Cubs reach 1-year deals with 6 players
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CHICAGO – The Cubs reached one-year deals with six players on Tuesday, leaving starting pitcher Matt Garza as their only remaining player in arbitration.
The Cubs announced agreements for infielders Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt and Ian Stewart, catcher Geovany Soto and right-handers Chris Volstad and Randy Wells. Stewart was acquired in a trade with Colorado in December and Volstad was part of the Carlos Zambrano swap with Miami on Jan. 5.
Garza went 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA in his first season with Chicago, finishing with a team-best 197 strikeouts in 198 innings. He asked for $12.5 million in arbitration and the Cubs countered at $7.95 million, the largest gap between any player and team in the majors.
Soto, the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year, hit .224 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs in 125 games last season, when he made $3 million. His 2012 contract is for $4.3 million.
Wells went 7-6 with a 4.99 ERA in 23 starts, picking up the first two complete games of his career. He gets a raise from $475,000 in 2011 to $2,705,000 this season.
Baker ($1,375,000), DeWitt ($1.1 million) and Volstad ($2,655,000) also received significant increases from their 2011 salaries. Volstad, who made $445,000 last year, was 5-13 with a 4.89 ERA in 29 starts for the Marlins.
Stewart batted just .156 in 48 games for Colorado, when he made $2,287,500. His 2012 deal is worth $2,237,500.
