Chicago Cubs: Murton signs minor league deal; Update on Arrieta hearing

We’re only a few weeks away until the Chicago Cubs report to training camp and not only have they brought back another seasoned veteran for a second stint with the club but may be inching closer to another deal with their ace.

In case you haven’t heard, former outfielder Matt Murton was signed to a minor league deal, reuniting him with the club in which he made his big league debut with about 10 years ago. Murton spent the past few years in Japan and broke a hitting record that was set by outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.

While knowing Murton is back home with the Cubs, there’s not a whole lot to expect considering how deep the Cubs are when it comes to the outfield at both the major league and minor league level.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

They brought back Chris Coghlan, signed Jason Heyward and have Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler sitting in left and right field. As for the bench, Matt Szczur has the opportunity at cracking the Opening Day roster as an extra glove.

Aside from Szczur, prospect Albert Almora was also invited to Spring Training along with a handful of other prospects looking to turn some heads before reporting to Chicago’s minor league affiliates.

And when it comes to Jake Arrieta, both sides involved in the upcoming arbitration hearing, which is scheduled for February 9th, are still about $5 million apart. With pitchers and catchers being the first to report to camp, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are going to want to get a deal done as soon as possible.

The man definitely deserves a huge pay raise just below $20 million. We’ll have more details later on this afternoon so please stay tuned.

Now here’s a few stories you may have missed:

‘Cubs: Could anyone surprise us in Spring Training?‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Cubs and outfielder Matt Murton agree to deal‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Cubs: Where does Almora fit?‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Cubs: Will Arrieta continue to dominate on the mound?‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Ray’s Kiermaier chows down for charity‘ – MLB.com