December 4, 2017

Cubs.com, 'Tis the season: Schwarber, Rizzo give back http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/262789032/kyle-schwarber-anthony-rizzo-charity-events/

Cubs.com, Cubs send Rondon into free agency http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/262749198/cubs-let-hector-rondon-become-free-agent/

Cubs.com, Cubs, reliever Alvarez agree to 1-year deal http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/262705758/cubs-agree-to-deal-with-reliever-dario-alvarez/

NBC Sports Chicago, Cubs reportedly in the running for Shohei Ohtani as Japanese star narrows list of possible destinations http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-reportedly-running-shohei-ohtani-japanese-star-narrows-list-possible-destinations

NBC Sports Chicago, Cubs' bullpen shake up continues as Hector Rondon Era comes to an end http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-bullpen-shake-continues-hector-rondon-era-comes-end

NBC Sports Chicago, Cubs begin bullpen renovation by signing Dario Alvarez to one-year deal http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-begin-bullpen-renovation-signing-dario-alvarez-one-year-deal

Chicago Tribune, Cubs reportedly remain in contention for Shohei Ohtani http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-shohei-ohtani-20171203-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Anthony Rizzo picks up hometown honor for charitable work http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-anthony-rizzo-hometown-honor-20171203-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs drop Hector Rondon; Joe Maddon sees Shohei Ohtani as 'wave of future' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-joe-maddon-hector-rondon-20171201-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon 'intrigued' by idea of a two-way player, admits Jake Arrieta is 'probably gone' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-joe-maddon-20171201-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs sign LHP Dario Alvarez to 1-year contract, sell contract of RHP Matt Carasiti to Japan http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-dario-alvarez-20171201-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs chosen to meet with Japanese free agent Shohei Ohtani https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-chosen-to-meet-with-japanese-free-agent-shohei-ohtani/

Chicago Sun-Times, Unable to trade Hector Rondon by deadline, Cubs non-tender ex-closer https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/unable-to-trade-hector-rondon-by-deadline-cubs-non-tender-ex-closer/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs sign ex-Rangers lefty Dario Alvarez for bullpen depth https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-sign-ex-rangers-lefty-dario-alvarez-for-bullpen-depth/

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs sign reliever Alvarez to 1-year contract http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171201/chicago-cubs-sign-reliever-alvarez-to-1-year-contract

-- Cubs.com 'Tis the season: Schwarber, Rizzo give back By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- The Cubs' Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo were both active this weekend with their respective foundations. Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes made its first donations on Saturday in Chicago, distributing $25,000 to each of three organizations. The money raised through Schwarber's efforts, including his first block party, went to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation; the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher House, which helps families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA centers; and Ignite the Spirit, a Chicago Fire Department charity. Schwarber posted photos on Twitter and said: "Today was a great first step in the Neighborhood Heroes program. Made our first 3 donations today! It was a true pleasure to donate to these charities! It wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for the very generous people who helped along the way! Thank you all! #NeighborhoodHeroes" On Sunday in his hometown of Parkland, Fla., Rizzo hosted his sixth annual Walk-Off for Cancer, a 5-kilometer walk and was joined by his Cubs teammates Jon Jay and Rene Rivera. This year's walk raised $960,000, and will go toward the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation's mission to raise money for cancer research and provide support to children and their families battling the disease. Anthony Rizzo with the participants of the sixth annual Walk-Off for Cancer. (Photo: @RizzoFoundation) This year, Rizzo's humanitarian efforts were recognized when he was named the recipient of both the Roberto Clemente Award and also the Major League Players Association's Marvin Miller Man of the Year. In August, Rizzo's foundation made a $3.5 million donation to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, and in September, it pledged another $650,000 to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Health System. --

