Cubs bring back Grabow, deal Heilman
I suppose it's been a pretty good week for the Chicago Cubs ... though there's a ton of work left to be done if the Cubs want to get back in a position to contend for a championship.
Both of the moves the Cubs made this week made sense to me. One was to re-sign left-handed reliever John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5-million contract. Grabow is one of the few Cubs who pitched in late relief last season that I trust in that capacity going forward. He's not especially adept at getting left-handed hitters out, as was one other southpaw that got a sizeable deal from the team a few years back, Mike Remlinger.
Having said that, Grabow is a guy that can pitch to both lefties and righties. He was outstanding at getting everybody out in the two months or so after coming over from Pittsburgh, compiling a 3.24 ERA in 30 games. He's got a 4.03 career ERA and will join Angel Guzman and Esmailin Caridad in setting up closer Carlos Marmol.
One guy who won't be setting up Marmol in 2010 is Aaron Heilman, who was traded this week to Arizona for prospects. It's a good decision given that the new Cubs ownership isn't letting general manager Jim Hendry spend money like a drunken sailor anymore. Heilman would have gotten an estimated $2 million in arbitration in a few weeks. He certainly didn't earn my trust while pitching for the Cubs last season — though his ERA wa a solid 4.11 in 70 games — so that money can be spent better elsewhere.
The next move appears to be moving disgruntled outfielder Milton Bradley, which is another move I would be very much in support of. The latest rumor has Bradley going back to Texas as part of a three-team deal that would bring current New York Mets second baseman Luis Castillo to Chicago. Castillo, a switch hitter with speed, would be a nice fit for the Cubs, but some sources are saying the trade won't happen.
