Cotts gets $825,000 from Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — Left-hander Neal Cotts and the Chicago Cubs agreed Wednesday to a one-year, $825,000 deal that comes six weeks after he was acquired in a trade from the White Sox.

Cotts, who made $400,000 last season when he struggled out of the bullpen for the White Sox, has one bonus that could be difficult to reach — $150,000 for being named World Series MVP. The Cubs, who’ve undergone a major overhaul in the offseason, haven’t won the World Series since 1908.

The deal also includes some other award bonuses for Cotts, who might get a chance to join the rotation — if not this season then later.

Cotts was traded Nov. 17 for reliever David Aardsma and minor league lefty Carlos Vasquez in the first deal between the Cubs and White Sox since 1998.

Cotts was 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 69 games during the White Sox’s championship run in 2005 and was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.

But last season he slipped, going 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA in 70 games. He gave up 12 homers, after yielding just one in 2005.