The Chicago Cubs will be facing some tough arbitration decisions this winter, but they have settled with at least one player as reliever Justin Wilson has reportedly agreed to a new deal.
According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, Wilson agreed to a $4.25 million deal with the Cubs to avoid salary arbitration.
After being acquired by the Cubs in a midseason trade, Wilson never found his form on the North Side, posting a 5.09 ERA and walking 19 batters in just 17.2 innings of work. Wilson also made one playoff appearance for the Cubs, pitching two-thirds of an inning in the National League Division Series.
The Cubs still have several other players to negotiate contracts with, and Friday marks the date where teams exchange salary numbers with arbitration-eligible players. Among that group is third baseman Kris Bryant, who could threaten Ryan Howard’s first-year arbitration record salary of $10 million.
Reliever Justin Grimm, pitcher Kyle Hendricks, infielder Tommy La Stella, and shortstop Addison Russell are also eligible for arbitration this season. The team declined to tender a deal to former reliever Hector Rondon, freeing him to sign with the Houston Astros earlier this offseason.
