Chicago Cubs Agree On Seven-Year Deal With Starlin Castro

While 2012 has been a season to forget for the Chicago Cubs, they received good news on Tuesday after agreeing to a new long-term deal with star shortstop Starlin Castro.

The Cubs made Castro’s new seven-year, $60 deal official on Tuesday, which also provides the option for an eighth year that would pay him an extra $16 million. With the deal, Chicago avoids any chance of arbitration in the future and it keeps Castro on the squad for the first three eligible years of free agency.

Obviously, the last thing the Cubs wanted to deal with was have Castro hit free agency or be placed in a situation where they would be forced to trade him with the intention of knowing that he may not re-sign with the organization. Now, Chicago can continue building their team around Castro as they attempt to become contenters again in the National League over the next couple of years.

In less than three years, Castro has emerged into one of the league’s rising stars at only 22 years of age and certainly has plenty of potential in the future–which is why the Cubs wanted to take care of this now rather than later. The two-time All Star led the National League in hits during the 2011 season and is batting .276 this season with 12 home runs and 63 RBIs heading into Tuesday–and those numbers should continue to rise over the next couple of seasons with more experience.

Hopefully, this new deal with Castro can open up the doors for other potential free agents that may be interested in joining the Cubs.

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