Chicago Cubs, David Bote Agree to an Extension

The Chicago Cubs announced that they have finalized an extension with utility infielder David Bote worth 5-years, $15M with two option years valued at $7M and $7.6M that could push the value of the deal closer to $30M.

This is an extension without much precedent to look at as Chicago Cubs infielder David Bote was neither a highly heralded prospect, like Eloy Jimenez, nor has he been a breakout star like Alex Bregman.  Bote also has less than a year of service time under his belt after making his debut last season in April but going up and down several times.

As noted, this is an interesting deal because there aren’t many good comparisons.  Most everyone knows David Bote as the guy who hit one of the most dramatic walk-off home runs of the 2018 season but he was more than just a one hit wonder.

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Bote was worth 1 WAR in 74 games and 210 plate appearances while contributing across the diamond but primarily at 3B.  His triple slash of .239/.319/.408 was good for a 95 wRC+ meaning he was 5% worse than league average with the bat.

Defensively, Bote was +5 defensive runs saved (DRS) at 3B neutral at 2B and the OF and -1 at SS.  Teams need depth and prioritize positional flexibility and David Bote so far has shown that he can be your first bat off the bench and be anywhere from good to passable at a variety of positions.

Bote approached the team about this deal so he showed an interest in leveraging a good start to his career for financial security.  Bote was an 18th round pick out of Neosho County Community College so he was far from receiving the lucrative bonuses that first rounders and high schoolers committed to college get.

Bote is also 25 years old and would be a free agent at 30 years old, pending that he doesn’t get sent down, and we have seen guys taking extensions in lieu of free agency.  In watching Ian Happ get sent down by the Chicago Cubs, Bote may be hoping that he has locked in his roster spot even if he has some struggles.  As referenced int he article by MLBTR, utility player Brock Holt made $9M over the course of his team controlled years so Bote managed to get more guaranteed by going this route.

This deal though does carry some risk for Bote.  If he tops out as a utility player in the 1 to 1.5 WAR range, it ends up as a fair deal for all involved.  Looking ahead though there are signs that Bote could end up as more than just a utility player.

Looking at Statcast exit velocities, we see that Bote has averaged a blistering 93.1 MPH.  Simply put that is elite; it is harder than guys like Luke Voit, JD Martinez, and Christian Yelich.  Even though Bote only has 137 batted ball events, Baseball Prospectus found that exit velocity becomes reliable around a sample of 40.

So Bote’s bat to ball skills are very real, which might explain the front office’s amenability to a Bote extension.  There is, of course, more to hitting than hitting it hard, but elite EVs are a great place to start.  Bote struck out nearly 29% of the time while only walking 7%, which is acceptable in today’s game so long as he continues to produce when he makes contact.  But Bote is still a young hitter learning the league, if he figures out a way to cut strikeouts and increase his walks, his offensive output would likely start to look for like a superstar than bat first utility.

Overall, David Bote got financial security and the Chicago Cubs got a good price for their versatile utility bat.  If Bote improves beyond a utility and proves to be even a 2 WAR type that contributes across the diamond, the Cubs will be getting a steal and Bote will have left a lot of money on the table.