The Braves avoided arbitration with center fielder Michael Bourn on a deal worth $6.845MM, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Matt Swartz projected the Boras client for $7.3MM in his final season before free agency.
Mets Avoid Arbitration With Mike Pelfrey
The Mets avoided arbitration with starter Mike Pelfrey, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, agreeing to a one-year deal worth about $5.675MM. Matt Swartz had projected the Boras client at $5.8MM.
As our arbitration tracker shows, the Mets have Manny Acosta and Andres Torres remaining.
Marlins Avoid Arbitration With Juan Carlos Oviedo
The Marlins avoided arbitration with reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo by agreeing to a $6MM deal, tweets Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. The former Leo Nunez and former Marlins closer is represented by Wasserman Media Group. He's on the restricted list as he sorts out issues relating to his use of a false identity. Oviedo receives a $2.35MM raise for his last season before free agency.
As MLBTR's arbitration tracker shows, the Marlins still have Emilio Bonifacio, Edward Mujica, and Anibal Sanchez on the agenda.
Mariners Avoid Arbitration With Brandon League
The Mariners avoided arbitration with closer Brandon League, agreeing to a $5MM deal, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Matt Swartz had projected $4.2MM for the ACES client. League will be eligible for free agency after the 2012 season.
As our arbitration tracker shows, the Mariners have Jason Vargas and Shawn Kelley remaining.
Craig Counsell To Join Brewers’ Front Office
Infielder Craig Counsell will retire as a ballplayer and join the Brewers' front office, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. The Wisconsin native is known for his quirky stance and involvement in the winning scoring plays of the 1997 and 2001 World Series.
Counsell spent most of his 16-year big league career at second base, third base, and shortstop, hitting .255/.342/.344 for the Rockies, Marlins, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Brewers. According to Baseball-Reference, he earned almost $21MM along the way.
Giants Avoid Arbitration With Melky Cabrera
The Giants avoided arbitration with outfielder Melky Cabrera, tweets ESPN's Enrique Rojas, signing him for $6MM. Cabrera, who is represented by ACES, received a healthy $4.75MM raise over last year's free agent base salary. The Giants acquired Cabrera on November 7th from the Royals for another arbitration eligible player, Jonathan Sanchez.
As our arbitration tracker shows, the Giants' remaining arbitration eligible players are Tim Lincecum, Sergio Romo, Pablo Sandoval, and Nate Schierholtz.
Dodgers Avoid Arbitration With Andre Ethier
The Dodgers avoided arbitration with right fielder Andre Ethier on a one-year deal worth $10.95MM plus performance bonuses, tweets his agency CAA. He received a $1.7MM raise. MLBTR had projected a $10.7MM salary for Ethier, who is entering his final season before free agency.
As our arbitration tracker shows, the Dodgers still have Clayton Kershaw and James Loney on the docket.
RotoAuthority.com: Fantasy Baseball Site Relaunched
RotoAuthority was my first website, started in June 2005. The site was brimming with fantasy baseball analysis, often off the beaten path. My posts became sporadic as MLBTR grew, so I've recruited a team to ensure regular, high-quality content for 2012. The group includes familiar names such as Mark Polishuk, Dan Mennella, Steve Adams, and Mike Axisa. We'll be covering everything you need to win your mixed league, including sleepers, busts, rankings, average draft position, projections, and position battles. Our newest posts:
Players Avoiding Arbitration: Monday
In advance of tomorrow's 11am central time deadline to exchange arbitration figures, settlements will be rolling in today. Follow all of the action with MLBTR's arbitration tracker. The latest for players under $4MM:
- The Braves and Eric O'Flaherty avoided arbitration, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. O'Flaherty will earn $2.49MM, just shy of his projected $2.6MM salary.
- The Orioles and Jim Johnson have avoided arbitration, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. The right-hander will earn $2.625MM in 2012, just north of his projected $2.5MM salary.
- The Red Sox avoided arbitration with Franklin Morales, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. The left-hander had a projected salary of $1MM and agreed to an $850K deal.
- The Rays avoided arbitration with J.P. Howell, agreeing to a $1.35MM deal for 2012, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. Matt Swartz had projected a $1.4MM salary for the left-hander.
- The Royals avoided arbitration with Chris Getz, agreeing to a $967,500 deal for 2012, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. Matt Swartz had projected a $1.2MM salary for the infielder.
- The Nationals announced they've avoided arbitration with catcher Jesus Flores. Flores, who is represented by Praver/Shapiro, received $815K, MLBTR has learned.
- The Brewers avoided arbitration with outfielder Nyjer Morgan, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The ACES client received $2.35MM, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- The Royals announced they've avoided arbitration with catcher Brayan Pena, a client of Wasserman Media Group. Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star says the deal is worth $875K; Matt Swartz had him at $900K.
- Orioles pitcher Darren O'Day avoided arbitration for a deal worth $1.35MM, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Matt Swartz had projected the same for the Beverly Hills Sports Council client.
- Yankees righty Phil Hughes agreed to a deal worth $3.2MM plus performance bonuses, tweets his agency CAA. The 25-year-old gets a $500K raise after a lost 2011 season.
- The Tigers announced they've avoided arbitration with lefty Phil Coke. Coke, a client of Full Circle Sports Management, gets a $1.1MM base salary with $50K in incentives for appearances or starts, MLBTR has learned.
- The Angels avoided arbitration with infielder Alberto Callaspo, signing him to a one-year deal worth $3.15MM, tweets ESPN's Keith Law. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz nailed this one, projecting a $3.1MM salary. Callaspo, a client of Eric Goldschmidt, received a $1.15MM raise for his second time through arbitration.
iPhone App Users: Feedback Requested
The second version of our Baseball Trade Rumors iPhone app came out recently, with plenty of upgrades. In the name of constant improvement, we're already looking into what should be done for version 3. The app's commenting feature needs a tune-up, and we're also looking into developing a similar app specifically for the iPad. The price of the iPhone app will remain $2.99. Beyond that, if you have purchased our iPhone app, what would you like to see added or changed? Please click here to take the simple one-question survey.
