MILWAUKEE – Brewers general manager Doug Melvin avoided salary arbitration with two more players this week, signing outfielder Carlos Gomez and left-handed pitcher Manny Parra to one-year contracts.
Gomez returns for a third season in Milwaukee and is expected to again play behind Nyjer Morgan — also arbitration-eligible — in center field in 2012. Gomez, 26, lost the starting job to Morgan last season but still appeared in 94 games and played a role as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch runner while hitting .225 with eight home runs and 24 RBI.
His deal is worth $1,962,500, and Gomez can earn $25,000 bonuses for 450, 475, 500 and 525 plate appearances.
Parra, 29, is trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2011 season that kept him out of the majors and limited him to eight minor-league appearances. He went 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in one outing with Class A Wisconsin and seven with Class AAA Nashville.
The terms of Parra's deal have not been announced. The signings of Parra and Gomez leave five players in arbitration: Morgan, Shaun Marcum, Francisco Rodriguez, Kameron Loe and Jose Veras.
