Heading Home, Hundley Agrees to Cub Contract

Todd Hundley is going home, having agreed Saturday to a four-year, $23.5-million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

“This is really like a dream come true for me,” said the former Dodger catcher, reared near Chicago while his father, Randy, was a catcher for the Cubs in the 1960s and ‘70s.

“This is something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time, definitely the last couple of years. Getting a chance to go home and be with my family, and playing at Wrigley Field, it’s just a great feeling to have this happen now.”

Hundley will receive a $2 million signing bonus and make $3 million in 2001. He will receive $6 million in 2002, $6 million in 2003 and $6.5 million in 2004.

In addition, Hundley, who made $6 million with the Dodgers last season, can earn an additional $500,000 in 2004 if he starts 100 games that season.

The agreement with the Cubs came only two days after the Dodgers did not offer the switch-hitter arbitration.

It had been reported in September that Hundley, acquired from the New York Mets in 1998, would not be with the Dodgers in 2001.

The Cubs and many American League teams wanted Hundley, who batted .284 with 24 home runs and 70 runs batted in (in only 299 at-bats) last season.

Seth Levinson, Hundley’s agent, completed the deal at the winter meetings here with Andy MacPhail, the Cubs’ president.

“There was more money out there,” Levinson said, “but this was just too perfect.”

Hundley was determined to join the Cubs once the Dodgers decided not to retain him.

“Business is business and all that, and I could have gotten more money in the American League, but this is what I wanted,” Hundley said.