Jeff Samardzija is heading out of town soon.
The pitcher and Cubs can't agree on an extension.
And they can't come close on valuing the Shark's services.
In arbitration, Samardzija has filed for $6.2 million, with the Cubs are at $4.4 million.
The Cubs low balled him because $4.4 million is easier to trade for a mid-level
starting pitcher than $6.2 million.
Samardzija continues to loudly hint that he is fed up with management's "R word,"
now a derogatory term for "rebuilding." He hinted that if the Cubs were serious about
fielding a good team, the signing of Masahiro Tanaka would be a good start; good
enough to get Samardzija to think about a contract extension.
No matter all the media reports of the Cubs at the table ready to spend whatever it
takes to sign Tanaka, the Japanese star is not coming to Chicago. There is no reason
to when high profile teams like the Dodgers and Yankees really want his services.
It is better to get established on a winning team at age 25, with the possibility of a
second huge contract at age 30-31. The Cubs cannot offer Tanaka, or even Samardzija,
the roster support to become a 20 game winner anytime soon.
And the Cubs pitch to Tanaka that he would be part of a historic "rebuilding" process
has to sound absurd even in translation. If he wanted to play for a AAA caliber team,
he could have stayed in Japan.
Samardzija is not buying the front office sales pitch. He doesn't have to. He has two more years of Cub contract control before he hits the free agent market. So long as he remains healthy, he will have a second chance with another team, sooner or later. That is his career rebuilding plan.