Cubs.com Cubs send Rondon into free agency By Adam McCalvy After five years, 77 saves and 296 appearances out of the bullpen, Hector Rondon's tenure with the Cubs appears to have come to a close. The Cubs chose not to tender a contract to Rondon on Friday, opting to let the right-hander go to free agency rather than see his salary potentially increase north of $6 million through the arbitration process. The club did tender contracts to its six other arbitration-eligible players: Kris Bryant, Justin Grimm, Kyle Hendricks, Tommy La Stella, Addison Russell and Justin Wilson. Those players are now considered signed for next season and an arbitration hearing will be scheduled for February or March. If the players and club cannot reach salary agreements before the hearing, an independent panel will decide the players' 2018 salary. The Cubs also non-tendered catcher Taylor Davis, making him a free agent, and they granted right-hander Matt Carasiti his release so he could sign with a club in Japan. The Cubs had just added Carasiti to the 40-man roster last month. With Friday's moves, Chicago's 40-man roster stood at 34. The most notable departure was that of Rondon. The former Cubs closer was in his final year of arbitration eligibility after earning $5.8 million last season. He posted a 4.24 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, his most inflated marks since he was a Rule 5 Draft pick in December 2012. The decision to non-tender Rondon continued the trend of turnover in the Cubs' bullpen, beginning with closer Wade Davis becoming a free agent at the start of the offseason. Chicago did make one potential 'pen addition earlier Friday by announcing a one-year Major League deal for left-hander Dario Alvarez. While their relief search continues, Cubs officials will continue working toward agreements with their players remaining in arbitration. As first-time eligibles, Bryant ($1.05 million salary in 2017), Hendricks ($761,000) and Russell ($644,000) can count on seeing the most dramatic pay raises. Bryant and Russell have Super 2 status, meaning they will have four years in arbitration instead of the usual three. La Stella is also eligible for arbitration for the first time, Grimm for the second time and Wilson for the last time. Wilson is poised to hit free agency following the 2018 season. Of those players, Grimm was most on the bubble. He has been unable to replicate his stellar 2015 season in the two years since, and is coming off a 5.53 ERA and 12 home runs in 55 1/3 innings while earning $1.825 million. Because of the nature of the arbitration process, that salary is likely to rise for 2018. -- Cubs.com Cubs, reliever Alvarez agree to 1-year deal By David Adler

The Cubs added bullpen depth on Friday, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with left-hander Dario Alvarez. The club did not announce the terms of the deal. Alvarez has pitched parts of four big league seasons, including 20 relief appearances for the Rangers in 2017, when he split his time between Triple-A and the Majors. The 28-year-old had a 2.76 ERA in 16 1/3 innings, with 14 walks and 17 strikeouts. He collected a pair of wins and three holds. Alvarez has also pitched for the Mets and Rangers, debuting with New York in 2014. He has a 5.06 career ERA, 22 walks and 61 strikeouts in 48 innings, all in relief. -- NBC Sports Chicago Cubs reportedly in the running for Shohei Ohtani as Japanese star narrows list of possible destinations By Vinnie Duber The Cubs are reportedly in the running to land this offseason's top target. Shohei Ohtani narrowed his list of possible destinations Sunday night, and the Cubs made the cut, according to a report, meaning they'll meet with the Japanese star to make their pitch for a potential deal. Evan Grant

✔ @Evan_P_Grant Hearing Rangers, Cubs are only 2 non-West Coast teams on Ohtani's meeting list. Rangers not saying a word. Ken Rosenthal

✔ @Ken_Rosenthal Teams known to be or believed to be meeting with Ohtani, per sources and reports: #Dodgers; #Mariners; #SFGiants; #Padres; #Cubs; #Rangers. Status of #Astros and #Reds not known. Earlier Sunday night, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman — whose team fell out of the running to sign Ohtani — told reporters that Ohtani was looking to head to a smaller-market team on the West Coast. So, with the Cubs meeting neither of those criteria, it looked like bad news for those hoping to see him on the North Side. But a later report indicated the Cubs could be an exception to that, and it turned out they were. The 23-year-old Ohtani has dazzled as both a pitcher and a hitter in Japan, with his pitching prowess likely of greatest interest to the Cubs, who have holes to fill in their starting rotation with both Jake Arrieta and John Lackey hitting free agency. But Ohtani also wants to hit on a regular basis, and the Cubs could certainly use an influx of offense after their bats went quiet during recent playoff series against the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.

