MLB avoids arbitration hearings for first time

San Diego, CA, United States (4E Sports) – For the first time since its inception in 1974, no case will go to an arbitrator as 133 arbitration-eligible Major League players all agreed to terms with their respective teams.

Starting pitcher Clayton Richard, the last of the arbitration-eligible players, reached a one-year deal worth $5.24 million with the San Diego Padres.

Before a deal was reached, Richard and the Padres were scheduled for a hearing Thursday. The left-hander had asked for a raise from $2,705,000 to $5.5 million and was offered $4,905,000 after he went 14-14 with a 3.99 ERA in 33 starts last year.

Two other arbitration-eligible players, Homer Bailey, has signed a one-year contract worth $5.35 million with the Cincinnati Reds while reliever Darren O’Day has reached a verbal agreement on a two-year, $5.8 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

O’Day and the Orioles are scheduled to meet next week but with a deal in place, it will become moot and academic.

With this, all 133 arbitration-eligible players who filed for arbitration last month did not go through the hassle of a hearing.

In baseball history, three was the lowest number of arbitrated cases in baseball history set in 2005 and happened in 2009 and 2011.

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