Cubs Avoid Arbitration With Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber And Javier Baez

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to deals with a handful of their star players.

After coming to an agreement with superstar third baseman Kris Bryant earlier in the day, the Cubs have managed to avoid arbitration with a trio of their core members, beginning with star catcher Willson Contreras.

Contreras, who posted a career-high 127 wRC+ in 2019, is set to earn $4.5 million for the 2020 season. His 2.7 fWAR ranked seventh among all catchers last year.

The Cubs also came to an agreement with outfielder Kyle Schwarber on a deal for 2020 worth a hair more than $7 million. Schwarber finished last year with 38 home runs and an .871 OPS, both of which were the highest marks of his career.

Javier Baez joined in on the fun as well, coming to terms with the team on a $10 million deal. The deal is nearly double what he earned last year, and it comes in the wake of his second consecutive All-Star season.

With these stars now officially locked up for next year, the Cubs now have quite a few more options available to them. Now that their salaries are set in stone, they have a better understanding of what their financial situation is.

For a team that's looking to keep payroll low, these deals could finally open up the door to some movement in the offseason market.