The Chicago Cubs and Matt Garza reached an agreement to avoid arbitration on a one-year deal worth $10.25 Million. In 2012, Garza posted a 3.91 ERA in 18 starts. Garza was the subject of trade rumors last summer until he experienced elbow problems that essentially shut him down the last 2 1/2 months of the 2012 season.
Garza is a super two qualifier and was eligible for salary arbitration for the final time. He is scheduled to become a free agent in November. Once Garza re-establishes himself in spring training as healthy, there are a number of teams who may have interest him including the Texas Rangers. President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs Theo Epstein was optimistic saying Wednesday, “Garza we expect to be full go in spring training and ready to start the year.”
The agreement leaves the Cubs with two arbitration eligible but yet unsigned players, Jeff Samardzija and James Russell. This is the first year Samardzija and Russell are arbitration eligible. Samardzija, who was 9-13 with a 3.81 ERA in his first full season as a starter, made $2.64 million last season, while Russell, who appeared in a career-high 77 games, made $512,500.
