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From the Astros at $4.5MM to the Giants at $42.05MM, MLB's 30 teams spent over half a billion dollars on 2012 salaries for 172 arbitration eligible players this offseason.  Our arbitration tracker has the details, and a breakdown by team is below.  Please note that the three free agents who accepted arbitration are excluded, and first-year salaries from 16 extensions are included with prorated signing bonuses.

1. Giants: $42.05MM for 10 players, including 3 extensions
2. Dodgers: $37.925MM for 5 players, including 3 extensions
3. Rangers: $29.95MM for 7 players, including 2 extensions
4. Phillies: $28.4MM for 3 players, including 1 extension
5. Padres: $28.27MM for 12 players
6. Indians: $25.415MM for 8 players
7. Cubs: $23.872MM for 7 players
8. Red Sox: $21.1775MM for 10 players
9. Nationals: $19.615MM for 7 players, including 2 extensions
10. Braves: $19.585MM for 4 players
11. Rays: $18.7MM for 6 players
12. Yankees: $18.65MM for 6 players
13. Royals: $18.4925MM for 7 players
14. Marlins: $18.385MM for 5 players
15. Brewers: $18.1135MM for 7 players
16. Pirates: $17.2585MM for 8 players
17. Angels: $16.87MM for 5 players, including 1 extension
18. Tigers: $15.6MM for 5 players
19. Blue Jays: $15.59MM for 8 players
20. Orioles: $12.975MM for 6 players
21. Rockies: $12.965MM for 3 players
22. Mets: $11.9MM for 4 players
23. Diamondbacks: $11.5025MM for 4 players
24. Athletics: $10.6825MM for 6 players
25. Mariners: $10.45MM for 3 players
26. Reds: $8.7725MM for 6 players, including 2 extensions
27. Twins: $8.4325MM for 3 players
28. White Sox: $8MM for 1 player, part of an extension
29. Cardinals: $5.95MM for 3 players, including 1 extension
30. Astros: $4.5MM for 3 players

The average team spent about $18MM on six players, and the average arbitration eligible player made $3.1MM.

Please join the 1,400+ people following @hoopsrumors on Twitter!  The latest from our new NBA venture HoopsRumors.com:

• After leading the Chinese Basketball Association in scoring, J.R. Smith returned to the NBA to join Linsanity in New York, signing with the Knicks.
• Tired of hearing trade rumors involving teammate Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant said he'd like the Lakers to make a decision one way or another on Gasol's future.
• The Celtics are said to be initiating trade talks involving star point guard Rajon Rondo.
• Hoping to lure an NBA franchise back to the city, Seattle officially unveiled its proposal for a new sports arena.
• Hoops Rumors' latest features include a complete list of 2012/13 free agents and an up-to-date recap of each team's outstanding traded player exceptions.
• Pieces on Deron Williams, Devin Harris, and Antawn Jamison are the newest additions to the site's ever-growing Trade Candidate series.

The 142 players who filed for salary arbitration earlier in the offseason have agreed to terms on 2012 contracts, which means the arbitration season is officially over. Most players avoided hearings with one-year deals, 17 signed extensions, and seven went to arbitration hearings. As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, teams out-performed players this month, winning five of seven hearings. The details for the five MLB wins:

• The Brewers beat Jose Veras, who will earn $2MM in 2012.  Veras is represented by Bryce Dixon.
• The Nationals beat John Lannan, who will earn $5MM in 2012.  Lannan is represented by Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports.
• The Orioles beat Brad Bergesen, who will earn $800K in 2012.  Bergesen is represented by Paragon Sports International.
• The Pirates beat Garrett Jones, who will earn $2.25MM in 2012.  Jones is represented by SFX.
• The Rays beat Jeff Niemann, who will earn $2.75MM in 2012.  Niemann is represented by Hendricks Sports.

Players won two cases, both of which were against the Marlins:

• Emilio Bonifacio, a WMG client, will earn $2.2MM in 2012.
• Anibal Sanchez, a Gene Mato client, will earn $8MM in 2012.

Players won two of three hearings in 2011, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.

