CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs tendered contracts for next season to six arbitration-eligible players, including Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, while settling with two players on one-year contracts, the team announced Wednesday night.
Lefty relievers Rex Brothers and Clayton Richard both agreed to terms, while reliever Ryan Cook was not tendered a contract, making him a free agent. Reliever Jack Leathersich was also non-tendered, though he wasn’t arbitration-eligible.
The six players tendered contracts Wednesday are guaranteed salaries of at least 80 percent of what they made in 2015 and can still negotiate a one-year or multi-year deal before arbitration hearings occur in February. They are Arrieta, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon, Justin Grimm, Chris Coghlan and Travis Wood. Players with at least three years of experience but less than six are arbitration-eligible with some exceptions for two-year veterans. The Cubs have never had an arbitration hearing since the current front office took over in 2011, always settling on a deal with the player. Arrieta is due the biggest raise from the $3.63 million he made last season.
Brothers signed for one year at $1.42 million while Richard will make $2 million in 2016 after being designated for assignment twice by the Cubs last season.
