Ryan Theriot and the Cubs will be heading to arbitration it seems. Which is probably doesn’t bode well for The Riot, as much as I like him, doesn’t look so great on paper. My bet is that arbitration will go down in favor of the Cubs and the $2.6 million figure.
Which in a way, is a shame. The Cubs have gotten a steal the past two years with Theriot and his sub-mil salary. He’s been a solid, full-time infielder. His average took a dip last year mostly because (rumors say) he was taking swings for the fences). True enough, the homers increased (from 1 to 7) but so did the strikeouts (58 to 93) and the OBP dipped (.387 to .343). Management has reportedly talked to Theriot at the end of last season about reverting to making more contact.
When I read that Skip Schumaker signed recently with the Cardinals for a two-year deal worth $4.7 million I was reminded immediately of Theriot’s situation. Ok, they’re not of exactly the same value but they are close. Young middle infielders who hit for decent average.
I’m not about to take sides in this battle but at the same time, I will say this: the Cubs have gotten more than fair value from Theriot the last few years. Maybe it’s time for payback.