Cubs, Samardzija $100,000 Apart; Arb Hearing Monday

Via Bruce Levine:

Samardzija and Cubs arbitration hearing is scheduled for Monday in St Pete Fl. As reported earlier 100k has been separation to agreement.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) February 7, 2014

My first thought was, "Really? That little?" $100,000 wouldn't even fill one-quarter of the bleachers for a marquee-priced ($76 after fees) game this year. It's one-fifth of the minimum major-league salary for 2014.

To recap, Jeff Samardzija asked for $6.2 million and the Cubs offered $4.4 million. The midpoint of those numbers is $5.3 million. You wouldn't think it would be so difficult to meet in the middle, and if the Cubs are refusing an extra $100,000, an amount equivalent to the sale of about 14,000 beers at Wrigley this year, it would seem that the atmosphere between Shark and management must be pretty poisoned.

That's the way I see it, anyway. Perhaps they'll settle on a figure before Monday's scheduled hearing; if not, the Cubs have their first arb hearing since 2010 (Ryan Theriot) and just the second since 1993 (Mark Grace).