The Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Ryan Dempster have signed a new four year contract ESPN.Com is reporting. The four year deal will pay Dempster $52 million total including a $4 million dollar signing bonus. The contract will pay Dempster $8 million next year, $12.5 million in 2010 and $13.5 million in 2011. Dempster has a 2012 option for $14 million

It is a decent contract, but I would have preferred for it to be around $45 million total and not so backloaded but I can see why Jim Hendry and management did it this way. They had to break the $50 million mark or you know Dempster would have been very serious about leaving Chicago and signing with another team. By back loading the contact, it also lets the team still actively look at trading for Jake Peavy.

Say what Cubs Fans?