Marcum - No Arby

I guess that leave Ricky left to sign a deal. Should it be more than 1 year? Mike Peters told me that this deal was only possible after both sides reviewed Shaun's xFIP (reportedly a statistic made up by Francisco Liriano's agent).

Hat tip to Tom Haurdicourt and the Milwauke Journal Sentinel.
Marcum avoids arbitration with Brewers by agreeing to one-year deal

Shaun Marcum agreed to a one-year deal Wednesday.
By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel
Feb. 9, 2011
The first pitch that Shaun Marcum throws for the Milwaukee Brewers will be in spring training, not in an arbitration hearing.

The Brewers and Marcum's agent, Rex Gary, worked out a one-year deal Wednesday night that will pay the 29-year-old right-hander a $3.95 million salary for 2011. That agreement avoided an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Phoenix.

The agreement was just below the midpoint of the figures filed by the sides in January. Marcum, acquired in a trade with Toronto in December, had requested a $5 million salary, and the Brewers filed at $3 million. Performance bonuses for innings pitched and awards were included that will allow Marcum to surpass the midpoint figure.

Marcum's ability to earn more than the midpoint was a key factor in reaching an agreement.

"That was important to them," said Teddy Werner, the Brewers' director of business operations who negotiated the deal with Gary.

"I think both sides are pleased to reach a settlement and avoid a hearing."

Werner and Gary struck the deal in a meeting in a Phoenix hotel. Both had traveled there in preparation for a scheduled hearing before a three-person panel. Arbitration panels are obligated to pick one figure or the other without compromise.

It was the second meeting of the day between Werner and Gary, who took a break in between to assess the situation.

"There was a little bit more back and forth after that, and it got done," said Werner. "I'd say this process played out in a typical manner. We got to a spot that both sides thought was a fair number. Most deals require some give and take on both ends."

Marcum made $850,000 in 2010, when he went 13-8 with a 3.64 earned run average in 31 starts for the Blue Jays. His salary was repressed somewhat after he sat out 2009 season while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The Brewers traded their top prospect, second baseman Brett Lawrie, to Toronto to acquire Marcum the day before the winter meetings opened in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Two weeks later, they traded for Kansas City ace Zack Greinke, and the addition of two established starting pitchers is projected to return the club to contention after two losing seasons.

When Minnesota's Francisco Liriano agreed to a $4.3 million contract last weekend, it left only one arbitration-eligible pitcher in Marcum's service class, Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels. Those sides went to a hearing Wednesday.

Marcum's deal leaves just one Brewer in arbitration, second baseman Rickie Weeks. His hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17.

Weeks filed for $7.2 million, and the Brewers came in at $4.85 million. Beyond negotiating a one-year deal that would avoid that hearing, the Brewers are trying to reach agreement with Weeks and his agent, Greg Genske, on a multi-year extension.

Weeks has said he does not want to continue talks once spring training begins.