Chicago Sports Then and Now

On Thursday, the Cubs and closer Carlos Marmol agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.125 million deal for the 2010 season, a payraise of over $1.5 million from 2009.  The agreed upon figure was the exact midpoint between Marmol’s asking price of $2.5 million and the Cubs’ original offer of $1.75 million.

Marmol is happy about his new deal

Marmol was named the club’s closer in August of last year, going 11-for-11 in save opportunities and leading the team with 27 holds for the season.  He will likely not have to compete for the job this season, as former closer Kevin Gregg was not offered a new deal and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Marmol becomes the seventh arbitration-eligible Cub to re-sign before reaching a hearing, with infielders Jeff Baker and Mike Fontenot, catcher Koyie Hill, right-handed pitcher Angel Guzman and left-handed pitcher Tom Gorzelanny agreeing earlier in January, and left-handed pitcher Sean Marshall agreeing to a $950,000 deal last week.

With those players signed, the only outstanding arbitration-eligble player for the Cubs is shortstop Ryan Theriot.   Theriot is asking for $3.4 million in 2010, while the Cubs have countered with $2.6 million.  Either way, “Riot” will be getting a significant raise from his 2009 salary of $500,000.  If it gets to that point, the hearing will take place sometime before February 21.   Read the rest of this entry →

See ya Milton, it's been awful...

Milton Bradley is finally gone.  The experiment that was doomed from the get-go and lasted just under one year is over.  After rumors swirled throughout the winter meetings about possible destinations such as Tampa Bay or Texas, on Friday the Cubs traded the troubled outfielder to Seattle in exchange for SP Carlos Silva and cash considerations totaling $9 million over the next two seasons.

In just one season with the Cubs, Bradley underperformed, got injured multiple times, called out umpires, said he felt hatred from Chicago fans, and was sent home in September for conduct detrimental to the team.    A match between Cubs fans and the tempermental Bradley was never going to work, and still leaves all us Cubs fans wondering why GM Jim Hendry made the decision to sign him in the first place. Read the rest of this entry →