Braves Avoid Arb With Kris Medlen, Chris Johnson
The Braves and Kris Medlen have successfully avoided arbitration, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Medlen gets $5.8MM, according to O'Brien (on Twitter). O'Brien also reports that the Braves have avoided arb with third baseman Chris Johnson by agreeing to a $4.75MM contract (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old Medlen had a breakout year in 2011 and a solid, 3.11 ERA campaign last year in his first full season as a starter. He was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.9MM, and came quite close to matching that mark. Medlen will go through arbitration one more time before qualifying for free agency.
Johnson, 29, was one of the biggest surprises in baseball last year after coming to Atlanta in the Justin Upton trade. He posted a .321/.358/.457 mark in 547 plate appearances, earning a projection of a $4.2MM payday from Swartz. Johnson qualified as a Super Two last year, boosting his numbers this year. He will not be eligible for free agency until 2017.
Pirates, Neil Walker Avoid Arbitration
The Pirates have ducked an arbitration hearing with Neil Walker by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.75MM, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune (Twitter link).
Walker, a client of Excel Sports Management, receives a raise from the $3.3MM salary he received last season as a first-time arb-eligible Super Two player. He had been projected to earn $4.8MM by MLBTR's Matt Swartz, so his agents did well to approach the $6MM mark. Walker will be eligible for arbitration two more times before hitting free agency following the 2016 season.
Orioles Avoid Arbitration With Chris Davis
The Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $10.35MM contract with Chris Davis in order to avoid arbitration, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. His deal also contains performance bonuses (Twitter links). Davis is represented by Scott Boras.
Davis had been projected to earn an even $10MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz after he took a massive step forward in 2013. He lands just above that mark with his new deal. As Swartz explained in his breakdown of the Davis arbitration case, the slugging first baseman looked primed to break the record for a second-year arbitration raise, and he did just that by garnering a bump of over $7MM.
It is not hard to see how Davis managed to command such a massive increase. As Swartz explained, arbitration raise are generally determined by reference only to platform-year stats, and Davis had quite the platform year. His massive home run (53) and RBI (138) totals and strong .286 batting average, combined with ample playing time, positioned him perfectly.
Davis has one more season of arbitration eligibility remaining before becoming eligible for free agency before the 2016 season.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Reds, Mike Leake Avoid Arbtration
The Reds and Mike Leake have avoided arbitration, according to the Beverly Hills Sports Council (via Twitter). He'll get $5.925MM plus incentives, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
Leake, a former No. 8 overall draft pick, was in his second year of arbitration eligibility. The Arizona State product is controllable through the 2015 season and should join a rotation that will also include Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Tony Cingrani in 2014. The Reds still have unsettled arb cases with Bailey and closer Aroldis Chapman, as MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows.
MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz nailed his projection on Leake, pegging him for a $5.9MM salary this offseason.
Yankees Avoid Arbitration With Gardner, Robertson
12:05pm: The Yankees have also avoided arbitration with David Robertson, according to Sherman (on Twitter). He'll earn $5.215MM in 2014.
Robertson, a client of Damon Lapa and Scott Leventhal's All Bases Covered agency, is currently in line to replace the legendary Mariano Rivera as the Yankees' closer. Doing so would be of particular benefit to he and his agents, as it would boost his stock heading into free agency next offseason. Though he's struggled in a small sample when used as a closer, Robertson has been one of the game's premier setup men over the past three seasons and certainly has the talent to succeed in a ninth-inning role.
11:06am: The Yankees have avoided arbitration with Brett Gardner by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.6MM, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). Gardner is repped by Pro Star Management, Inc. Agent Joe Bick looks to have done quite well for Gardner, as MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected him to earn $4MM.
The 30-year-old Gardner enjoyed another solid season at the plate in 2013, batting .273/.344/.416 with eight homers, 33 doubles, a league-leading 10 triples and 24 stolen bases. Gardner tallied a career-high 609 plate appearances despite being sidelined for two-and-a-half weeks with an oblique strain, and he played solid defense in center field as well (particularly according to Defensive Runs Saved, which rated him at +6).
This is Gardner's final season of team control before he's eligible for free agency. In 2014, he'll team up with Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran to comprise the Yankees' primary outfield. The Yanks have ducked arbitration with Gardner, Robertson, Shawn Kelley and Francisco Cervelli, but they still have a potential hearing to avoid with Ivan Nova.
