Salary arbitration might not be avoided much longer
The Rangers try to keep their amazing streak of arbitration settlements intact.
In the week before two scheduled hearings, the team reached agreements with shortstop Elvis Andrus and outfielder Nelson Cruz on multi-year deals that buy out the remaining arbitration years. Andrus signed for $14.4 million over three years and Cruz signed for $16 million over two years.
The Rangers, who have not gone to arbitration since 2000, still have one potential hearing with catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli.
It is scheduled for Feb. 15 and may prove to be the streak breaker. Because Napoli is primarily a catcher and because he is in his fourth year of arbitration eligibility, coming up with comparable performances by which to judge his value have proven extremely difficult. Perhaps that is why there is a $3.2 million gulf between what the Rangers offered ($8.3 million) and what Napoli requested ($11.5 million).
Though both sides had expressed interest in a long-term deal heading into the winter, they both quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. The Rangers preferred a three-year deal at about $8 million per year; Napoli was seeking four years and $40 million.
The Rangers had stated heading into the winter that they wanted to sign some of their core players -- including Andrus and Cruz -- to long-term deals that would have bought out some free agency years. They have yet to get a deal done with a player that nets the team a single year of free agency.
"While we have not achieved that goal yet, we have always found Spring Training to be a good time for negotiations, so stay tuned," assistant general manager Thad Levine said. "We will continue to have those talks in spring training."
In addition to Andrus, Cruz and Napoli, the Rangers also had talks with outfielder Josh Hamilton, second baseman Ian Kinsler and left-handed pitcher Derek Holland. Hamilton's talks -- nowhere close to producing a deal -- were tabled when he had a relapse in his battle for sobriety. The other conversations have not produced anything close to a deal either.
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