Dec. 03--The Cubs tendered contracts to eight of their 10 arbitration-eligible players before the 11 p.m. deadline Tuesday.
However, backup catcher John Baker and left-handed reliever Wesley Wright weren't tendered contracts and now become free agents.
Baker, 33, gained recognition July 29 for pitching a scoreless 16th inning and earning a victory against the Rockies after scoring the winning run. Baker, however, batted only .192 with no home runs in 182 at-bats.
Wright, 29, was 0-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 58 appearances. He was projected to earn $2 million in 2015 if tendered a contract, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. The Cubs picked up Joseph Ortiz on a waiver claim from the Rangers on Oct. 6 to add to their left-handed bullpen depth.
The Cubs tendered contracts to pitchers Jake Arrieta, Travis Wood, Pedro Strop and Felix Doubront, catcher Welington Castillo, infielder Luis Valbuena and outfielders Chris Coghlan and Justin Ruggiano.
The Cubs' 40-man roster stands at 37.
One intriguing possibility for them in the near future is pitcher Kris Medlen, who wasn't tendered a contract by the Braves after missing all of 2014 because of an elbow injury. Medlen, 29, signed a one-year, $5.8 million contract before hurting his right elbow last spring. Medlen was 15-12 with a 3.11 ERA in 32 starts in 2013.
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