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CHICAGO, Ill. - With a prized free agent in tow, and fresh off a four-player trade, the Chicago Cubs reached deals with six players to avoid arbitration.
The Cubs have reached agreements with Justin Steele, Adbert Alzolay, Nick Madridal, Mike Tauchman, Justin Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. on Thursday to avoid arbitration hearings. eligible Any player without an agreement had until Thursday to exchange proposed salary figures with the teams that owned their rights.
Steele's deal is worth the most of the six at $4 million for the 2024 season. Alzolay's deal is worth $2.11 million in 2024.
Tauchman, an MLB journeyman before the 2023 season, carved out a role in Chicago by finishing the season with a .252 batting average while hitting eight home runs and bringing in 48 RBIs.
These agreements are the latest development in what's been a busy day for the Cubs. Earlier Thursday, the Cubs finalized their deal with Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga and traded two minor-league players for infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte.
Why Shōta Imanaga could be a major steal for the Cubs
Multiple outlets reported that the Cubs have reached an agreement with free-agent hurler Shōta Imanaga. The 30-year-old left-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in Japan over the past half-decade and is projected by most of the industry as a mid-rotation option in the bigs.