Contrary to breathless reports Wednesday, the “news” of former Cubs closer Brandon Morrow’s release is anything but news.
Morrow, who signed a minor-league free agent deal with the Cubs over the winter, dealt with chest and calf injuries in February and March. He informed the team in April, soon after the COVID-19 shutdown, that his rehab wasn’t progressing well and he intended to shut it down for 2020.
The move became official June 30 after teams submitted their summer training camp rosters.
“He unfortunately has had a number of issues that he’s been dealing with and we didn’t see it as a realistic scenario where he would contribute this year,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said on July 2. “We certainly wish him the best going forward in and out of baseball.”
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Morrow, 35, has not ruled out trying to pitch again in 2021.
The power-pitching right-hander was dominant the first half of 2018 as the Cubs closer after signing a two-year deal with the club, but injuries derailed the rest of that season and all of 2019.
