Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds agreed Saturday to a $5.35 million, one-year contract, ensuring baseball will set a record low for salary arbitration hearings.
No cases have been argued before three-person panels this year among the 133 players who filed for arbitration last month and just one remains scheduled for a hearing next week: Baltimore reliever Darren O'Day.O'Day and the Orioles have an agreement on a $5.8 million, two-year contract that is pending a physical. As long as that deal is completed, MLB will have no arbitration hearings this year for the first time since the process began in 1974.Baseball's previous record low was three hearings, set in 2005 and matched in 2009 and 2011.Owners hold a 291-214 lead since arbitration began.San Diego left-hander Clayton Richard had been scheduled for a hearing Tuesday before agreeing to a $5.24 million, one-year contract Saturday evening. Richard 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.Bailey, who pitched a no-hitter at Pittsburgh last Sept. 28, had asked for $5.8 million and was offered $4.75 million when players and teams swapped proposed arbitration salaries last month.His agreement was for the same amount as pitcher Jordan Zimmermann's settlement with the Washington Nationals a day earlier.Grandal apologizesReading from a prepared statement, San Diego Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal apologized for a second time after his 50-game suspension for a positive test for testosterone.Grandal was suspended Nov. 7 and issued a statement then through the Major League Baseball Players Association. He read a statement Saturday at the Padres' spring training camp but did not take questions.Grandal also did not comment substantively on last month's report by Miami New Times that he appeared in records of Biogenesis of America LLC, a closed anti-aging clinic in Coral Gables, Fla., under investigation by Major League Baseball for distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.Briefly Yankees: New York ace CC Sabathia threw off a mound for the first time since having had arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur from his left elbow last October. The left-hander threw 29 pitches during the session on Saturday and said he felt good.Phillies: The contract for manager Charlie Manuel expires at the end of this season and Ryne Sandberg is the team's new third base coach. "This is the last time I'll answer about my deal, OK?" Manuel said. "I'm very satisfied with the way it is." Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw has been selected as Los Angeles' Opening Day starter and will become the first Dodger to start three straight openers since Derek Lowe from 2005-07.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
