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Arbitration filings never have been big news since president Andy MacPhail came to the Cubs front office in September, 1994. Under MacPhail, the team never has let a player take them to arbitration. Cubs officials consider it a self-defeating exercise to berate their players in an arbitration hearing by emphasizing what they haven't done to deserve financial reward. Usually, salary settlements are reached by matching players against similar caliber players, pairing up accomplishments, service time and money. But there always will be interest in how high starters Prior and Zambrano can ascend monetarily in their early development years. Prior would have made $2.75 million this season, but elected to exercise a contract option in which he will make more money by getting involved in arbitration. Look for the Cubs to seek to hold him between $3.5 and $3.7 million, but he might want as much as $4 million. As for Zambrano, who earned $3.76 million last year, the Cubs will try to keep him under $5 million, while he could ask as much as $5.5. Pierre, their new leadoff man and center fielder, made $3.7 million last year with Florida, but didn't have a good year by his own estimation. Second baseman Hairston's $1.8 million last year and reliever Ohman's approximate $300,000 slot them in a less intriguing class and Hendry might be able to cut deals with those players if they aren't looking for excessive dollars. |
General manager Jim Hendry will attempt again to reach 2006 contract agreements with Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, Juan Pierre, Jerry Hairston and Will Ohman, but it's highly possible that all five Cubs will file salary figures by today's deadline for potential arbitration cases. Hendry wasn't able to come to agreements despite negotiating with the players' agents Monday.