The NL Central got to work today and made sure they avoided the February arbitration hearings with some of their important players. We begin in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates have agreed with four of theirs.
Catcher Francisco Cervelli (2nd year arbitration-eligible), third baseman Josh Harrison (1st year), catcher Chris Stewart (2nd year) and pitcher Antonio Bastardo (3rd year) all agreed to one-year deals for the 2015 season. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Cervelli will get $987,500; Harrison is set to earn $2.8 million; Stewart will receive $1.225 million; and Bastardo gets $3.1 million from Pittsburgh.
Here are their statistics from the 2014 season:
Cervelli: .301/.370/.432 with 18 runs scored, two home runs and 13 RBIs in 49 games
Harrison: .315/.347/.490 with 13 home runs, 52 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 143 games
Stewart: .294/.362/.331 with nine runs scored and 10 RBIs in 49 games
Bastardo: 5-7 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 67 games (64 innings)
In Chicago, the Cubs settled contract issues with backup catcher Wellington Castillo and starting pitcher Jake Arrieta. Although Castillo will take the back seat to starter Miguel Montero, the 27-year-old will earn $2.1 million in 2015, according to Heyman. The team's best starter last season, Arrieta, will get $3.63 million for the 2015 season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Here are their statistics from last year:
Castillo: .237/.296/.389 with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs in 110 games
Arrieta: 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 25 starts (156 2/3 innings)
Heading over to Cincinnati, the Reds won't have to worry about the contracts of starting pitcher Mike Leake and shortstop Zack Cosart. On Friday the team signed Leake to a one-year, $9.775 million deal in his third year of arbitration eligibility, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Cosart, first-year eligible, agreed to a one-year, $2.35 million contract, according to Heyman. Below are their numbers from 2014:
Leake: 11-13 with a 3.70 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 33 starts (214 1/3 innings)
Cosart: .221/.268/.300 with 48 runs scored, four home runs and 38 RBIs in 147 games
And lastly, all the way north in Milwaukee, the Brewers settled with catcher Martin Maldonado and outfielder Gerardo Parra. The 28-year-old backup Maldonado agreed to a two-year, $1.95 million contract, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. He also notes Parra's contract is for one-year and $6.2375 million, after the outfielder spent 46 games with the team following a midseason trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Check out their performances in 2014:
Maldonado: .234/.320/.387 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 52 games
Parra: .261/.308/.369 with 64 runs scored, nine home runs and 40 RBIs in 150 games.
We'll keep updating the list as more players sign.
UPDATE: The Cubs also avoided arbitration with OF Chris Coghlan on a one-year, $2.505 million deal, according to Mike Perchick of WAPT, and the Pirates agreed to a one-year, $2.1 million contract with OF Travis Snider.