One school of thought argues that an American League team would have an easier time selling Ohtani on regular hitting duties. After all, a team would figure to be far more likely to play Ohtani as a regular designated hitter rather than risk an injury to a potential top-of-the-rotation pitcher by playing him regularly in the field. But if Ohtani's bat is as valuable as it has seemed — he hit .332 with eight home runs in 65 games this past season — than a National League club would most definitely want a hitting pitcher who bolsters the lineup every fifth day and might be willing to take that injury risk by sticking him in the outfield on days when he does not pitch. According to NBC Sports Chicago's David Kaplan, who wrote extensively about the Cubs and Ohtani last week, Theo Epstein's front office has invested plenty of time and money into scouting Ohtani in Japan. Whether their familiarity with him translates into his wanting to come to Chicago remains to be seen, as the rest of Ohtani's list of finalists features mostly teams on the West Coast. As of this writing, the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres — all West Coast teams — were among the other reported finalists. Money likely won't be a factor in the pursuit of Ohtani: There's a $20 million posting fee, but he can only sign a minor league contract worth a maximum of $3.5 million because of international-signing rules that govern players under age 25. It's a unique occurrence that made it so every team in the game was in on Ohtani to begin with. And so now come the in-person meetings. The Cubs have plenty to sell as a team whose World Series window remains wide open. Though with teams like the Padres and Mariners — teams that haven't been to the postseason since 2006 and 2001, respectively — still in the mix, too, winning right away might not be at the top of Ohtani's wish list. But the Cubs have other strong selling points, such as a recent history of Japanese players (Kyuji Fujikawa, Tsyoshi Wada, Munenori Kawasaki, Koji Uehara) and a manager in Joe Maddon known for utilizing versatile players in numerous different positions. And according to Kaplan, the Cubs are pulling out all the stops. “MLB executive just told me that Theo and Jed are pulling out all of the stops to impress Ohtani. “Theo and Jed are being incredibly creative with their pitch. They’ve thought of everything. And I mean everything. Still going to be tough to land him but they are in there hard.” Stay tuned. Baseball's biggest offseason drama continues to unfold. -- NBC Sports Chicago Cubs' bullpen shake up continues as Hector Rondon Era comes to an end By Vinnie Duber The Hector Rondon Era is over on the North Side. The Cubs declined to offer a 2018 contract to their former closer Friday, part of the effort to reshape their bullpen after a rough postseason for the relief corps. Rondon saved a combined 77 games in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons, turning in particularly eye-popping numbers during the 2015 campaign — a 1.67 ERA and 30 saves in 72 appearances — to warrant the title of being one of baseball’s best ninth-inning men.

