It's official: Cubs sign righty starter |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs and right-handed pitcher Kendall Graveman have agreed to terms on a one-year major league contract with a club option for the 2020 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Chicago’s 40-man roster now stands at 38 players.
Graveman, who on Friday turned 28, was Oakland’s Opening Day starter for the second-straight season in 2018, but had his campaign cut short due to a right forearm strain in late May that eventually led to Tommy John surgery on July 30 (performed by Dr. Keith Meister). All told, he was 1-5 with a 7.60 ERA (29 ER/34.1 IP) in seven starts with Oakland and 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA (12 ER/24.0 IP) in four starts with Triple-A Nashville prior to his season-ending injury. Graveman is 23-29 with three complete games, one shutout and a 4.38 ERA (217 ER/446.0 IP) in 83 career major league appearances, all but five as a starter, in all or parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays (2014) and Athletics (2015-18). He has averaged just 2.6 walks per 9.0 innings, having issued 130 walks compared to 286 strikeouts in 446.0 innings. The righthander has limited left-handed hitters to a .269 batting average (235-for-875). The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Graveman was selected by Toronto in the eighth round of the 2013 Draft out of Mississippi State University, and made his major league debut the following season, pitching to a 3.86 ERA (2 ER/4.2 IP) in five relief appearances for the Blue Jays in 2014. Graveman was traded to Oakland, November 28, 2014, in a five-player deal that netted the Blue Jays infielder Josh Donaldson. In his first season with Oakland in 2015, Graveman was 6-9 with a 4.05 ERA (52 ER/115.2 IP) in 21 starts before setting career marks with 10 victories, 31 starts, two complete games and 186.0 innings pitched in 2016. He was 6-4 with a 4.19 ERA (49 ER/105.1 IP) in 19 starts during the 2017 season that was shortened due to two stints on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder. Graveman deal with Cubs now official. One year with an option but could be under Cubs control through 2021 through the arb process.
The #Cubs and RHP Kendall Graveman have agreed to terms on a one-year major league contract with a club option for the 2020 season. pic.twitter.com/xZCu43qHOx
