Reed, Diamondbacks avoid arbitration, agree to $4.875 million deal
PHOENIX -- Closer Addison Reed and the Diamondbacks agreed on a $4.875 million one-year contract for the 2015 season on Friday, shortly before an arbitration hearing was set to begin.
Reed had filed for $5.6 million,and the D-backs countered with an offer of $4.7 million.
Reed converted 32 of 38 save opportunities last season, his first with the D-backs and his second with at least 30 saves. He was 1-7 with a 4.25 ERA in 62 appearances. He also can make up to a reported $50,000 this season based on performance bonuses.
"He's an important part of our baseball team," D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said. "Any time you can get to a settlement is always better than the alternative, having to actually going into the room and go through the actual arbitration."
Outfielder Mark Trumbo is the only remaining D-back with an arbitration case pending. Trumbo filed at $6.9 million, and the D-backs countered at $5.3 million. Trumbo hit .235 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI while missing 11 weeks because of a stress fracture in his left foot.
The Reed settlement enabled the D-backs to avoid their first arbitration hearing since 2001 with catcher Damian Miller.
Teams often prefer to avoid a hearing, because it can involve negative comments while trying to make a case against a player who already is bound to the team for that season.
"Inside the (hearing) room, you kind of air out your laundry," Stewart said. "Whatever the disagreements are, whatever makes you unhappy. The player is basically defending who he is as a player statistically as a performer to the organization. It's not a process that is pleasant."
As an agent, Stewart prepared for arbitration hearings with Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley when they were with the Dodgers, although both cases were settled before they got to a hearing.
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