NEW YORK (AP) -Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants avoided a potentially divisive salary arbitration hearing, reaching a preliminary agreement Friday on a $23 million, two-year contract that gives the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner a huge raise.
The sides had been scheduled for a hearing Friday, and the lean right-hander with a high leg kick and stringy hair had asked for an arbitration-record $13 million. The Giants offered $8 million to the two-time All-Star, eligible for arbitration for the first time after making $650,000.
Lincecum gets a $2 million signing bonus, $8 million this year, $13 million in 2011 and the chance to earn performance and award bonuses. The agreement is subject to a physical.
“It’s a win-win for both sides,” Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans said. “I was not expecting a settlement, at all. I don’t know what changed. It’s always ideal to have something both agree to as opposed to a third party figuring it out. We can focus on baseball from here forward.”
cecum agreed to pay $513 to resolve marijuana charges against him in Washington state. He originally faced two misdemeanor charges of marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession stemming from a traffic stop on Oct. 30. The charges were reduced to a civil infraction.
Outfielder Corey Hart beat Milwaukee in the first arbitration decision of the year after hitting .260 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs last season. He was awarded a raise from $3.25 million to $4.8 million by arbitrators Elizabeth Neumeier, John Sands and Sylvia Skratek rather than the Brewers’ offer of $4.15 million.
Eligible for arbitration for the first time, outfielder B.J. Upton argued for a raise from $435,000 to $3.3 million, and Tampa Bay defended its $3 million offer. Neumeier, Gil Vernon and Elliott Shriftman were expected to issue a decision Saturday.
Upton hit .251 with 11 homers, 55 RBIs and 42 steals last season. The Rays are unbeaten in four salary arbitration cases.
Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie and Baltimore agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract that avoided a hearing. The 30-year-old right-hander was 10-17 with a 5.04 ERA last year, when he made $650,000.
Among free agents, second baseman Adam Kennedy and Washington finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract and designated hitter Mike Sweeney (Seattle) and right-hander Kip Wells (Cincinnati) agreed to minor league deals.
owing a 19-season career in which he hit 521 homers and won two American League MVP awards with the Chicago White Sox. The five-time All-Star, who didn’t play last year, batted .301 with a .419 on-base average and 1,704 RBIs.
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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writers Gregg Bell and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report.
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