Cubs Reportedly Sign Former Brewers All-Star Reliever Jeremy Jeffress
By Alex Coffman
One teams trash is another division rival's treasure!
In an effort to take a big swing to address their bullpen, the Chicago Cubs have reportedly inked reliever Jeremy Jeffress. It is only a one-year agreement totaling $850,000, which is an absolute steal for a former All-Star pitcher, even if he fails to recapture the magic.
Reliever Jeremy Jeffress and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a one-year, $850,000 major league contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Jeffress can earn an additional $200,000 based on games pitched.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 28, 2020
Jeffress was dropped by the Milwaukee Brewers just over a year ago after losing some velocity in his pitches while being largely ineffective over the course of the 2019 season. Jeffress' strikeout percentage dropped from 29.8% to 20.4% last season. In 52 innings for Milwaukee, he threw for 5.02 ERA, even if he did have a decent ground ball percentage of 48.4%.
The reliever joins the Chicago Cubs bullpen as possibly a third- or fourth-best option out of the bullpen if he is able to recapture his numbers from a dominant 2018 (8-1, 1.29, 89 Ks in 76.2 innings).
#Cubs agree to terms on one-year deal with former Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress https://t.co/t40ZvtloeC via @SunTimes
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) January 28, 2020
The Chicago Cubs are looking to improve on their slightly above .500 record from the 2019 season, and although Jeffress won't solely boost them to the NL Central crown, he'll be a great addition to the roster.