12:52pm: Grimm’s deal comes with a $1.25MM salary and up to $300K in performance bonuses, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic tweets. Those bonuses start at 30 games and max out at 55, per Jon Heyman of FanRag.
12:25pm: The Royals have signed right-handed reliever Justin Grimm to a one-year, major league contract and designated fellow righty Sam Gaviglio for assignment, Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star reports. Grimm is a client of the Bledsoe Agency.
It wasn’t a long stay in free agency for Grimm, whom the Cubs released on Thursday. The 29-year-old had been in line to collect a $2.2MM salary, but the Cubs saved most of that money (minus $541K in termination pay) in cutting him. They deemed Grimm expendable in the wake of a rough 2017 that saw him pitch to a 5.53 ERA/5.36 FIP with 9.6 K/9, 4.39 BB/9 and a 43.1 percent groundball rate across 55 1/3 innings. Grimm’s run prevention issues were thanks largely to a 22.2 percent home run-to-fly ball rate, more than twice the mark he logged in Texas and Chicago from 2012-16 (10.5).
When Grimm was able to limit homers earlier in his career, he was a useful cog with the Cubs, particularly when he recorded a 1.99 ERA with 12.14 K/9 during a 49 2/3-inning 2015 campaign. The Royals surely aren’t expecting that type of production on the heels of his ugly 2017, but last year’s version of Grimm still offered good velocity and an 11.4 percent swinging-strike rate. That mark fell right in line with the overall figure he put up during his four-year Cubs tenure (11.9). He’ll now be part of a Royals bullpen that’s set to feature a couple other established relievers seeking bounce-back years in Kelvin Herrera and Brandon Maurer.
Gaviglio, 27, joined the Royals on a waiver claim from the Mariners last September. He closed the season by throwing 12 decent innings in Kansas City, where he allowed four earned runs on 13 hits and five walks, with nine strikeouts. Between KC and Seattle last season, his first in the majors, Gaviglio tossed 74 1/3 innings (16 appearances, 13 starts) and registered a 4.36 ERA/5.81 FIP with 5.93 K/9, 3.15 BB/9 and a 49.4 percent grounder rate.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
wrong link
you might want to change your name.
Don’t overlook Grimm. American League Rookie of the Month for April in 2013.
As a Cub fan, he is all yours . Enjoy fatty pitches down the middle and moon shot bat flips from opposing batters
Ain’t it the truth. Every time he came into a game last year it was a heartbreak waiting to happen.
He has a good fastball as far as velocity goes, but it’s one of the straightest fastballs I have ever seen. Always wondered why he didn’t experiment with a two-seamer or cutter more
I hope we face him in the series. lol
and Nate Frieman won it the month after him
lmao – Hows Solar doing BTW? lol. Think people said the same thing about Travis Wood. Grimm. lol Look forward to playing against our hand me downs this year.
Good luck.
Well actually our solar panels are just fine. Soler is doing well this spring too in case thats what you were actually asking. I would assume since you used the “our” tag on your post you must be personally involved with letting those players go.
Would like to see the M’s claim Gaviglio.
Gaviglio would be a smart claim for a number of teams. With him, at least you know what you’re getting.
Probably a mid-upper four ERA with reasonably low walk rate and great ground ball numbers.
Reminds me of Josh Tomlin in that at the very least, the team has a chance to win when he’s on the mound.
The real problem with Grimm last year was his inability to throw a pitch out of the strike zone that was “swingable” for a batter. He had a very high ratio of pitches that either bounced in or were eight inches or greater outside (especially on the curve ball). If the pitch was near the strike zone, it was hittable. I’m sure his ratio of pitches a couple inches off the plate where he got swings from the batter was pretty low.
Pedro Strop seems to go through stretches of the same thing.
Pitchers tend to get hit pretty hard when they can’t get strikes just outside of the zone.
Chances are if Justin Grimm was that wild outside the strike zone he was equally poor at hitting the catcher’s glove within it. That, getting behind in the count and a straight fastball lends itself to getting hit hard. Of course, Willson Contreras didn’t do him or most of the Cub pitchers any favors last season as one of the worst pitch-framers in MLB. With all of Contreras’ talent and athleticism that’s one area he need to improve upon in 2018.
Royals twitter portrayed Grimm as having an above-average curve an good fastball. This is a dart throw, but giving up Gaviglio seems a little dicey. Maybe Grimm has more upside, but Royals already have a lot of guys with straight fastballs.
Good sign! The cubs are gonna miss this guy. That bullpen looks very shaky now.
Themed you need to get a life and some friends.
Shut up you idiot troll. Don’t you have anything better to do in life, but troll every trade, every signing and everything the Cubs do. You really really must be a child and jealous troll.. Bull pen shaky lol. You must be worried you comment on everything about the Cubs. Only shaky thing is the whole Cards pitching staff and you who is just a childish troll who needs to grow up. Shaky, thats not what the experts are calling the Cubs pen. Be worried son, I know you are because you troll here everyday.
We won’t miss Grimm trust me. Just like we didn’t miss Wood, or will miss Lackey. And won’t miss JA either. Whats that starting rotation been like this Spring. Unhittable my friend. I be worried as a Child Troll Card fan trust me.
