Arbitration Watch: numbers exchanged

The Cubs avoided salary arbitration with Will Ohman signing him to a two year deal, worth $2.5 million. Ohman's signing, along with the trade earlier this winter for Neil Cotts has raised some eyebrows about the availibility of left handed reliever Scott Eyre. We'll have to wait and see.

Below are the numbers exchanged between the Cubs and the two pitchers that are still eligible for arbitration.

Mark Prior

Asking for: $3.875 million
Cubs offer: $3.4 million

2006 salary; $3.65 million


Ahhh the comic relief! I'm glad to see the Cubs offer this guy less than he made in '06. Looks like he will end up right around his 2006 salary. Whatever he gets, unless things change on the mound the guy should wear a ski mask when he picks up his paycheck.

Carlos Zambrano

Asking for: $15.5 million
Cubs offer: $11.025 million

2006 salary; $6.5 million


I stated late last week that the Cubs are in a pickle with Z. Whether they sign him to the mega contract he's gonna get, trade him for prospects, or let him walk at the end of 2007 they are going to get ripped. It's not going to be an easy decision for Jim Hendry and new President John McDonough. If the Cubs seriously want to contend in the Piniella era, they most likely need Z. Still the terms are going to go beyond Barry Zito's deal with the Giants. Are the Cubs ready to shell out more dough and this time to a pitcher in a long term deal. I don't envy Jim Hendry on this one.

$4.475 million looks like a big gap. But these are just the mind-boggling numbers of baeball. Let's hope this thing avoids the ugliness that can come out in an arbitration hearing. If the Cubs have any thoughts of signing Zambrano long term they will settle with him before the case is heard sometime in February.