The Cubs are close to a minor league deal with catcher Jason Jaramillo, MLBTR has learned. The Pirates designated Jaramillo for assignment upon signing Erik Bedard this month, non-tendering him a few days later.
Jaramillo, 29, has accumulated 366 big league plate appearances over the last three seasons with the Pirates, hitting .235/.293/.327. A former second-round pick of the Phillies, Jaramillo missed much of this season with an elbow injury. The switch-hitter will be a candidate for the Cubs' backup catcher job behind Geovany Soto, a role filled by Koyie Hill the last several years. Jaramillo is a native of Wisconsin.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
I would say “who?” but it’s the Cubs, and thus expected that they sign nobodies.
Neil Tatro
yeah those stupid cubs.. signing a non all-star to a minor league deal!
Triple Hawpes Brewed
cubs suck, worst franchise in the history of sports
Guest 5555
Detroit lions are worse!
Triple Hawpes Brewed
couldn’t care less about the lions, i’m a falcons fan
Guest 5544
Was pointing out a team that is worse in their history. However the Lions are better than the falcons right now!
Triple Hawpes Brewed
Interesting considering the Falcons beat the Lions in Detroit.
nictonjr
The StL Rams may be the worst team in sports. They’ll be picking 1st or 2nd overall for the 4 time in 5 years. That’s bad…
Clark_N_Addison
Awww, look at Triple Hawpes.. She’s just mad because the window has closed on her Brewers now that Fielder is leaving, Braun is out for a third of the season, Greinke is heading out of Dodge once the season is over and they have a horrible farm system.
Don’t worry THB, your Brewers will be back down to your accustomed spot at the bottom of the division before you know it.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
LMAO i’m a braves fan
Clark_N_Addison
So if you’re a Braves fan, why are you ragging on the Cubs?
One would think you would spend time on Phillies and Nationals threads instead.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
Must be something about the Phillies and Nationals not being a complete joke for over a decade.
Clark_N_Addison
Or it must be that the Bravos will end up at best in 4th place next year. And you need to vent elsewhere since you can’t run your mouth within your own division.
They must be thanking Boston for tanking worse then they did last year. Otherwise the Bravos would have been answering all those questions about blowing last year.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
LOL at your profile pic, a Cubs championship ring? You’re a complete delusional loser, no one can take you seriously hahahaha!
Clark_N_Addison
Don’t get your panties all in a bunch there sunshine.
Just because the window has closed on the Braves chances of making the playoffs this year doesn’t mean you have to get all hot and bothered about it.
I lived in Atlanta for 8 years. I know what a fair weathered city it is when it comes to their fans.
Speaking of jokes. How about the way the Braves choked away the wild card last season. Now THAT was funny… “LOL”
Triple Hawpes Brewed
At least we’ve won a championship in the past 105 years and have been relevant to the sport without having a top 5 payroll. That’s how you know you’re truly a joke…all the payroll, none of the results. What a trash franchise.
Clark_N_Addison
Aw.. your’re not going to run to a corner and cry now, are you? Don’t be mad.
Yeah; “have been relevant” are the key words here. Even you know the Bravos aren’t relevant anymore.
As I said before, you can’t go run your mouth within your own division, so you look elsewhere.
There isn’t a more pathetic fanbase than Braves fans. The biggest bandwagon jumpers in baseball.
Guest 5532
LOL what? I believe the cubs were in th NLCS game 7 in 2003, and won the division in 07 and 08. What have the nationals ever done?
Neil Tatro
uhhhh yeah… how dare the cubs sign a non all-star to a minor league deal!!
BlueCatuli
Do you have a life?
Triple Hawpes Brewed
You pull an all-nighter coming up with that one? Bravo.
Mike
I just am not getting what Cubs are doing,if rebuilding why not get some honest Major League Experance,not guys we heard Very Little about,off other teams Injured list or sent off Pirates & Rockies for one thing or another Makes NO SENCE TO Me Or Any Other Die Hard Cub Fan,& I find it totally Moronic to trade Garza or Castro,if Cubs have No untouchibles this team would have won ZERO last Year!! I Dont Get This Way of Rebuilding,You need Able bodies,not unknown & or Recycled ,just off injury! Wish we could get straight answers from Theo & The Reclamation Troop,to tell us Why These “Players ” we have gotten so far are So Good ,in Thier Eyes,Not Even I Can See this & I Am A DieHard Cub Fan!!
sourbob
As a youngish guy who plays adequate defense and occasionally hits some, he’ll be a huge improvement over Koyie Hill.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
Gee, you sure you want to go out on that limb? That’s saying a lot.
dudemanbro
koyie hill is bad. very bad
sourbob
Defensive metrics have him as average or ever-so-slightly above for each season of his career and he has one season out of three (his most recent) where he was above average with the bat. I don’t think my very mild, carefully qualified comments oversell that.
