Brewer News: Brewers hope to avoid salary arbitration with Marcum

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MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Brewers hope to avoid salary arbitration with Shaun Marcum, one of the two starting pitchers they traded for this winter.

The Brewers have not said when Marcum’s arbitration hearing is scheduled. But the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says it’s apparently set for Thursday in Phoenix. The head of business operations for the club, Ted Werner, said he spoke with Marcum’s agent yesterday – and more talks were possible today. Werner said he was still optimistic about getting a deal set before the arbitration hearing takes place, and both sides have been looking at a one-year package. Marcum has asked for five-million-dollars this year, and the Brewers have offered three-million. The Brewers traded reliever Carlos Villanueva to Toronto to get Marcum, who went 13-8 with the Blue Jays a year ago.

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Brewers’ right-hander Roque Mercedes cleared waivers today, and was given an outright assignment to Milwaukee’s Triple-“A” club at Nashville. Mercedes was designated for assignment last week, to make room on the 40-man roster for utility player Mark Kotsay – whom the Brewers signed last week. Meanwhile, the Dominican Prospect League said Milwaukee has signed 17-year-old outfielder Elvis Rubio for 95-thousand-dollars. The team cannot comment on the move until an identification check for foreign players is complete. The check is required by Major League Baseball.

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