But those numbers ballooned over the next two seasons, and he was replaced when the Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman in a midseason trade with the Yankees in 2016. Wade Davis was brought over in an offseason trade with the Royals ahead of the 2017 season. Rondon earned two saves in the Cubs’ National League Division Series win over the rival Cardinals in 2015. But his numbers were not good in each of the last two postseasons. During the 2016 World Series run, he gave up three runs in six innings of work for a 4.50 ERA. He didn’t pitch during the NLDS against the Nationals this year, but he gave up two runs in his three appearances against the Dodgers in the NLCS, hit with the loss in Game 1 of that series. Rondon ranks sixth on the Cubs' all-time saves list. With Davis hitting the free-agent market this winter, the Cubs continue to look for their 2018 closer. Whether it’s Davis, another free-agent signing, a trade acquisition or an internal solution, Rondon won’t be the guy, nor will he be back in what is expected to be a very different-looking bullpen. The Cubs struggled mightily in relief during their playoff series against the Nationals and Dodgers, with a huge 6.21 ERA in their 37.2 innings of work after the starter departed. Davis is a free agent, along with Brian Duensing, and now Rondon is no longer in the mix. Justin Wilson and Justin Grimm were tendered contracts for the 2018 season, and Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards Jr. remain under contract. Mike Montgomery might or might not end up in the bullpen, as he could be a part of the starting rotation. The Cubs also made a free-agent signing Friday, adding left-handed reliever Dario Alvarez. Of course, the most important piece of this 2018 bullpen puzzle is figuring out who will be the team’s closer. In each of the past three seasons, Rondon, Chapman and Davis were huge parts of getting the Cubs to the NLCS — and a World Series win, in the case of 2016. While various members of Joe Maddon’s bullpen experienced stretches of unreliability this past season, Davis was pretty rock solid during the regular season, converting 32 of his 33 save opportunities. -- NBC Sports Chicago Cubs begin bullpen renovation by signing Dario Alvarez to one-year deal By Staff The Cubs will have plenty of decisions to make regarding their bullpen this offseason, and they got started on Friday morning. The club announced they had reached a one-year deal with Dario Alvarez, a 28-year-old left-hander who spent last season with the Rangers. Alvarez went 2-0 with three holds and a 2.76 ERA in 20 appearances out of the bullpen for Texas. He struck out 17 batters in 16.1 innings. Alvarez began his big-league career in 2014 with the Mets. In 2016 he joined the Braves and pitched for the Rangers in both 2016 and 2017. He holds a career 5.06 ERA in 56 relief appearances. --

Chicago Tribune Cubs reportedly remain in contention for Shohei Ohtani By Mark Gonzales The Cubs are among at least seven teams remaining in contention for the services of Japanese free-agent pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani, according to the Dallas Morning News. The Cubs wouldn’t confirm or deny the report Sunday night, but it has been evident for a while that the team covets the 23-year-old star, who became a free agent Friday and has created a whirlwind of interest throughout baseball. Ohtani has until Dec. 22 to select a major-league team, which will pay a $20 million posting fee to his former team — the Nippon Ham Fighters. The Cubs, with only $300,000 in international signing bonus money to offer, reportedly have been trying to sell Ohtani on the benefits of playing for their organization. Their sales job apparently has worked well enough so far as the Yankees, with $3.5 million in international signing bonus money, and the Red Sox were informed by Ohtani’s representatives that they no longer were in consideration. The White Sox, according to multiple reports, also were informed they had been eliminated. According to reports, the Cubs and Rangers are among at least seven teams in contention, including the Mariners, Giants, Dodgers, Padres and Angels — all on the West Coast, which may be Ohtani’s preference. A source familiar with the negotiations said it was assumed that all interested teams would be informed of their status by Sunday night. -- Chicago Tribune Anthony Rizzo picks up hometown honor for charitable work By Mark Gonzales Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo received the Mayor’s Medal of Charitable Service in his hometown of Parkland, Fla., before his sixth annual “Walk-Off” for Cancer 5K event. Rizzo received the award from Parkland mayor Christine Hunschofsky for his frequent charitable service without seeking notoriety. Rizzo was the town’s first recipient of the award. “Anthony’s unwavering commitment to the cause of fighting cancer and the manner in which he conducts himself are truly charitable,” Hunschofsky said in a statement. “We are so proud of him and so grateful he chooses to keep coming back to Parkland and giving back.” Rizzo’s event Sunday raised a record $960,000. --

