Cubs, Arrieta $5.5 Million Apart, Cardinals Sign Several to Contracts

The Cubs and 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta are $5.5 million apart on a contract, but the sides believe a deal will get done before an arbitration hearing.

The sides exchanged salary figures Friday after the Cubs to terms with six other arbitration-eligible players.

The Cubs have filed for a $7.5 million salary for Arrieta, whereas Arrieta's agent, Scott Boras, put in for $13 million. It's a large gap, but Theo Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations, was quick to point out the numbers represent negotiating tactics more than anything else.

"The filing numbers aren't offers, they're filing numbers used to either create a hearing ... or more likely a settlement," Epstein said. "These numbers provide room for a settlement."

The sides can negotiate until a February hearing, and a middle ground of about $10 million might be the settlement Epstein was referring to.

"It's not going to be $7.5 [million]," Arrieta said. "We're far apart, but that's how these things go. They have their numbers, we have ours. We like our case. At the end of the day, something will get worked out."

Cardinals Agree To Contracts

The St. Louis Cardinals agreed to one-year contracts with closer Trevor Rosenthal, reliever Seth Maness and first baseman-outfielder Brandon Moss, avoiding salary arbitration.

First baseman Matt Adams and the Cardinals agreed at $1.65 million too late before the Friday deadline, and both sides filed at the same figure.

The 25-year-old Rosenthal will make a huge leap to $5.6 million next year after setting a franchise record with 48 saves last year and leads the majors with 93 saves the last two seasons. He's the seventh player in major league history to post consecutive 45-save seasons. Rosenthal made $530,000 last year.

The 26-year-old Maness pitched in a career-high 76 games last season, among the National League leaders. He'll earn $1.4 million next season.

The 32-year-old Moss is getting a big raise to $8.25 million, up from $6.5 million last year. He combined for 19 homers and 58 RBI with the Indians and Cardinals, who acquired him at the July 31 trade deadline.