Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports that the Cubs and reliever Brad Brach agreed to a restructured contract following a medical review. The initial one-year deal, agreed to in January, was for $3 million with a club option and a buyout clause, guaranteeing Brach $4.35 million overall. The restructured deal is for one year at $1.65 million, but offering Brach the potential for more money based on how many days he is on the active roster. One day will pay him $350,000 and he can earn an additional $500,000 for reaching 150 days on the active roster.
According to Brach, the Cubs wanted to restructure the deal because of a viral infection. Brach said, “Everything’s fine. I had just a little bit of a viral infection. It was just kind of bad timing. Just kind of one of those things. When I was doing my physical, it came up, so it was adjusted from there.”
Though the two sides came to an agreement in January, the deal didn’t become official until February 11. Brach hasn’t appeared in a spring training game yet but insists he will be ready for Opening Day. He said, “I’m on time for Opening Day. Just kind of easing into it here. [The viral infection] kind of knocked me out there for a couple weeks. Just getting my strength back, but my throwing has been on schedule.”
Last year, between the Orioles and Braves, Brach compiled a 3.59 ERA with a 60 strikeouts and 28 walks in 62 2/3 innings. The right-hander has been one of baseball’s more consistent relievers over the last five years.