Today was the day for Willson Contreras’s arbitration hearing with the Cubs, who were seeking a $9 million price tag for Contreras’s final season under team control, while Contreras had requested $10.25 million. Thankfully, that hearing will no longer be necessary, as the sides came to a settlement today.
Despite being a file-and-trial team, I suspect the Cubs and Contreras were willing to settle today because of the atypical situation (the lockout pushing things way back):
The Chicago Cubs and catcher Willson Contreras have avoided arbitration, which was scheduled for today, according to a source. The sides agreed to a 2022 salary of $9.625 million. That’s the midpoint between $9 and $10.25 million, the figures each side had submitted.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 9, 2022
Just settle at the midpoint and move on. Good. (If you want to put on your tinfoil hat, you could say, “ooh, this means the Cubs didn’t want to say bad things in the arbitration because they want to talk extension!,” or you could say, “I wonder if this means trade talks are heating up and teams wanted salary clarity …. “)
The arbitration hearing probably would’ve been fine, but all else equal, it’s good to avoid it. NBC Sports Chicago offered an interesting read on the topic, with thoughts from Ian Happ, who beat the Cubs in arbitration last year. He discussed things with Contreras, including what to expect, what his side would get into, and what to expect from the other side. I was glad to hear this part from Happ about the Cubs, because I hate the idea of a team using arbitration as an opportunity to just crap all over their players:
“There’s been arbitration cases in the past where teams have gone over the line,” Happ said. “I can tell you in mine, the Cubs did not go over the line. They stayed on topic and worked through the points instead of doing something that was completely and totally out of line, which other teams have. And I respect the Cubs for taking that stance, and I don’t expect them to do anything different with Willson.”
Now that the salary is finally set, the Cubs know what they owe Contreras for the rest of the season … and interested teams know what kind of salary he will have after the Trade Deadline. Because, yes, let’s be honest, today’s salary decision is as likely to impact some other team as it is the Cubs. It’s such a weird, un-fun, awkward situation all around. At least the hearing wasn’t necessary.
I can’t imagine being Contreras right now, trying to balance your focus on this season, on your teammates, on this arbitration hearing/settlement, on your coming first crack at free agency, and on the trade deadline that might see you have to join a new team for just a couple months and, hopefully, a postseason.
For his part, Contreras is hitting all the right notes, when asked about extension talks or trade talks.
“I want to compete for a playoff spot, and I want to compete for a World Series shot again,” Contreras said when asked what he’d think if offered an extension, per the Sun-Times. “And I think for this team to get to the World Series again, it’s going to take the front office putting a lot more pieces together.”
He’s not wrong. And although money would do the most talking if the Cubs were to make an offer, it’s a reminder that Contreras – like any player the Cubs might pursue this offseason in free agency – will also want to know that this is an organization that ACTUALLY wants to compete in 2023.
As for whether he expects to be traded, Contreras again put it as best he could.
“That’s a tough one,” he said, again per the Sun-Times. “To be honest, if it happens, it happens. I know the deadline’s coming. I’m not trying to think about it. . . . If I happen to get traded, I hope it’s to a good team that has a chance to go to the World Series. Or if a trade doesn’t happen, I’ll be happy to stay and keep competing with my teammates. As of right now, I’m still a Chicago Cub, and I’m proud of that.”
What else is he supposed to say, right? I hope all the same for him, too. I hope that, while he’s still with the Cubs, he plays very well. I’ll enjoy every bit we get to enjoy. And I hope that, if an extension isn’t going to happen, the Cubs explore the trade market in July, and land a great return in a deal that sends Contreras to a team that can make a deep postseason run. And if THAT doesn’t happen, then I’ll hope a reasonable extension can come together before the offseason (so very unlikely), or that the sides can get back together and talk after Contreras sees what is out there for him. I guess I just want to keep everything on the table as a plausible option for now.
Meanwhile, today’s checkpoint is getting arbitration settled. It’s a big day. Bigger days loom.