No movement on Marcum, Veras

The Brewers and their arbitration-eligible players have made little progress toward 2012 contracts in the week since the sides filed figures, the club’s chief negotiator said.

Starter Shaun Marcum is seeking $8.7 million in arbitration and the Brewers offered $6.75 million. Reliever Jose Veras wants $2.375 million and the Brewers filed at $2 million.

“We’re still trying to find common ground,” said Brewers senior director of business operations Teddy Werner, the team’s arbitration expert.

That the sides have made scant progress — in Marcum’s case, had yet to even have a conversation with agent Rex Gary since figures were exchanged — is not cause for alarm. The vast majority of Major Leaguers who filed on Jan. 17 remain unsigned as their representatives and teams wait for the market to further define itself.

The sides can continue negotiating until the date of an arbitration hearing in Tampa. Those hearings can fall anywhere from Feb. 1-21 and have already been scheduled, though Werner was barred by rule from disclosing further details.

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