Dock_Elvis
Jaramillo is also an Oklahoma State graduate, so this deal gets him closer to Robin Ventura on the South Side. 🙂 I’m not always sure what the relevance is when native status is mentioned.
RICK RUDE
He’s from Racine, I think. Which isn’t that far from Chicago.
Neil Tatro
definitely a precursor to peavy or brian roberts
Blake Lager
What does this mean for Castillo and Clevenger?
nictonjr
It means if they can’t beat him out in ST, at least they have college degrees to fall back on. Baseball isn’t their sport.
Seriously. Not much. They both have options remaining. Another season, or 1/2 season, in the minors won’t hurt…
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Hopefully it means Soto is out the door.. Jaramillo won’t make the team. Castillo and Clevenger are far better then Soto.
Fred_G_Sanford
aww a native of wisconsin? that’s wonderful. could you tell us if he likes moonlit walks on the beach, the movie ghostbusters, or whether he believes 9/11 was an inside job? thank you kindly. fred g.
DerikM
Possibly setting up a Soto trade with this move. What do you think the Cubs could expect in return for him, and who are the known possible suitors at this point?
Milmurph
This was my first thought too. Soto gone and Castillo or Clevenger and this guy vie it out for the two catcher spots.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
At best they would get maybe a PTBNL and it will end up being a.single A player at best.. I’d Take Seth Loman from the White Sox minor league system he would hit 35-40hrs a year for the cubs.
diehardcubbie 2
This should have nothing to do with Soto. Cubs did not re-sign Koyie Hill and need a backup catcher. If they believe Castillo is ready, then they may move Soto, which may not be a bad thing.
Rick Springer
Honestly I’d rather have kept Koyie Hill. He may not have hit the ball well, but at least he could call a good game. So far it seems this Jarmillo guy hasn’t proven he can do either.
Guest 5545
Hendry is that you? Come on Jim, you aint gots to lie to kick it!
no fear
Signing this guy doesn’t mean Soto is gone. It’s the Cub fan illness again. What it most likely means is that either Castillo or Clevenger is going to be the backup, hopefully Clevenger, and they need another capable, cheap, competent body in case of emergencies, injuries. Similar move to the Sonnastine signing. Depth people. This guy is gonna share time at AAA. I like what I’ve seen & read about Clevenger, great OBP, solid lefty batter with a little pop, not so great at throwing people out (28% career), but he profiles as an excellent backup. I’m not a Soto fan, but at least the catching position looks better than the 3B position for the Cubs. We got that going for our team.
Milmurph
Easy killer, not saying Soto is gone. But who can say for sure at this point “no fear’ who is going to be on the roster come ST. Could be Castillo and Clevenger on roster and this guy is the AAA catcher with Soto traded for “more depth” in the minors. That is all I am speculating.
soxfan000
You said it was your first thought. In any event, Soto isn’t going to bring much of anything. At best he is a part of something else to a team that has nothing behind the plate. No one is saying anything for sure, just opinions. In mine, Castillo doesn’t look like a starter especially because in a platoon with Clevenger, he plays way more, and his bat & plate discipline are seriously questionable. I don’t think we can go with Castillo, Clevenger, or the new guy as our three choices at catcher. I could see Soto/Clevenger, Soto/Castillo, but if Soto goes, someone else is coming even if just to platoon.
Milmurph
soxfan so is it your opinion cubs are better to keep soto? and what is this varitek business. Isn’t he done as a player?
beberoni
I dont know why the Cubs dont go after Mark Trumbo, after all, the Angels dont need him anymore since they got Pujols. I guarantee the guy would hit 35 HR and knock it 120 a year in Wrigley. No doubt about it. Of course, so did Aramas Ramirez, and they got rid of him.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Not re-signing Ramirez was the best thing.. I guarantee he will be a bust for the Brewers.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Anyone is better then Soto.
wood34
Hey White Sox fans. How is Adam Dunn working out for you?? Oh and Brewer fan, I hear they have good steroids up North yah hey!
wood34
Hey White Sox fans. How is Adam Dunn working out for you?? Oh and Brewer fan, I hear they have good steroids up North yah hey!