The Cubs Sunday signed infielder Mark Grudzielanek to a one-year contract for the 2004 season with a club option for the 2005 season. The Cubs also signed Tom Goodwin for one year. Terms were not disclosed.

 

Grudzielanek, who filed for free agency October 29, was originally acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002. Goodwin -- who also filed for free agency on October 29 -- originally signed with the Cubs as a minor league free agent on January 16.

 

The Cubs announced they will not offer arbitration to the following nine free agents: Antonio Alfonseca, Shawn Estes, Doug Glanville, Mark Guthrie, Eric Karros, Kenny Lofton, Troy O'Leary, Dave Veres, and Tony Womack.

chicagosports.com

I'm not surprised, I knew they would resign him.

They don't want to release they gave him three million dollars. More money than hes's worth.

Ramp: do you think Karros can go back to Dodgers?

Don;t think the Cubs will be much better in 2004

the Cubs will be good, but mark my words 2B will be a hole in the lineup and field. And I wonder if we could pick up Guthrie?

Ramp: do you think Karros can go back to Dodgers?

No freakin' way.

More money than hes's worth.

He would have gotten more if he left. He hit .314 last year. We wouldn't have made it without him. He's MORE than woth it.

 

but mark my words 2B will be a hole in the lineup and field.

 

He was one of the most consistent 2B fielders...and once again hit .314.

Grudzy is kinda ticked in general...... he hinted there may be "collusion" in general between the owners.... he took a huge cut from last year

Cubs second baseman Mark Grudzielanek emphasized in a phone call Sunday from Hawaii, where he is vacationing with his fiancee, that he wouldn't be the Paul Revere that set alarm bells clanging. Then he went and blared a warning anyway, implying that major-league baseball owners could be guilty of collusion in holding down salaries in a game economically troubled.

 

Grudzielanek's flirtation with these accusations overshadowed the fact the Cubs cut their ties with outfielder Kenny Lofton, who wasn't offered salary arbitration by the deadline Sunday and can't re-sign with the team as a free agent. Besides Grudzielanek, the only other free agent the Cubs brought back was reserve outfielder Tom Goodwin, who agreed to a one-year contract for $650,000.

 

While Grudzielanek tried to soften the impact of his remarks, he was clearly dissatisfied to have to end his brief free-agent period and settle for what he did in a one-year contract with the Cubs.

 

Sources indicated that Grudzielanek will be paid between $2.5 million and $3 million next season, a slash from his 2003 salary of $5.5 million that the Cubs inherited from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also faces a club option for 2005, although that season, at the same money as next year, is automatically invoked if he reaches certain offensive statistics.

 

"I feel pretty good about it,'' Grudzielanek said haltingly, injecting an immediate tone of reservation about his contract. "There are a lot of things going on in the game, as you guys well know. It's the owners and what they're trying to do to the game. Teams are not taking anybody to arbitration and flooding the market. There are going to be a lot of free agents out there trying to find jobs.

 

"There is definitely a problem out there, and hopefully it gets rectified pretty soon. I'm sure there are things going on out there. I'm not going to be the one talking and saying things like that. As far as the players go, we have to take it and see what happens in the future. You've just got to roll with it and believe in the union and believe in the guys and believe in the game of baseball and play it because you love it.''

 

Even though Grudzielanek batted .314 last year and was a major reason for the Cubs going to the playoffs, the fact he had to settle for a big salary cut as the price for not leaving Chicago was disappointing to him and caused him to make his disparaging remarks toward the owners.

 

"It really comes down to not being about money,'' Grudzielanek said. "With everything that's going on right now in the game, it's crazy. You want to be part of something special. They have something going here in Chicago. I believe we have a great shot at winning. I didn't want to risk that kind of thing for something that might not be out there on the other side. There were a few other teams I was considering. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to wait any longer to decide.''

 

Hendry much preferred signing Grudzielanek instead of free-agent left-handed hitters such as Fernando Vina, even if Grudzielanek is another right-handed bat in a heavily right-handed lineup. Hendry didn't want to enter a war of words with Grudzielanek about his comments, but obviously feels that neither he nor other GMs are colluding in deciding contracts and player movement.

 

"We try to be fair with everybody we sign,'' Hendry said. "I'm trying to do the best I can to put the club together.''

link

More money than hes's worth.

 

He would have gotten more if he left. He hit .314 last year. We wouldn't have made it without him. He's MORE than woth it. Oh wow an empty batting average. He didn't walk, he didn't hit home runs, he didn't steal bases, he didn't play better than average defense. He'll be 35 years old next year. But he's worth $2.75M?