Word on the street is that the Cubs and Starlin Castro are closing in on a 7-year, $60 million contract extension.
The contract covers four years of arbitration eligibility and three years of free agency, and includes a $16 million option for 2020. Castro, 22, was projected to qualify for salary arbitration as a “Super Two” player at the end of the year.
When contacted by ESPNdeportesLosAngeles.com, Castro’s agent, Paul Kinzer, said he would not comment on new contract because the sides are still in the process of negotiating.
Castro said that the deal has not been finalized.
“I’m just focused on playing baseball,” said Castro after the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader in Cincinnati. “When it’s done, I’m ready.”
Cubs president Theo Epstein also said the deal had not been finalized when he spoke to reporters on Saturday afternoon.
Jed Hoyer gave us a glimpse into what to expect on deals like this and in the future on Chicago Tribune Live Thursday.
“One of the problems with free agency is that there is an illusion in some ways that you’re acquiring this great talent,” Hoyer said. “Most of the time, players hit free agency when they’re on the back half of their career. Players peak [at] 26, 27, 28 [years of age]. Free agents [are usually] in their 30s. So, you’re spending a lot of money sometimes for declining performance. It doesn’t mean you don’t do it. It doesn’t mean you don’t seek the right guys out.
“(But) we have to build from within and build young players, because the days of going out and signing young free agents is over,” Hoyer said. “Teams lock up their guys. Look at how many long, multiyear deals teams are signing with their pre-arbitration players. You know that you’re going to delve into free agency, but if you have an offseason plan, or a plan of the future dependent upon those names, I think you’re doing things the wrong way.”
It’s so nice to hear things like this.
The Cubs will take the field today in Cincy hoping to get a series split with the Reds. The prospects don’t look promising as Chris Volstad (0-9, 6.96) takes on Mat Latos (10-3, 3.63). Game time is 12:10 Central, and you’ll be able to watch on WGN. No lineups as of yet.
Castro’s contract is 2 years too long.
Castro’s contract is too long if the Cubs plan on keeping him for the full length of the contract. If the rumors of a big signing bonus to take dollars off the back end of the contract are true, we will consider this a huge win for the Cubs in 2 years when we trade off Castro, turn over SS to Lake, and get a bunch of AA/AAA pitchers in the process.
I hope this deal is front-loaded.
That isn’t likely…
But I would guess that Castro could opt out of the last two years of the contract.
“So, you’re spending a lot of money sometimes for declining performance.” That sums up Soriano perfectly…
And makes it doubly hard to unload someone who sucks AND is making a ton of $ at the end of his contract. We need to start front-loading contracts, not back-loading them.
back-loading a contract to a 22 year old isn’t nearly as bad as back=loading one to a 32 year old. But it’s a good point.
What’s with the Castillo hate? And to point to Soriloser as an example? The Cubs lost the first game because their PITCHER gave up too many runs- they won in spite of the bullpen. Len & Bob are way off base today with their lecture…
Tv has been hijacked for the Dodgers game, and Chad Durbin is now pitching for the braves….
Who told Jackson to try to steal third?
Satan.
And the cubs lose,because he Reds know how to run the bases…
Actually I thought the Cubs lost because the Cubs don’t know how to run the bases.
The Yankees are currently conducting a base-stealing clinic right now against Beckett. I wish someone for the cubs would tape this and show it to Jackson and the rest of the cubs..
I’m pretty sure this is already an area that Theo and the boys are trying to address. We just need to have some patients with this. Jackson has spent the last 3 years learning how to do it wrong…I don’t think we can expect him or the rest of the corrupted talent in this organization to change in such a short period of time.
That being said, Jackson shouldn’t have been promoted.
From what I have seen so far both Jackson and Vitters are AAA players at best.
I’m betting that there will be wholesale changes at ALL minor league levels next year.
I think it is a bit too early to tell with the two kids. They are both pretty young, but there are some very alarming warning flags with both of them and I do believe the window to correct these problems is pretty small. Next year both of these guys will likely be everyday players, then we can really get a good sense of where they may be heading.
The changes in the minor leagues have already started. Vitters, Jackson and a number of others at the higher levels in this organization just don’t reflect those changes yet. That’s kinda why Rizzo is so important…because he is supposed to reflect what the “new Cubs” will be. Rizzo is a player that theoretically has been developed in the right way. That doesn’t mean he is guaranteed to succeed, but if Rizzo is able to be an impact player for the Cubs, the scope of time this overall rebuilding process takes will hopefully be reduced a bit.