Indians Agree to Deal With Mike Clevinger and Avoid Arbitration With All Eligible Players
By Karl Rasmussen
The Cleveland Indians have successfully agreed to new deals with every one of the arbitration eligible players on the roster.
The final domino to fall, starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, reportedly agreed to a $4.1 million deal with the Tribe on Friday.
#Indians avoid arbitration with Mike Clevinger. He signed a one-year deal for $4.1M. the team will not be going to arbitration with any of their five eligible players.
— Bernie Pleskoff (@BerniePleskoff) January 10, 2020
The Indians had five players eligible for arbitration but managed to avoid it with each of them.
Clevinger's deal is a major salary hike from the $592,200 he earned in 2019, though the $4.1 million he's due in 2020 still feels like a bargain for the Indians.
Other players the Indians avoided arbitration with include star shortstop Francisco Lindor ($17.5 million), Delino DeShields ($1.875 million), Tyler Naquin ($1.45 million), and Nick Wittgren ($1.125 million).
?Breaking MLB News? Cleveland Indians and Francisco Lindor agreed to $17.5 million on contract for 2020 to avoid arbitration. Congratulations @Lindor12BC on getting a new deal with Cleveland Indians. pic.twitter.com/3xjPXTlsYW
— Brandon's Sports Talk (@talk_brandon) January 10, 2020
Both Lindor and Clevinger have had their names brought up frequently in trade rumors, and despite agreeing to the one-year deals, there remains a possibility one or both players could end up being dealt.
Fortunately for the Tribe, they managed to avoid having to endure any arbitration hearings and salary disputes with their guys.