Cubs, Arrieta settle on 1-year, $15 million deal
The Cubs got most of their big contract worries out of the way Friday, settling with three of their four arbitration-eligible players.
The most significant was pitcher Jake Arrieta, who will get a contract worth $15.6375 million for 2017. Relievers Hector Rondon ($5.8 million) and Justin Grimm ($1.825 million) agreed to terms. The only arbitration-eligible player not yet agreeing is reliever Pedro Strop. He is seeking $6 million while the Cubs are offering $4.6 million. A deal still could get done before a hearing would be needed.
The most important and intriguing situation is Arrieta's. He will be 31 in March, and the upcoming season is his final one before he is eligible for free agency. Last season Arrieta made $10.7 million. The 2015 Cy Young winner is 40-14 over his previous two seasons.
"At the end of the day, I didn't want anything to linger," he said Friday at the Cubs convention. "I wanted to just kind of put it past us and get back to baseball as usual. Moving into camp, there is not going to be any distraction, arbitration hearings lingering. That's not going to be part of the equation, which I'm happy about."
Both Arrieta and team president Theo Epstein expressed continued hope a long-term deal could struck.
"The timeline is kind of coming to an end as far as leading up to free agency," Arrieta said. "I don't know. I'm here for one more year, and I said it a couple years ago, that I'm going to be a Cub for at least two more years, and I'm to enjoy every moment of it. If something happens where extension is possible, we'll address that when it happens. As of now, we've got one more season as a Cub, and I'm really happy about that."
Working away at it:
Right fielder Jason Heyward, who is coming off a poor season at the plate, has been working in Arizona with Cubs batting coach John Mallee and his assistant, Eric Hinske.
Heyward had a batting line last year of .230/.306/.325 with 7 homers and 49 RBI in the first season of an eight-year, $184 million contract. Manager Joe Maddon did not hesitate to bench Heyward at times during the postseason.
For his part, Heyward says he thinks he's making progress.
"Just get back to doing things simple, the right way," he said. "Be in a good position to hit all the time. It's easier said than done when you're trying to do it in the season, working in the cage and not in the game when you're trying to compete and help your team win. The off-season really allows you to slow things down and do that."
Mallee said he'd like Heyward to get back to his form of 2012, when he hit 27 homers for the Braves.
"In 2012, he was in better position to strike the ball," the coach said. "In '16, somehow that got away from him a little bit. Then he starting rushing and hurrying."
New role for Ross:
The Cubs have named recently retired catcher David Ross a special assistant to baseball operations. The job will have Ross involved in "all elements within the club's baseball operations department, including major-league operations, player development, pro scouting and work within the front office."
Ross, 39, became one of the most popular Cubs over the past two seasons for his leadership.
Meet the prez:
Cub players say they are looking forward to going to the White House Monday and meeting with President Obama.
Pitcher Jake Arrieta said he will not attend, but not because of politics. He said he is tending to family medical situations.
"We're excited," said shortstop Addison Russell. "I know there's probably about three people I would get star-struck by, and he is one of them."