How easy was it for John Grabow to decide to return to the Cubs?
"It was kind of a no-brainer," the left-hander reliever said today after finalizing a move that had been expected for months.
Grabow, who officially signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal on Friday, cited the city, management and coaching staff, as well as his teammates, his familiarity with the NL Central and the fact he lives a short drive away from their spring-training facility as reasons he declined to test the waters on the first day of free agency.
The Cubs also think they got a bargain in the 31-year-old lefty, who probably could have commanded more if he'd waited for a few offers, due to the lack of lefties in the market.
Grabow posted a 2.84 ERA in 2008 with Pittsburgh, and a 3.36 ERA in a career-high 75 appearances this year for the Pirates and Cubs. His makeup was also a factor in his return, as Grabow quickly became one of the bullpen leaders.
"He's done a solid job the last few years, and we had this (signing) in mind when we traded a good prospect in Kevin Hart," general manager Jim Hendry said. "It wasn't long after he got here that John expressed the desire to stay, and we're thrilled to have him back."
Grabow is officially the old man of the Cubs' bullpen, and said he's fine with leading a group that figures to include Carlos Marmol, Esmailin Caridad, Angel Guzman and either Tom Gorzelanny or Jeff Samardzija.
"The baseball season will bring you down to your knees more than once every year," he said. "It's a tough season, and you've got to be tough mentally. You're going to have your bad days, and you've just got to roll with it."
Grabow shrugged off the bone chips in his left elbow, a problem that has existed the last three years. He said it was "just part of wear and tear" and "something you learn to manage" to pitch in the majors.
"I've got a routine I do every day before the game starts to prepare my arm to be able to pitch that day," he said. "Thank God it hasn't been an issue the last two years. It's something that maybe is put in the past, and something I can pitch through."
Now that the Grabow signing is officially done, Hendry can focus on his next big project: trading Milton Bradley. He declined to address speculation of a three-way deal with Texas and the New York Mets that would bring Luis Castillo to the Cubs and send Bradley to Texas, although MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan quoted an unnamed Rangers official as saying it's "not happening."
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Hmmm... This is the second Sullivan article in the past few days that has alluded to Sean Marshall not being included in the bullpen. I hope this move does not come back to bite them, Marshall was a very reliable component of the relief corps last season..
"Grabow is officially the old man of the Cubs' bullpen, and said he's fine with leading a group that figures to include Carlos Marmol, Esmailin Caridad, Angel Guzman and either Tom Gorzelanny or Jeff Samardzija."