Cubs release veteran reliever |
The 'Grimm Reaper' is gone.
The Chicago Cubs have decided to release veteran reliever Justin Grimm on Thursday. During this spring, Grimm pitched four innings giving up six hits, four walks, four runs including two homers. The Cubs management brought in several bullpen arms this offseason that was an apparent upgrade over Grimm. It appears that Dillon Maples, Eddie Butler, Justin Hancock, Anthony Bass, or Randy Rosario might be in the mix for Grimm's vacant roster spot. In 2017, Grimm had a miserable 5.53 ERA with a save, 59 strikeouts, and 1.34 WHIP between stints in Triple-A and the big league team. He made $1.825 million last season and just went through arbitration to get a non-fully guaranteed $2.4 million in 2018. The team will owe him around $541,000 in termination pay instead of the $2.4 million. For his career, he has a 4.70 ERA with four saves, 350 strikeouts, and 1.38 WHIP. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB draft. Thank you, @GrimmReaper_52, for your time as a Cub and for helping bring a World Series title to Chicago. #Champion pic.twitter.com/YvhfO72v3q
Grimm was great with media, great with fans, great in the locker room, had great stuff at times but coming off last year needed to show more obviously.