Cubs Daily Clips
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December 11, 2017 Daily Herald, Reports: Cubs reach two-year deal with reliever Morrow http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171210/reports-cubs-reach-two-year-deal-with-reliever- morrow Daily Herald, Epstein: 'We don't try to sell players on team' http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171209/epstein-we-dont-try-to-sell-players-on-team Daily Herald, As winter meetings begin, Cubs' Epstein says Chatwood signing just the start http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171209/as-winter-meetings-begin-cubs-epstein-says- chatwood-signing-just-the-start Cubs.com, Cubs reportedly nearing deal with Morrow https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-near-deal-to-sign-reliever-brandon-morrow/c-263202952 Cubs.com, Cubs arrive for Meetings with 1 blank filled in https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-arrive-for-meetings-after-chatwood-deal/c-263186996 Cubs.com, Hendry aims to reunite with life-saving doctor https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/jim-hendry-on-hospital-visit-at-2006-meetings/c-263076810 Cubs.com, No-htani? No problem: Cubs set to move on https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-move-on-from-shohei-ohtani-pursuit/c-263143140 ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' small investments add up to value on the mound http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/46286/cubs-depth-minded-moves-add-up- value-on-the-mound ESPNChicago.com, Cubs agree to terms with former Dodgers reliever Brandon Morrow http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/21731198/chicago-cubs-agree-terms-los-angeles-dodgers- reliever-brandon-morrow NBC Sports Chicago, The 3 biggest Cubs questions as MLB Winter Meetings kick off http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/3-biggest-cubs-questions-mlb-winter-meetings-theo- epstein-maddon-alex-cobb-brandon-morrow-chatwood-wade-davis-schwarber NBC Sports Chicago, New report suggests Cubs likely to pursue Rays All-Star pitchers Chris Archer and Alex Colome http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/new-report-suggests-cubs-likely-pursue-rays-all-star- pitchers-chris-archer-and-alex-colome NBC Sports Chicago, Giancarlo Stanton reportedly heading to Yankees: What's it mean for the Cubs and the Bryce Harper sweepstakes in 2019? http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/giancarlo-stanton-reportedly-heading-yankees-whats-it- mean-cubs-and-bryce-harper-sweepstakes Chicago Tribune, Miguel Montero and Geovany Soto aren't ready to retire yet http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-geovany-soto-miguel-montero- 20171211-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs reach 2-year deal with reliever Brandon Morrow http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-baseball-winter-meetings-20171210- story.html Chicago Tribune, Bryce Harper watch begins early on the North Side http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-bryce-harper-giancarlo-stanton- sullivan-20171209-story.html Chicago Tribune, Life goes on for Cubs after losing out on Shohei Ohtani http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-theo-epstein-20171208- story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs' bid falls short as Shohei Ohtani chooses Angels http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-shohei-ohtani-angels-20171208- story.html Chicago Sun-Times, GREENBERG: Don’t trade Schwarber before we see him play in new body https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/chicago-cubs-kyle-schwarber-baseball-winter-meetings/ Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs land top bullpen target, agree to 2-year deal with Brandon Morrow https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-land-top-bullpen-target-agree-to-2-year-deal-with- brandon-morrow/ Chicago Sun-Times, As Cubs move on from Shohei Ohtani, big offseason goals still in play https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/as-cubs-move-on-from-shohei-ohtani-big-offseason-goals-still- in-play/ Chicago Sun-Times, Bittersweet day for Cubs as Ohtani picks Angels, Stanton rejects Cards https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/shohei-ohtani-decides-to-sign-with-angels/ -- Daily Herald Reports: Cubs reach two-year deal with reliever Morrow By Bruce Miles The Cubs got an eyeful of relief pitcher Brandon Morrow in the National League championship series in October. Now it looks like he's on their side. Reports out of Orlando, where baseball's winter meetings are getting under way, say the Cubs have agreed with Morrow to a two-year contract, with a possible option for a third year, worth approximately $10 million to $11 million