The Chicago Cubs have reportedly avoided arbitration with a quartet of players at Friday’s deadline, signing them all to one-year contracts.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Addison Russell inked a one-year pact with the Cubs that will pay him $3.4 million for the 2019 season, and the infielder can earn an additional $600,000 worth of bonuses if he remains on the team’s roster for 150 days.
Russell will serve a 40-game suspension to start the 2019 season, meaning that if he were to miss any additional time due to disciplinary issues, he would not qualify for the bonuses in his contract.
According to multiple reports, Kyle Schwarber settled with the Cubs on a one-year contract that will pay him $3.39 million for the upcoming season. The outfielder hit 26 home runs and drove in 61 RBI for the Cubs in 510 plate appearances last season, and will hope to boost his power numbers even more as he enters his arbitration-eligible seasons.
Pitcher Mike Montgomery settled with the Cubs at $2.44 million for next season, according to The Athletic and the Chicago Sun-Times. Montgomery appeared in 38 games and started 19 for the Cubs in 2018, posting a 5-6 record and a 3.99 ERA for the team.
Montgomery likely won’t start the season in the team’s rotation, as the Cubs opted to keep Cole Hamels and will get back Yu Darvish for the upcoming year.
According to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, the Cubs agreed to a $1.5 million contract with relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. The hurler posted a 3-2 record and a 2.60 ERA in 58 appearances for the Cubs, striking out 67 batters.
Chicago Baseball
Earlier Friday the Cubs had reportedly settled on a contract with pitcher Kyle Hendricks, as the hurler will make nearly $7.5 million next season.
The Cubs still have not reached contract agreements with third baseman Kris Bryant or infielder Javier Baez, leaving open the possibility that the sides could go to arbitration as spring training nears.