Tigers Avoid Arbitration With Porcello, Jackson
The Tigers and Rick Porcello have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $8.5MM deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). They've also agreed to a $6MM deal for 2014 with Austin Jackson, Sherman tweets.
Porcello, 25, was arb-eligible for the third time this offseason as a Super Two player. The Excel Sports client is controllable through the 2015 campaign and was projected to earn $7.7MM, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Porcello relies heavily on his high ground-ball rate and could see an uptick in performance with a new-look — and presumably, defensively superior — infield behind him in 2014.
Jackson, 26, is also controllable through the 2015 campaign, though he is not a Super Two player. A Scott Boras client, Jackson had been projected by Swartz to earn $5.3MM.
A’s Avoid Arbitration With Gregerson, Lowrie
12:01pm: The A's have also avoided arbitration with shortstop/second baseman Jed Lowrie, tweets Sherman. Lowrie will earn a $5.25MM salary in 2014. Lowrie is a client of CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen.
Acquired from the Astros in exchange for Chris Carter, Max Stassi and Brad Peacock prior to the 2013 season, Lowrie is entering his second season with the A's. He's eligible for free agency following this year and had been projected to earn $4.8MM by Swartz.
11:52am: The A's have dodged arbitration with righty Luke Gregerson by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal worth $5.065MM, per the New York Post's Joel Sherman (on Twitter). Gregerson is a client of O'Connell Sports Management.
Gregerson was acquired from the Padres this offseason in a one-for-one swap for Seth Smith. One of the game's premier setup men, he's likely next in line behind Jim Johnson for saves in Oakland. The right-hander was projected to earn $4.9MM, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Gregerson is eligible for free agency following the 2014 season.
Royals Avoid Arbitration With Luke Hochevar
The Royals have avoided arbitration with right-hander Luke Hochevar by agreeing to a one-year, $5.21MM contract, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Hochevar can earn an additional $400K based on incentives for games started or games finished.
Hochevar was eligible for arbitration for the final time this offseason and will be a free agent at season's end. He broke out as a setup man for the Royals in 2013, so while his contract has incentives for games started, his best path to future success could be in the bullpen. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected the former No. 1 overall draft pick to earn $5MM.
Cubs, Nate Schierholtz Avoid Arbitration
The Cubs and outfielder Nate Schierholtz have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year pact worth $5MM, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Schierholtz is represented by Damon Lapa and Scott Leventhal of All Bases Covered Sports Management.
Chicago picked Schierholtz up on an affordable one-year, $2.25MM contract last offseason after he was non-tendered by the Phillies (Philadelphia had acquired him in the Hunter Pence trade with San Francisco). The 29-year-old Schierholtz slashed .251/.301/.470 with career-bests in home runs (21), RBIs (68), runs (56) and plate appearances (503). As usual, most of his damage came against right-handed pitching, as can be seen in his .262/.300/.499 slash line against them. He received just 66 PAs against left-handers, clearly indicating his role as a platoon player.
Padres, Chase Headley Avoid Arbitration
The Padres have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with third baseman Chase Headley, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Excel Sports Management client will earn a $10.525MM salary in his final season prior to free agency, Sherman reports.
Consistently considered to be a trade candidate due to his looming free agency, the Padres' tight budget and the Padres' sub-.500 finishes in each of the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Headley has seen his name circulate on the rumor mill more than nearly any player in the past 18 to 24 months. However, San Diego GM Josh Byrnes told me back in November that the team was comfortable doing a one-year deal with Headley and entering 2014 with him as the third baseman, even without an extension.
The Padres reportedly wanted to offer Headley an extension that would make him the highest-paid player in franchise history early in the 2013 campaign. The news caught Headley off guard, as he'd informed the team that he did not want extension talks to spill beyond Opening Day.
Headley turned in a solid season in 2013, batting .250/.347/.400 with 13 homers, eight steals and excellent third-base defense, but that production was a far cry from his 2012 season. In 2012, Headley broke out with a .286/.376/.498 batting line, 31 homers and a career-best 17 steals to go along with his great glove-work. Headley likely didn't want to sign an extension after seeing his stock tumble, especially when a fractured thumb and a balky knee that required offseason surgery likely contributed to his 2013 decline.
Headley's $10.525MM salary is $525K higher than MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected. With Headley taken care of, San Diego has only Andrew Cashner remaining as an unsettled arb case, as shown in our Arbitration Tracker.