Murphy, Kottaras sign deals, 7 others tendered contracts at Monday deadline

The Cubs on Monday reached agreements on one-year contracts with arbitration-eligible players Donnie “Babe” Murphy and George Kottaras and tendered contracts to seven more arbitration eligibles:

Pitchers Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood, Pedro Strop and James Russell, infielders Darwin Barney, Luis Valbuena and outfielder Nate Schierholtz.

Murphy, an infielder who hit a career-high 11 home runs in just 149 at-bats after being called up from the minors in August, agreed to an $825,000 deal. He was signed to a minor-league deal I April after being released by Milwaukee.

Kottaras, a catcher who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations last week, gets a $1.075-million deal to be Welington Castillo’s backup. He hit .180 with five homers in 46 games for the Royals in 2013.

The Cubs also non-tendered three players at Monday’s contract-tender deadline for arbitration eligible players: reliever Daniel Bard, first baseman Mat Gamel and right-hander Chang-Yong Lim (Lim was not arbitration eligible).