Rangers sign all seven arbitration-eligible players on busy Friday

Tyson Ross represented the big catch for the Texas Rangers on Friday, but the defending American League West champions were also busy with their seven arbitration-eligible players.

And wildly efficient.

The Rangers avoided arbitration with all seven — catcher Robinson Chirinos, infielder Jurickson Profar, left-hander Jake Diekman and right-handers Sam Dyson, A.J. Griffin, Jeremy Jeffress and Tanner Scheppers — on one-year deals that kept alive the Rangers’ streak of avoiding an arbitration hearing.

They haven’t been to one since Lee Stevens beat them in 2000. They narrowly missed a hearing last year with Mitch Moreland with only hours to spare.

But they started early Friday with Dyson and didn’t stop until the Diekman agreement was announced shortly before 10 p.m.

Dyson, the team’s closer, will make $3.52 million in 2017, and Griffin, who was a candidate to be the Rangers’ fifth starter before they agreed with Ross, will be paid $2 million.

Chirinos, who again dealt with injuries in 2016, agreed for $1.95 million to serve as backup to Jonathan Lucroy, and Scheppers got $975,000 after another injury-plagued season.

Profar will be paid $1,005,000.

Dyson made $526,270 in 2016 in his final season before arbitration. He cashed in Friday after saving 38 games for the American League West champions, 36 of which came after replacing Shawn Tolleson as closer in mid-May.

Griffin earned the fifth spot in the rotation to open last season and started strong before a shoulder injury put him on the disabled list. Pitching in the majors for the first time since 2013, Griffin went 7-4 with a 5.07 ERA in 23 starts.

Diekman was the last holdout, and the sides exchanged salary figures. They were $1.2 million apart, with Diekman seeking $3.1 million, before finding common ground at $2.55 million and finishing off a busy Friday.

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Rangers sign all seven arbitration-eligible players on busy Friday."