Cubs and Carlos Marmol avoided arbitration Monday by agreeing to a three-year, $20 million contract.
The new contract will cover Marmol's final two years of arbitration and his first year of free agency. He'll take home $3.2 million this season, $7 million in 2012 and $9.8 million in 2013. The new deal also includes a limited no-trade clause. Marmol, a 28-year-old right-hander, had a rough debut with the Cubs in 2006, but he can boast a 2.54 ERA and a strikeout rate of 12.9 K/9 since the start of the 2007 season. There's some risk attached due to the potential for injury, but Marmol should continue to be a pretty good value, even with his control issues. He truly looks to be entering his prime.