per year. The deal is expected to become official once Morrow passes a physical exam. The 33-year-old right-hander was 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA and a tidy WHIP of 0.92 and no home runs in 45 regular-season games this past season with the Dodgers. In the NLCS against the Cubs, Morrow pitched in 4 games, working 4⅔ innings and giving up 1 hit and no home runs. Morrow pitched for the Seattle Mariners from 2007-09, the Toronto Blue Jays from 2010-14, the San Diego Padres from 2015-16 and with the Dodgers in 2017. For his career, he is 51-43 with a 4.05 ERA and a WHIP of 1.32 in 299 games, 113 starts. He could wind up being the Cubs' closer, with the expected departure of Wade Davis via free agency. The Cubs last Thursday signed starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood to a three-year, $38 million contract. Chatwood is expected to be the Cubs' fourth or fifth starter. Other reports out of Orlando say the Cubs could be closing in on starting pitcher Alex Cobb, a free agent from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cubs recently hired former Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey to fill that role in Chicago. -- Daily Herald Epstein: 'We don't try to sell players on team' By Bruce Miles The Cubs fell short in their bid to land free-agent pitcher-hitter Shohei Ohtani, who agreed to terms Friday with the Los Angeles Angels. Just as they did three years ago with pitcher Jon Lester, the Cubs did their best to woo Ohtani to Chicago, meeting with him on the West Coast and extolling the virtues of being a Cub. But Cubs president Theo Epstein said late last week the organization doesn't have to do a selling job to players, even though that's what they were doing. The Cubs did enough to land free-agent pitcher Tyler Chatwood, who signed Thursday. "I don't think we ever sell anything," Epstein said. "When it come to players like Tyler, you just engage in conversations, talk about how we try to go about winning here, how we go about trying to treat our players and hear his perspective, what he's looking for in a team, what he's looking for in teammates and what he's looking for in the front office. "It's just a good baseball conversation, and that way hopefully the players end up where they want to be and where they're supposed to be and you end up with a type of player and person that you want. It's an exchange of ideas. And you always just tell the truth. You don't get in 'sell' mode. When you start selling something, you've got to be careful what you end up with." Svelte Schwarber: Based on photos circulated online, it appears left fielder Kyle Schwarber is slim and trim. The Cubs' media guide lists Schwarber at 6-feet, 235 pounds. This past season, Schwarber hit 30 home runs, with a batting line of .211/.315/.467. He had 59 walks and 150 strikeouts. Theo Epstein praised Schwarber's off-season work so far. "It was mutual," he said. "We brought it up with him. He told us that he had made it a priority that he was going to get in the best shape of his life and realize now that to be the left fielder he needs to be and be the hitter that he needs to be that this is something that he wanted to do, to take control of the controllables. You can control what kind of shape you get into in the off-season. A lot of this game you can't control. He's looking to dominate everything under his control. This one of them." Hard to say goodbye: Theo Epstein had good words to say about reliever Hector Rondon, to whom the Cubs did not tender a contract. In five seasons, Rondon racked up 77 saves, good for sixth on the team's all-time leaderboard. He lost his closer's job in the middle of the 2016 season, when the Cubs traded for Aroldis Chapman. They obtained Wade Davis to close in 2017. "It was tough," Epstein said of letting Rondon become a free agent. "He helped us win a World Series. He's helped us get to the (championship series) three years in a row and been a huge part of this turnaround. "We certainly thanked him for everything that he's done. I think this will end up being good for him, get him in a spot where he can pitch reliable innings late in the game. He thrives on pitching deep in the game and being trusted with that kind of role. It just evolved to a point where that was a little bit tough for him here, but I think he's got a lot of good baseball left ahead of him." -- Daily Herald As winter meetings begin, Cubs' Epstein says Chatwood signing just the start By Bruce Miles Baseball's winter meetings happen later than usual this year, meaning they'll run deeper into the Christmas buying season. Maybe there are some last-minute stocking stuffers awaiting the Cubs, who did their part to jump-start a slow-developing off-season with Thursday's signing of free-agent pitcher Tyler Chatwood.