CHICAGO (AP) -Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano sought $15.5 million in salary next season, while the Chicago Cubs asked Mark Prior to take a pay cut in arbitration figures submitted on Tuesday.
Zambrano earned $6.5 million last season and went 16-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 33 starts, matching a career-high in wins and setting one with 210 strikeouts. The Cubs offered $11,025,000 to Zambrano, who is eligible for free agency next offseason.
Prior, who made $3.65 million during an injury-riddled season in which he went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine starts, is asking for $3,875,000. The Cubs offered the right-hander $3.4 million.
Chicago agreed on a $2.5 million, two-year contract with reliever Will Ohman.
A 29-year-old left-hander, Ohman was 1-1 with a 4.13 ERA last year and set career highs in appearances (78), innings (65 1-3) and strikeouts (74). He stranded 33 of 41 inherited runners and limited opponents to a .208 batting average.
Ohman will get $900,000 next season and $1.6 million in 2008. He would earn a $100,000 bonus for appearing in 75 games next season and 70 the following year, and he would get $200,000 for making 80 appearances in 2008.
Ohman would earn $25,000 each year for finishing 15 games, $50,000 for finishing 20 and 25, $100,000 for finishing 30, and $150,000 for finishing 35.
He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2000 and missed the 2002 and 2003 seasons while recovering from left elbow operations. Ohman is 3-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 147 games the past two years.
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