Howard among 111 players to file for arbitration

[January 16, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Jonathan Papelbon were among 111 players who filed for salary arbitration Thursday, an annual ritual that gives many of them large pay increases.

World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Florida second baseman Dan Uggla and Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks also filed for arbitration.

Players who still haven't settled with their teams will exchange figures Tuesday. In most years, more than half the players who file reach agreements before the swap of proposed salaries.

Among the 110 players who filed last year, just eight went to hearings and clubs won six of those. The only players who won were Howard, the power-hitting Philadelphia first baseman who made $10 million, and New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez ($6.5 million). Perez is now a free agent.

The average increase for those who filed last year was 120 percent.

Players with three to six years of major league service are eligible, along with the top 17 percent by service time of players between two and three years. In addition, two free-agent pitchers accepted arbitration offers to return to their former clubs: Cincinnati's David Weathers and the Los Angeles Angels' Darren Oliver.

Hearings will be scheduled for Feb. 1-21 in Arizona.

Eight players from the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies filed for arbitration, including Howard and Hamels. Seven Kansas City Royals filed.

Clubs announced one-year deals for two players who had been eligible to file: Milwaukee right-hander Dave Bush ($4 million) and Texas right-hander Brandon McCarthy ($650,000).

Four other players agreed to contracts that weren't announced: Tampa Bay right-hander Grant Balfour ($1.4 million), Chicago Cubs infielder Ronny Cedeno, Atlanta outfielder Matt Diaz and Florida third baseman Dallas McPherson.

[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]

AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

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