Maine, Mets avoid arbitration with $2.6M deal

[January 31, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Pitcher John Maine and the New York Mets avoided salary arbitration, agreeing Friday on a $2.6 million, one-year contract.

The figure was the midpoint of the $3 million Maine sought and the $2.2 million the Mets offered. The right-hander can earn an additional $25,000 if he pitches 200 or more innings. He made $450,000 last season.

Maine was 10-8 with a 4.18 ERA in 25 starts and 140 innings last year, missing the final five weeks of the season because of a shoulder injury. He had surgery Sept. 30 to remove a lesion from the back of his right shoulder socket and is expected to be ready for spring training next month.

Reliever Pedro Feliciano is the last Mets' player in arbitration. He asked for a raise from $1.04 million to $1.95 million, and the Mets offered $1.35 million.

Associated Press]

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