Associated Press
SEATTLE – Pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama agreed to one-year contracts with the Seattle Mariners on Friday along with infielder Charles Gipson, avoiding arbitration.
Garcia will get $3.8 million, Halama $1.4 million and Gipson $450,000.
“We’re pleased to get them done,” said Lee Pelekoudas, the team’s vice president for baseball administration. “We didn’t get them done to avoid the (arbitration) process. We thought we got them done at fair numbers. They can concentrate now on coming to camp and getting ready to play.”
General manager Pat Gillick said Garcia, 25, is capable of being a No. 1 starter, though the Mariners still could add a pitcher.
Garcia, a right-hander, was 18-6 last season with an American League-leading 3.05 ERA and 163 strikeouts.
“Freddy’s certainly shown he has the ability to be a No. 1 starter, but we can’t overlook Jamie Moyer,” Pelekoudas said. “Freddy has a bright future ahead of him and he has shown he can handle the heavy work load and win some big games for us.”
Seattle acquired Garcia in a July 31, 1998, trade with Houston that sent pitcher Randy Johnson to the Astros.
The left-handed Halama, 29, had a 10-7 record and 4.74 ERA last year in 31 games, going 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 14 relief appearances. He started three games at Triple-A Tacoma and threw a perfect game July 7 against Calgary. It was the first perfect game in the 99-year history of the Pacific Coast League.
Gipson is a utilityman who played six positions for the Mariners last year, his first full season in the majors. He played second base, third base, shortstop and in all three outfield spots. Gipson, 29, hit .219 with two doubles, two triples and five runs batted in.
Seattle has three players remaining in arbitration: pitcher Paul Abbott, shortstop Carlos Guillen and infielder David Bell.
Abbott asked for $4.1 million and the Mariners offered $3 million. Guillen asked for $1,875,000 and the Mariners offered $1.2 million. Bell asked for $4 million and the Mariners offered $2.65 million. Arbitration hearings will be scheduled next week unless the parties settle earlier.
In addition to Friday’s signings, the Mariners acquired minor league pitcher Elvis Perez from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-hander Kevin Gryboski. The right-handed Perez, 22, spent the 2001 season at Single-A Macon, where he was 5-5 with a 2.98 ERA in 27 relief appearances. Gryboski, 28, was a 21st-round draft choice by the Mariners in 1995. He spent last season at Triple-A Tacoma and was designated for assignment Jan. 11 to make room on the Mariners roster for newly-signed right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa.
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