Oh really check those cub box scores today son. It’s going to be a long year for your cubbies son.
Spring training chirping? Hilarious
Lol your going by ST were that’s not even a full squad. Lol n AA players are pitching. Lol check the box scores of our starters this spring. You are stupid if your excited about ST. Cubs are leading ST in runs that’s with AAA player haha
What do expect from a Cards fan.
Live in past and brag about a guy who hit a HR in ST. Who hasn’t
Even played a whole season since being traded with a BA under 200. Lol
Good sign, hahaha So was Tarvis Wood and Solar lol Do you ever make any sense or just troll the Cubs because you have no life.
Kansas City stoke Soler. What now do the cubs have to show for that trade.
Big deal against AAA n a split squad.
Only a jelouse Card fan would be excited about ST. What’s the Cards record?
A lot more than KC. I don’t get excited about guy who’s batted under 200 and injured since being traded n hit a HR in ST. Only a stupid Card thinks that way lol
The Cubs had another NLCS appearance to show for it. Kansas City has a 5th OFer or a AAA lifer.
Who’s Tarvis Wood? Who’s Solar?
stop
Yeah the Cubs BP is shaky. Opinions vary. What is the ERA this Spring of our 25 man roster BP guys? lol NOT the Minor leaguer who are nearly as good anyway.
I’m sure the Cubs will miss him. `NEG 0.5 War ERA 5,53 Ok whatever makes you sleep at night. lol
Being a Cub hater and troll is no way to go through life son.
Stop. Spring training means nothing. And how can you say you can’t include pitchers not on their team, when they’re just as good as the guys on the roster. Stop being a homer
The Royals have loved taking on the Cubs’ leftovers in recent years. Hammell, Wood, Soler, Jay, and now Grimm.
I forgot about Hammell. LOL whatever happened to that guy? Hahaha
He’s still with the team for one more year. Threw to a 5.29 ERA last season. I’m not sure if he’s a planned part of the 2018 rotation or not.
The Cardinals should have got Grimm they need BP help desperately. lol
But Fat MO even too cheap to spring out 1.25 Million.
Do you even watch baseball or throw out the narratives that the supposed best fans in baseball seem to spout even though the track record and stats consistently show that mo n co know what they are doing? ie. Last year’s pen was middle of the pack or better but because the offense couldn’t score the bullpen took the brunt of the public outcry.. this pen will be top ten or better as it stands today bet on it
Truth hurt red feather. Soon reality will come to reason. Then the excuses and justification.
Top 10. Half the league is terrible. I wouldn’t brag on being 10. 10 doesn’t get you to post season. But believe. Believe. Dumb Card fans crack me up.
No place in Cardinal pen for him. They already have a lights out shut down pen. No thanks
Yeah ok lol. Just like last year. The year before. If anything it got worse. But I expect denial from dumb Card fans.
Weren’t the Pirates interested in Sam a few years back?
Royals could challenge the ‘62 Mets.
Royals could challenge the ‘62 Mets. Grimm deserves a minor league contract at this point.
God these comment boards suck now
Yes too many cub fans that think they are experts because there team finally won one time in a hundred and ten years.
Get over it you stupid troll. Get a life and a job stop wasting what little life you have trolling a Cubs board. Got news for you the Cubs have more than just won a WS. It’s not 110 years. Grow up loser. They been there 11 times. Still own the best record vs the cheaty little Cards, have 17 NL pennants and still been the best team in baseball over the last 3 years. So there a lot more too it. But your just a childish stupid Cubs hater and troll that has no life. Get over it and yourself. No cares about anything you have to say. Don’t you get it.
Son ya won exactly one World Series in the last 110 years. Still the laughing stock of all of any sports franchises. It’s a record that will never be broken in terms of nothingness. Good day
Go to bed good idea. You can’t even count. What’s important is we won in 2016 and been to the NLCS 3 straight years. When the last time StL did that Zero. Who still owns the best record in MLB the last 3 years. Cubbies. Who owns the best record over all against St L Cubbies. Who has 17 NK pennants the Cubbies only 2 short of you. Will catch that soon enough. Who a jelouse child troll. You are. If weren’t you wouldn’t even care or be here. Proves the point. Get over it. Enjoy 3rd place again. While your living in the past the present is passing you by. Lol. Only people laughing are Cub fan at jelouse trolls like you haha
Son. Lol I’m not you’re son I was watching baseball before you were a hard on in your father’s car. I can tell you one thing there is not a MLB team or player thinking about what was ages ago before they were born. Their not even thinking about 2016 or 2017. Only desperate jelouse kid troll fans of St L think about dumb $’ hit like that. They live in their scrap book, and in the past. Mean time it’s 2018. Not 2017 or 1908 lol. If you want to live in the past think about winning those 100 games then getting you’re @$$ handed to you. Lol. Cheaters never win. You’re so obsessed with the Cubs you have to come here and talk about a meaninglessness ST game. Your sad and pathetic. Go back to your dump and watch the Card embarrass themselves again this year. Get a life and grown up. You have serious mental issues.
Only because of childish trolls n kids who act 5. I go to another site these days and here about once a week. Not worth my time with these idiots