Cubs decline contract option on Brandon Morrow, ending injury-plagued stint with club

Morrow, 35, became a free agent bust when elbow problems prevented the closer from pitching after the 2018 All-Star break.

For the price of a $3 million buyout clause, the Cubs finally, mercifully ended their bullpen’s Brandon Morrow Era when they declined to exercise the $12 million option on one of their worst free agent contracts in recent years.

The move was the least surprising of a handful of option decisions in recent days that all went as expected.

Signed to a two-year, $21 million free agent deal after a breakout 2017 season for the Dodgers, Morrow was dominant in the 35 games he pitched for the Cubs as their closer.

But the Cubs got less than half a season of return on their investment in the right-hander, who has not pitched a full season in the majors since he was a rookie in 2007, mostly because of eight disabled/injured list stints for injuries to five different body parts. He did not pitch for the Cubs after the 2018 All-Star break because of persistent elbow problems — his absence in 2019 contributing to the bullpen’s poor performance in leverage situations much of the season.

Six of those DL/IL moves came before the Cubs signed him, making the contract arguably the worst of the three excessive signings of pitchers before last season, if only because of the track record and small return. (The Cubs also signed Tyler Chatwood for three years, $38 million and Yu Darvish for six years, $126 million that winter.)

The Cubs exercised only two of their seven 2020 contract options, for first baseman Anthony Rizzo ($16.5 million) and left-hander Jose Quintana ($10.5 million).

Also declined were options for pitchers Derek Holland ($7 million), David Phelps ($5 million), Kendall Graveman ($3 million) and Tony Barnette ($3 million).

The Cubs have 10 players, including six pitchers, under contract for next season for a total of $134.5 million, including new closer Craig Kimbrel — signed in June after Morrow experienced another setback.

They also have seven arbitration-eligible players, including All-Stars Javy Baez, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras.

In other moves announced Monday, the Cubs added right-hander Colin Rea (14-4, 3.95 ERA at AAA Iowa) to the 40-man roster and outrighted right-hander Allen Webster to Iowa.