Chicago Tribune Cubs drop Hector Rondon; Joe Maddon sees Shohei Ohtani as 'wave of future' By Mark Gonzales As the Cubs entered the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes Friday, they parted with one of their best investments — reliever Hector Rondon. The Cubs elected not to tender a contract to Rondon, 29, who was drafted as a Rule 5 pick from the Indians before the 2013 season and earned 77 saves from 2014 to 2016. But offering him a contract likely would have cost the Cubs more than $6 million in arbitration after Rondon posted a 4.24 ERA with 10 home runs and 20 walks in 571/3 innings last season. Rondon was the only one of seven arbitration-eligible players to whom the Cubs didn’t tender a contract before Friday night’s deadline. The others — third baseman Kris Bryant, pitcher Kyle Hendricks, shortstop Addison Russell, left-handed reliever Justin Willson, right-handed reliever Justin Grimm and infielder Tommy La Stella — are considered signed players. Catcher Taylor Davis, who wasn’t eligible for arbitration, also wasn’t offered a contract. The Cubs, however, would like to sign one of the biggest free agents available this offseason in Ohtani, 23, a Japanese pitcher and left-handed-hitting outfielder whom the Nippon Ham Fighters posted. Ohtani will face a full-court press from several interested teams until he makes a decision by Dec. 22. The sales pitches will be thick, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon presented his vision of managing a two-way player like Ohtani, who would like to be hitting when he’s not pitching. “I’ve always been intrigued by the concept,” Maddon told WSCR-AM 670. “I see nothing wrong with it. How you utilize it, that would be in progress. You’d have an idea of what you’d want to do, but then you’d figure out more as you do it. “I definitely think it’s a wave of the future in a sense.” The team Ohtani selects would pay a $20 million posting fee to the Ham Fighters, and Ohtani would be treated as a minor-league player in terms of service time until he reaches the majors — which could be immediately thanks to his 100-mph fastball. Maddon also said he expects Jake Arrieta, one of the top pitchers on the free-agent market, to sign elsewhere. The Cubs, meanwhile, announced the signing of left-handed reliever Dario Alvarez, 28, who posted a 2.76 ERA in 20 appearances for the Rangers last season. Reliever Matt Carasiti was released and is expected to sign with a team in Japan. The Cubs’ 40-man roster stands at 34. -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon 'intrigued' by idea of a two-way player, admits Jake Arrieta is 'probably gone' By Mark Gonzales

Shortly after Shohei Ohtani was born in 1994, Cubs manager Joe Maddon was flirting with the idea of a two-way player while coaching in the Angels system. “I’ve always been intrigued by the concept,” Maddon said Friday on WSCR-AM 670. “I see nothing wrong with it. How you utilize it, that would be in progress. You’d have an idea of what you’d want to do, but then you’d figure out more as you do it. “I definitely think it’s a wave of the future in a sense.” Ohtani, 23, is expected to become the most coveted free agent of this offseason once his rights are posted by the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japan Pacific League. Much of the intrigue involves how teams plan to use Ohtani, who has a 103-mph fastball and hit 22 home runs in 104 games in 2016. Maddon repeated the story of Deshawn Warren, a left-handed pitcher whom the Angels drafted in the second round in 1992. He failed to progress steadily during his first four minor-league seasons but was the fastest runner in spring training and the instructional league. “I asked (general manager) Dan O’Brien if we could work out a schedule for him to pitch, DH, play the outfield, take (batting practice), etc.,” Maddon said. “The tool of running was that good. I asked and was denied. The Angels released Warren after five seasons. “Had he been an offensive player too, who knows?” Maddon said. “The running tool was that good.” Maddon said it makes more sense to try two-way players who are starting pitchers rather than relievers. “It’s not easy to play a guy in the field after he pitches,” Maddon said. “There’s a time for arm recovery that you have to be cognizant of. It’s up to the individual how well he responds.” Maddon said the American League, which uses the designated hitter, and the National League present “different thought processes.” As for his current club, Maddon admitted that free-agent pitcher Jake Arrieta “is probably gone,” a likely scenario dating to last spring after Arrieta, 31, spoke of possibly pitching until he is 40. Maddon said the status of closer Wade Davis and other free agents seems more vague, but he expressed optimism about the front office’s pursuit of starting and relief pitching. Maddon added he hadn’t dwelled much on the possibility of trading a young position player to acquire a pitcher. “I haven’t wrapped my mind about it,” he said. “If it were to happen, it’s the nature of this game. It’s never easy, but you move it along.” Maddon said he senses his players will be mentally fresher after the Dodgers cut short their bid for a second consecutive World Series appearance and pointed out spring training will start a few days later than last February. “I think guys will come in ready to rock and roll,” Maddon said. “Nobody likes the fact we didn’t get to the World Series.

