:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66103300/1167225804.jpg.0.jpg)
Having already signed former Blue Jays righthander Ryan Tepera to a non-guaranteed free agent contract a few weeks ago, the Cubs reached into the list of 2019 Toronto relievers again:
Can confirm that the Cubs have signed reliever Jason Adam to a Minor League deal with non-roster invite. Wrote about him as a possible target after he was non-tendered in early December. @ByRobertMurray on it 1st. pic.twitter.com/yea5FQJz50
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) January 15, 2020
Jordan Bastian’s tweet sums up Jason Adam’s 2019 season well. He had a fairly high walk rate, but also throws with good velocity and has a very good spin rate. The Cubs seem big on good spin-rate guys; they managed to get some good innings out of Brad Wieck after acquiring him last July after sending him to their Pitch Lab in Mesa.
Adam, who is 28, was the Royals’ fifth-round pick out of a Kansas City-area high school in 2010. (Comparison point: The Cubs chose Matt Szczur in that round.) He’s had four different elbow surgeries and missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons, after being traded by the Royals to the Twins in 2014 for Josh Willingham. The Blue Jays picked him up near the end of spring training 2019.
He sounds like a perfect candidate to ride the Iowa shuttle in 2020. Per MLB Trade Rumors, he has two option years remaining. And, as noted by Jordan Bastian, he’s got an invitation to big-league camp. I’d think a full list of Cubs non-roster invitees to spring training should be available soon.
In the meantime, welcome another reliever to the Cubs family.
Poll
Jason Adam!
This poll is closed
-
15%
Yea!
(70 votes) -
1%
Nay!
(8 votes) -
40%
Meh
(180 votes) -
37%
Yeameh
(170 votes) -
4%
Naymeh
(21 votes)