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It's 2013, the Twitter age.
Thus it should not surprise you when the first announcement of a player avoiding arbitration and signing a contract for the season comes from the player himself, via Twitter:
Business side over! Hooray! Time to focus on what really matters...2013 #GoCubsGo
— Matt garza (@Gdeuceswild) January 18, 2013
Additional information came -- where else, via Twitter -- about the contract terms, via Garza's agents:
#Cubs Matt Garza (@gdeuceswild) agrees to $10.25M contract to avoid salary arbitration. #MLB #Arb2013
— CAA Baseball (@CAA_Baseball) January 18, 2013
It is, of course, still possible that Garza will be extended before the season is over. He's expected to be ready for the start of the season, as he's been working out diligently all winter.
The Garza deal seems reasonable, given that he missed the last two months of 2012 with an elbow injury; he made $9.5 million last year. Two more Cubs are arb-eligible, but yet unsigned: Jeff Samardzija and James Russell.