The Cubs added a reliever, dropped an outfielder and met an important deadline by offering qualifying offers to free agents Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis during a series of moves Monday.
The one-year, $17.4 million qualifying offers for 2018 contracts are largely formalities, ensuring the Cubs of draft-pick compensation if other teams sign Arrieta and Davis to the kind of deals they’re expected to command.
RELATED STORIES
Top rookies seem set, but Cy Young Award races might be interesting
Garvey, Morris, John, Miller on 10-person baseball Hall of Fame ballot
Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young winner, long has scoffed at the idea of accepting a qualifying offer to stay.
“That’s hilarious to even think about,” Arrieta told the Sun-Times in August. “You’re asking me if I would play on a one-year contract? Absolutely not. Why would I do that? Why?”
Arrieta, who made $15.64 million in 2017, is expected to command a multiyear, nine-figure deal as one of the top two starting pitchers on the free-agent market.
During one of the most successful runs for a pitcher in franchise history, Arrieta was 68-31 with a 2.73 ERA and two no-hitters in 128 starts since being acquired in a four-player trade with the Orioles in July 2013.
Davis, who made $10 million in 2017 after being acquired in a trade with the Royals last December, is a more intriguing case only because the Cubs are in play — if a long shot — to bring the All-Star closer back on a multiyear deal.
Players extended qualifying offers have 10 days to decide on them.
The two pitchers are among nine Cubs free agents after outfielder Leonys Martin, who was a defensive sub and pinch runner on the postseason roster, cleared waivers and was outrighted off the 40-man roster.
The Cubs also announced they claimed right-hander Cory Mazzoni, 28, off waivers from the Padres.
Mazzoni, a 2011 second-round pick of the Mets, has made 14 big-league relief appearances in the last three seasons (32 earned runs in 16⅔ innings).
Mazzoni, who has missed time in recent seasons with a shoulder injury and more recently a blood clot, allowed two runs in 20⅓ innings (0.89 ERA) for Class AAA El Paso in 14 appearances this season.
The Cubs also added Class AAA reliever Matt Carasiti to the 40-man roster.
The right-hander, who was acquired in June from the Rockies for lefty Zac Rosscup, earned 21 saves with a 3.26 ERA in 46 appearances at Albuquerque and Iowa this year.
Follow me on Twitter @GDubCub.
Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com