2012 Cubs arbitration eligibles

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We have six arbitration eligible pre-FA players on the team.

 

Matt Garza

5th-year player

2011 Salary: $5.95 million

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3340&position=P

 

Geovany Soto

5th-year player

2011 salary: $3 million

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3707&position=C

 

Jeff Baker

6th-year player

2011 salary: $1.175 million

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=2073&position=2B

 

Randy Wells

4th-year player

2011 salary: $475,000

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4535&position=P

 

Koyie Hill

6th-year player

2011 salary: $0.85 million

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1829&position=C

 

Blake DeWitt

4th-year player

2011 salary: $460,000

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=7485&position=2B/3B

 

My, uniformed, thoughts:

 

I'd be surprised if Garza gets more than $7.5 million on a one-year deal, which is what he's signed the last two times he's been eligible for arbitration (he was a super-2). I haven't heard any rumors that he'd be interested in a longer-term one.

 

Koyie Hill is an obvious non-tender candidate, but are there any other non-tender candidate on that list?

 

Now might be a good time to lock in Randy Wells for a couple of years, lock in his arbitration years at a discount if you think he's going to be healthy going forward.

[davell]

I think Garza gets between 9 and 10 myself. Now's the time to try and get him locked into a 4 year deal. Baker and DeWitt can go away as far as I'm concerned. LeMahieu and Flaherty can take their places. Soto will probably get between 4 and 4.5. Hill? Non tender definitely. As for Wells? He's definitely a one year at a time guy. And if he has another season like this past one, he's non tendered next year as well.

[dew1679666265]

I wouldn't even consider non-tendering Baker. He won't cost much more than what he made this year (can't remember the automatic raise they must get) and you won't find a guy who will OPS .900+ against lefties for that cheap really anywhere else on the market.

 

DeWitt I'm not as sure about. I'd probably bring him back just in case a series of trades either end up including him or make him useful to us. He won't make very much at all and could be useful in one way or another.

[davell]

Oh, I'm not suggesting we non tender Baker. But if we traded him, I'm perfectly fine with it. Just to give LeMahieu a real shot and save us a mill or so, in the process. Which could obviously be put somewhere else. Not an earthshattering move here, but I'd rather give the time to DJ.

[dew1679666265]

Oh, I'm not suggesting we non tender Baker. But if we traded him, I'm perfectly fine with it. Just to give LeMahieu a real shot and save us a mill or so, in the process. Which could obviously be put somewhere else. Not an earthshattering move here, but I'd rather give the time to DJ.

 

Ok, that makes more sense. I took that as you not caring if we non-tendered him and the way some on here underrate Baker that was what I assumed you meant. The difficult part about trading him is that we probably wouldn't get much more than we gave up to get him - Al Alburquerque, who at the time was not even on Cubs' prospect lists anywhere. It probably wouldn't be worth it, but it'd be worth looking into it.

[Cubswin11]

I'd be on board with locking up Garza with a 4-5 year deal this offseason. What do you think it would take? Something like Dempster's deal? Too little or too much?

[Guest]

Give Garza and Soto both 3 year deals with as many option years as you can tacked onto the end. And while we're at it, give Castro a Longoria-esque extension.

[davell]

I may get castrated for saying it, but I'd rather go year to year with Soto. And that's knowing he's due for a good year again now. I want us to have another starting catcher by the time his arb years are up.

[toonsterwu]

Well, if you can get Soto for 3 years at a reasonable cost, that is a fairly solid situation. I'm not opposed to going year-to-year with him, but if Soto is at a reasonable cost, then he can be a part of your short term core. A 3 year deal at a reasonable cost should allow you to shop him if it's in the club's best interest.

 

_____________________

 

I think you bring Jeff Baker back because he's going to be fairly cheap ... and because he might be better than the FA options at 3rd base if you fail to land a better player in a trade. I mean, I keep on staring at Edwin Encarnacion and Kevin Kouzmanoff as the most intriguing FA 3rd baseman (don't want Betemit as anything more than a backup/platoon guy) after Aramis. David Wright might not get moved. Jed Hoyer spoke glowingly of Chase Headley, which makes me think that the Padres will build around him in the short term. Who else? Ian Stewart? Still more a thought than anything concrete about him being shopped. Just not many great options, unless you go trade for a minor leaguer. DJ LeMahieu and Ryan Flaherty both need more development before thinking they could take over at 3rd. Encarnacion might not reach FA, and I don't really love his overall package. You'd want a platoon partner to go with Baker, but in this market, he might not be a bad Plan B there.