NEW YORK (AP) -Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Jonathan Papelbon were among 111 players who filed for salary arbitration Thursday, an annual ritual that gives many of them large pay increases.
World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis and Florida second baseman Dan Uggla also filed for arbitration.
Players who still haven’t settled with their teams will exchange figures Tuesday. In most years, more than half the players who file reach agreements before the swap of proposed salaries.
Among the 110 players who filed last year, just eight went to hearings and clubs won six of those. The only players who won were Howard, the power-hitting Philadelphia first baseman who made $10 million, and New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez ($6.5 million). Perez is now a free agent.
Players with three to six years of major league service are eligible, along with the top 17 percent by service time of players between two and three years. In addition, two free-agent pitchers accepted arbitration offers to return to their former clubs: Cincinnati’s David Weathers and the Los Angeles Angels’ Darren Oliver.
Hearings will be scheduled for Feb. 1-21 in Arizona.
World Series champion Philadelphia has eight players eligible, including Howard and Hamels. Florida and Kansas City also have eight players eligible.
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