wdwezd
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 11, 2019
Some fans wondered if the delay was because something came up during his physical and it turns out that’s exactly what happened.
Before we get to that, the Associated Press reported that Brach’s deal wasn’t actually worth $4.35 million in 2019 and up to $9.5 million with the 2020 option.
Via the AP.
Brach gets a $1.65 million salary this year and could earn $1.35 million in bonuses for days on the active major league roster: $350,000 for one, and $500,000 each for 120 and 150.
Chicago has a $5 million team option for 2020 under the deal announced Monday. If the Cubs decline, Brach has a $1.35 million player option with a $100,000 buyout.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney followed up that report and confirmed that the Cubs restructured Brach’s contract.
Via The Athletic.
The Cubs restructured Brach’s contract after the standard medical review, sources told The Athletic, setting this year’s base salary at $1.65 million with roster bonuses tied to his time on the active 25-man roster. One day is worth $350,000 – and there is the potential to earn $500,000 more if he is active for 150 days this season.
The 2020 club option is valued at $5 million or a $100,000 buyout, according to sources familiar with Brach’s deal, while next year’s player option is filed at $1.35 million.
So, the original deal reported by Rosenthal had Brach making as much as $9.5 million over two years if the Cubs picked up his option in 2020. The restructured deal cuts Brach’s maximum pay to $7.5 million.
How exactly did Brach lose $2 million? What did the Cubs find during the physical?
“Everything’s fine,” Brach said Monday at the Sloan Park complex. “I had just a little bit of a viral infection. It was just kind of bad timing. Just kind of one of those things. When I was doing my physical, it came up, so it was adjusted from there.”
A viral infection cost Brach $2 million? That’s not just bad timing, that’s shitty luck.
But is anyone really buying that explanation? An infection made the Cubs restructure his deal? I mean, it is pretty weird, but if you’re a Cubs fan it’s better than hearing Brach has an arm issue.
Something doesn’t feel right, but I guess we’ll just go with “viral infection” for now.
Again, Brach still hasn’t pitched in a game this spring, but there’s no indication that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.
