Milwaukee avoided arbitration with Shaun Marcum by agreeing to a one-year, $4 million deal yesterday, but they don’t appear close to doing the same with Rickie Weeks and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that they have a hearing scheduled for February 17.
Weeks requested $7.2 million and the Brewers countered at $4.85 million, so it’s not surprising that they’ve yet to come to a compromise over the sizable $2.35 million difference.
Weeks is coming off a career-year that saw him hit .269 with 29 homers, 112 runs, and an .830 OPS. And just as importantly the oft-injured second baseman stayed healthy for 160 games after never playing more than 129 previously, so with just one season to go before free agency he reportedly hasn’t been that receptive to the Brewers’ long-term contract attempts.