Avoiding Arbitration

Baseball fans across the country look forward to February with breathless anticipation for one reason: no, not Spring Training... arbitration! Nothing else can match that excitement of seeing a press release announcing the date for a player's arbitration hearing, or a press release announcing the conclusion of the arbitration period. That's entertainment!

So it is with great sadness that I must report that 22 of the 110 players who filed for salary arbitration this offseason came to terms with their respective clubs by Thursday-- thus depriving fans of the fun of following the oh-so-very interesting machinations of the arbitration process. It's like killing Christmas!

Full list of the grinches in question, and the amount of their contracts, after the jump.

Jose Bautista ($1.8m) - Pirates
Chris Capuano ($3.75m) - Brewers
Gustavo Chacin ($725,000) - Blue Jays
Joe Crede ($3.5m) - White Sox
Scott Downs ($10m/3 years) - Blue Jays
Jason Frasor ($1,125,000) - Blue Jays
Jimmy Gobble ($1,312,500) - Royals
Jonny Gomes ($1,275,000) - Rays
Mike Gonzalez ($2,362,500) - Braves
Omar Infante ($1.4m) - Braves
Jason Kubel ($1.3m) - Twins
Brad Lidge ($6.35m) - Phillies
Ryan Madson ($1.4m) - Phillies
Tim Redding ($1m) - Nationals
Juan Rivera ($2,025,000) - Angels
Marco Scutaro ($2.65m/2 years) - Blue Jays
Huston Street ($3.3m) - Athletics
Brian Tallet ($640,000) - Blue Jays
Mark Teixeira ($12.5m) - Braves
Marcus Thames ($1,275,000) - Tigers
Matt Treanor ($705,000) - Marlins
Tyler Yates ($800,000) - Braves

[Yahoo!]