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After accepting Boston's arbitration offer this winter, David Ortiz submitted a $16.5MM salary figure for 2012 against the team's $12.65MM.  They ended up settling at the midpoint recently.  Ortiz's $14.575MM salary will not be possible for a free agent accepting arbitration after the 2012 season, however, because the new collective bargaining agreement simplified the process.  Draft pick compensation for a departing free agent will require the team to make a "qualifying offer" in the $12-13MM range.  The qualifying offer amount will be determined by averaging the top 125 salaries from 2011.  This offer will be fixed each offseason, even for players already earning more than the qualifying offer amount, MLB told me today.

Though 2011 salaries are used for the 2012 qualifying offer (which reflects the player's potential 2013 salary), MLB does not seem to know the exact amount, so we'll use $12.5MM as a proxy for now.  For elite free agents, a qualifying offer will be a lock, as will their decision to turn it down.  The locks for 2012 appear limited to starting pitchers: Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, and Zack Greinke.  A look at the more borderline potential free agents from the 2012-13 class follows.

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Approximately 196 players were eligible for arbitration when the offseason began, but as our Arbitration Tracker shows, just eight remain unsigned as of today. Here's the latest on those players…

• David Ortiz, Red Sox – Filed for $16.5MM, team countered with $12.65MM. Ortiz is still hoping to work out a multiyear deal before a hearing.
• Mike Napoli, Rangers – Filed for $11.5MM, team countered with $8.3MM. Napoli's hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and the two sides are focusing on a one-year deal before looking long-term.
• Adam Jones, Orioles – Filed for $7.4MM, team countered with $5MM. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, but there is a sense that they could settle before then.
• Casey McGehee, Pirates – Filed for $2.725MM, team countered with $2.35MM. The two sides are still negotiating, but a hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
• Garrett Jones, Pirates – Filed for $2.5MM, team countered with $2.25MM. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith explained how his case is linked to McGehee's earlier this month.
• Jose Veras, Brewers – Filed for $2.375MM, team countered with $2MM. There has been no progress in talks and the club expects a hearing.
• Casey Janssen, Blue Jays – Filed for $2.2MM, team countered with $1.8MM. There has been no update on the right-hander's status.
• Alexi Casilla, Twins – Filed for $1.75MM, team countered with $1.065MM. We haven't heard much about Casilla this offseason.

There's lots of fantasy baseball content at MLBTR's sister site, RotoAuthority.com. Here are some recent highlights… 

• Steve Adams is now chatting about all things fantasy baseball, so head over to RotoAuthority and send him your questions.
• Tom Warman suggests Matt Wieters, Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Alexei Ramirez and Jason Heyward are among the underrated hitters who could help you win your league in 2012.
• Mike Axisa ranks this year's shortstops and Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes lead the way. Mike's fourth-ranked shortstop might surprise some people.
• Edwin Van Bibber-Orr explains why Michael Morse will be a valuable fantasy pickup in 2012.
• Dan Mennella explains why Jhonny Peralta is a buy-low option and why it might be worth resisting the urge to draft Johnny Cueto early on.

Major League teams have agreed to 20 offseason extensions so far this winter, as MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows. Nine of those extensions — almost half of them — didn't extend the teams' control over the players with options or additional guaranteed years. Here's a closer look (click on team names for MLBTR's post on each extension):

Deals Covering Two Remaining Seasons Of Arbitration Eligibility

• Tim Lincecum, Giants
• Nelson Cruz, Rangers
• Michael Morse, Nationals
• Nick Masset, Reds
• Tony Gwynn Jr., Dodgers

Deals Covering First Two Seasons Of Arbitration Eligibility

• Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
• Jose Arredondo, Reds

Deals Covering Three Arbitration Seasons

• Pablo Sandoval, Giants
• Elvis Andrus, Rangers - more on Andrus' deal here

Teams generally covet club options, and some teams, such as the Rays, have made a habit of obtaining multiple options on most or all extensions. Other clubs, such as the Red Sox, have insisted that extensions buy out at least one season of free agent eligibility.

Four teams — the Giants, Dodgers, Reds and Rangers — are responsible for eight of the nine offseason extensions that don't extend team control over the player. Those clubs accepted the risk that the players will suffer injuries or perform poorly in exchange for the possibility that they'll meet or exceed expectations on the field and turn out to be bargains.

Deals that don't buy out free agent years and don't include club options can turn out well for the teams, of course. They cap costs and avoid the rarely-pleasant arbitration process. For elite players like Lincecum and Kershaw, the savings could be substantial in 2013. However, the upside is generally limited for teams that commit to multiyear deals without extending club control.