Yesterday was the deadline for teams to come to terms on 1 year-deals with their arb eligibles players. The Cubs had 7 arbitration eligible players … catcher Geovany Soto, pitcher Matt Garza, utility Blake DeWitt, utility Jeff Baker, pitcher Randy Wells, pitcher Chris Volstad (acquired from the Miami Marlins in the Carlos Zambrano trade) and 3B Ian Stewart (acquired from the Colorado Rockies in the Tyler Colvin/DJ LeMaheiu trade). Carrie Muskat reports the Cubs reached 1 year-deals with all the players except pitcher Matt Garza. All of the 1 year-contracts are for the 2012 season.
*Catcher Geovany Soto will earn 4.3 million. Soto earned 3 million in 2011.
*Utility Blake DeWitt will earn 1.1 million. DeWitt make 460K in 2011.
*Utility Jeff Baker will earn 1.375 million. Baker earned 1.175 million in 2011.
*3B Ian Stewart will earn 2.3755 million. Stewart earned 2.228 million in 2011.
* Pitcher Randy Wells will earn 2.705 million. Wells earned 445K in 2011
* Pitcher Chris Volstad will earn 2.655 million. Volstad earned 445K in 2011..
As you arlready know, the Cubs have not agreed to a contract with pitcher Matt Garza. Jon Heyman reports Matt Garza’s number is 10.255 million and the Cubs offered 7.95 million. Matt Garza made 5.95 million in 2011. If the Cubs were to go to an arb hearing with garza, it would seem the Cubs would win. An arb hearing would take in the early stages of February. The Cubs could still trade Matt Garza or reach a deal with Garza before the arb hearing. All is still to be determine.
**Side Note: The Cubs will send 15.345 million to the Miami Marlins to complete the Chris Volstad/Carlos Zambrano trade.
Stay tuned on the Matt Garza situation. Theo Epstein, like Jim Hendry does not want to go to an arb hearing. He has a record of agreeing to a contracts with his players who are arbitration elgible.