Padres Avoid Arbitration With Four More Players Including Carlos Quentin

He didn’t get an extension.  Instead, Carlos Quentin got a one-year deal worth slightly more than MLB Trade Rumor predicted he would be worth in arbitration.  The Padres and Quentin agreed to a $7.025 million deal for 2012.  And Quentin wasn’t the only one.  The Padres have now avoided arbitration with nine of their 11 eligible players.

Yesterday we discussed the contracts of Nick Hundley, Chase Headley, John Baker, Joe Thatcher, and Tim Stauffer.  Today, we have salary figures for Hundley and Headley.  Below is a list of each of the players avoiding arbitration and what they will earn next season.

Nick Hundley: According to multiple sources, including Bill Center of the San Diego Union Tribune, Hundley will make $2 million next season.

Chase Headley: According to Dan Hayes of North County Times, Headley will get a raise to $3.475 million next season.

John Baker: We talked about Baker’s deal yesterday.  He will make $750,000 .

Joe Thatcher: We also talked about Thatcher’s $700,000 contract for 2012.

Tim Stauffer: The numbers for Stauffer’s contract were released, and he will make $3.2 million in 2012 according to Bill Center.

Carlos Quentin: Quentin becomes the Padres’ second highest paid player with his $7.025 million.

Edinson Volquez: Volquez will make $2.2375 according to Dan Hayes.

Luke Gregerson:  Hayes also reports Gregerson’s contract to be be $1.55 million in 2012.

Will Venable: Bill Center reports Venable will make $1.475 million next season.

All told, the Padres spent $22.5 million in a single day yesterday.  Quite the spending spree.  However, the team can now move forward with those players without the impending arbitration process looming.  They only have two players remaining and will be notified of the arbitration hearing date soon.  Both Clayton Richard and Dustin Moseley can still be signed as long as it is done before the arbitration hearing.

Bill Center said, “The Padres are now committed to $44.325 million for the 15 players under contract for 2012. The Padres project their final 2012 payroll to be around $57 million. The final 2011 payroll was around $48 million.”

With 10 more players requiring contracts before Opening Day, and about $13 million to work with, the Padres are in good shape.  That may have led to reports that the team may still be looking for one more starting pitcher for protection.

The Padres did what they had to, but may have missed out on Nick Hundley and Chase Headley.  At this point, any long-term deal to buy out arbitration years would be less beneficial than had it been done before these new contracts.  Headley received a $935,000 raise, Hundley received a $1.56 million raise, Venable received a $1.031 million raise, Stauffer received a $2.12 million raise, and Gregerson received a $1.027 million raise.  This are pretty large increases, but we don’t know how much more (or less) these players would had received had they gone through arbitration.