The Cubs signed him to a one-year, $575,000 deal December 22, 2018, with a club option for 2020. The contract provided that if he spent one day on an active MLB roster in 2019, the $575,000 would be increased to $2 million. He didn’t, so the Cubs’ tax hit (and payment) for Graveman stayed at $575,000.
Graveman, who was coming off Tommy John surgery, wasn’t really expected to pitch in the big leagues in 2019. He did make two rehab starts: one for the AZL Rookie League Cubs August 22 (six strikeouts in three innings) and one for Triple-A Iowa September 1 (three innings, one run).