“After the past three years, it’s good for the group. Our guys will be hungry. They’re always hungry. And they’ll come in with the right attitude. They’ll be jacked up.” Maddon pointed to a lack of experience that led to the Cubs’ .168 postseason batting average while facing standout pitchers such as the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and Yu Darvish. “Our hitters have to grow up and gain maturity,” Maddon said. “We’ve gone to the final four (the last three seasons) with an inexperienced group. Give us some time, and our young guys will figure it out. You’re always going to face good pitching.” While careful to not denigrate John Mallee, now with the Phillies, Maddon said new hitting coach Chili Davis will help the Cubs improve in situational hitting. “Chili might present it in a different set of words,” Maddon said. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs sign LHP Dario Alvarez to 1-year contract, sell contract of RHP Matt Carasiti to Japan By Mark Gonzales In their relentless search for relief help, the Chicago Cubs announced the signing of free agent left-hander Dario Alvarez to a one-year contract. Alvarez, 28, posted a 2.76 ERA in 20 appearances with the Rangers in 2017. Alvarez struck out 17 but walked 14 in 16 1/3 innings due to the lack of consistency with his slider. In 18 appearances (17 in relief) with Triple-A Round Rock last season, Alvarez was 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA while striking out 36 in 27 innings. Alvarez has a 5.06 ERA in 56 major league appearances with the Mets, Braves and Rangers. Alvarez has struck out 61 in 48 innings and walked only eight in his first 31 2/3 major league innings prior to 2017. Alvarez signed a a free agent with the Phillies' organization out of the Dominican Republic in 2007 and reached the majors in 2014 with the Mets. The Cubs also released reliever Matt Carasiti so he could sign a contract with the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball. The Cubs are expected to receive a fee for allowing Carasiti to go to Japan. Carasiti was added to the 40-man roster last month. Carasiti’s release was first reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs chosen to meet with Japanese free agent Shohei Ohtani By Gordon Wittenmyer

The Cubs are among the handful of teams chosen to meet with highly coveted Japanese free agent Shohei Ohtani, according to reports, despite multiple disadvantages in the bidding process for the two-way player. The Cubs would neither confirm nor deny Sunday night whether they made the cut to the next stage of the process for the player some call the “Babe Ruth of Japan.” Ohtani, whose fastball has been clocked at 100 mph, is said to prefer the West Coast and smaller markets. The Yankees, once considered a favorite, were told they didn’t make the cut. Because he wants to start as a hitter when he’s not starting as a pitcher, American League teams would seem to have an advantage. And the Cubs have only about $300,000 to offer in international bonus money because they overspent their allotment last year. Among the teams meeting with Ohtani are the Rangers, who have the most international money to offer ($3.54 million) and the Giants, who have $1.84 million available. The Mariners ($1.56 million) also are among the teams that made the cut, along with the Dodgers and Padres. -- Chicago Sun-Times Unable to trade Hector Rondon by deadline, Cubs non-tender ex-closer By Gordon Wittenmyer The Cubs are a long way from solving their bullpen issues for a chance at another playoff run in 2018, but some direction began taking shape Friday when they non-tendered former closer Hector Rondon and signed a depth-quality left-hander to a one-year deal. The Cubs also tendered contracts to six of their seven arbitration-eligible players, including relievers Justin Grimm and Justin Wilson. Rondon, 29, had regressed since the Cubs bumped him from the closer role with the acquisition of Aroldis Chapman in 2016. He struggled throughout 2017 after the offseason trade for Wade Davis in a continually reduced role. Injuries also played a role over that extended stretch. A Rule 5 draft pick before the 2013 season, Rondon earned 77 saves with a 1.96 ERA from the start of 2014 until the Chapman trade. The Cubs made Rondon available in trade talks until the non-tender deadline. He was expected to make more than $6 million through the arbitration process. The Cubs also announced the signing of left-hander Dario Alvarez to a one-year, big-league contract two months after the Rangers designated him for assignment. Alvarez, 28, split time between the majors and Class AAA Round Rock last season. He had a 2.76 ERA in 20 games in the majors with 17 strikeouts in 16⅓ innings (2.33 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 27 innings for Round Rock). Alvarez spent all or parts of four seasons with the Mets, Braves and Rangers (5.06 ERA in 56 career appearances). Other arbitration-eligible players tendered contracts by the Cubs: Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks and infielders Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Tommy La Stella.

-- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs sign ex-Rangers lefty Dario Alvarez for bullpen depth By Gordon Wittenmyer The Cubs on Friday announced the signing of former Rangers left-hander Dario Alvarez to a one-year, big-league contract to help provide depth for a bullpen in significant transition. Alvarez, 28, split time between the majors and Class AAA Round Rock before being designated for assignment by Texas in September. He had a 2.76 ERA in 20 big-league relief appearances in 2017, with 17 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings (2.33 with 36 strikeouts in 27 innings for Round Rock). He has spent all or parts of four major-league seasons with the Mets, Braves and Rangers (5.06 ERA in 56 career appearances). The move helps offset the loss to free agency of lefty Brian Duensing, a low-cost signing last year who became one of the Cubs’ most reliable relievers and is not expected to return. The Cubs spent much of last season with few left-handed relief options, and July acquisition Justin Wilson did little to alleviate the issue with his poor performance the final two months. The announcement also comes on the day the Cubs must trade arbitration-eligible Hector Rondon or decide whether to tender him a contract for 2018 that’s expected to exceed $6 million through the arbitration process. The former closer has been made available in trade talks since the season ended. -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs sign reliever Alvarez to 1-year contract By Bruce Miles An otherwise slow start to the off-season for the Cubs picked up a little steam Friday as they signed left-handed reliever Dario Alvarez to a one-year contract. They also made news by deciding not to tender a contract to relief pitcher Hector Rondon. All other players were tendered contracts, including reliever Justin Grimm, who appeared to be another non-tender candidate. The 28-year-old Alvarez will be joining his fourth team since he broke into the big leagues with the New York Mets in 2014. He also has pitched for the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. This past season with the Rangers, he was 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA and a WHIP of 2.02 in 20 relief appearances for the Rangers. For his career, he is 6-1 with a 5.06 ERA and a WHIP of 1.63 in 56 games, all in relief. Rondon joined the Cubs for the 2013 season after being a Rule 5 draft pick from Cleveland the previous December.

He currently ranks sixth on the Cubs' all-time saves list with 77, trailing Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter, Carlos Marmol, Randy Myers and Ryan Dempster. Rondon was the Cubs' regular closer until the team acquired Aroldis Chapman for its World Series run in 2016. This past season, Rondon was 4-1 with a 4.24 ERA in 61 games. He battled elbow soreness late in the season but recovered. The Cubs left him off the roster for the National League division series against Washington but put him back on for the championship series against the Dodgers. He took the loss in Game 1. Grimm came to the Cubs in July 2013 trade with Texas for pitcher Matt Garza. This year, Grimm worked in 50 games, going 1-2 with a 5.53 ERA and a WHIP of 1.34. He did not participate in the postseason. In addition to Grimm players eligible for salary arbitration who were tendered Cubs contracts were Kris Bryant, Tommy La Stella, Addison Russell, Kyle Hendricks and Justin Wilson. Catcher Taylor Davis, who is not yet eligible for arbitration, was not tendered a contract. --