Players, clubs rush to settle in arbitration

[February 04, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Players and clubs rushed to settle salary arbitration cases before the scheduled exchange of figures Tuesday.

At least eight more players reached agreements Monday, leaving 114 set to swap salaries among the 128 who filed for arbitration last Friday. Dozens more were expected to settle late Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Florida struck one-year deals with second baseman Dan Uggla ($7.8 million) and pitchers Anibal Sanchez ($1.25 million) and Renyel Pinto ($1,075,000).

The frugal Marlins, under pressure from the players' association, agreed last week to increase their payroll from last year's $37.5 million, the major league low. Two days later, they agreed to a $39 million, four-year contract with pitcher Josh Johnson, a deal the team still has not officially announced.

Uggla hit .243 with a Marlins-high 31 homers and 90 RBIs last year. He defeated Florida in arbitration last winter, when he was awarded a salary of $5.35 million rather than the team's offer of $4.4 million.

Also agreeing to one-year contracts were Texas pitcher C.J. Wilson ($3.1 million), Milwaukee outfielder Jody Gerut ($2 million), Chicago White Sox pitcher Tony Pena ($1.2 million), Toronto pitcher Shaun Marcum ($850,000) and Cincinnati pitcher Jared Burton ($810,000).

The New York Yankees were nearing agreements with pitchers Chad Gaudin (about $2.9 million) and Boone Logan (about $600,000).

Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum could have the most interesting arbitration case. He is 33-12 over the past two seasons for the San Francisco Giants and was a bargain at $650,000 last year. Eligible for arbitration for the first time as a so-called "Super 2" -- a player in the top 17 percent of service time between two and three seasons -- he is likely to file at well over $10 million.

Other notable players eligible for the first time include Tampa Bay pitcher Matt Garza, Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton and Tampa Bay outfielder B.J. Upton. Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez could command a big deal after going 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA last season, when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting.

Among free agents, Jerry Hairston Jr. agreed to a $2,125,000, one-year deal with the Padres, two days after San Diego reacquired Hairston's younger brother, Scott, in a trade with Oakland. The Pittsburgh Pirates finalized a $1.35 million, one-year contract with reliever Brendan Donnelly.

[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]

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