Last year, the front office continued their blueprint of signing rehabbing or down players to one year deals with the hopes of flipping them for prospects at the trade deadline. Exhibit A was former Twins pitcher Scott Baker, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, signed for a $5.5 million deal.
Baker spent nearly the entire season in rehab.
Baker gave the Cubs 15 innings pitched in the last weeks of the season. the Cubs paid $366,000 per inning pitched for Baker to get healthy and go back on the free agent market.
Well, Baker did go back into free agency, but he did not land a major league deal.
Baker has already passed his physical, so the Mariners signed Baker to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Baker will earn $1MM if he makes the team and can earn up to $3.25MM
more via incentives.
There are a few telling aspects of this story:
1. There is no player loyalty to a team that basically paid him $5.5 million to get healthy.
2. The Cubs apparently did not offer Baker a new contract; or
3. Baker would rather sign a minor league deal for 2014 than to pitch for the Cubs.
