The Baltimore Orioles avoided salary arbitration with center fielder Corey Patterson on Friday, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract worth $4.3 million - a $1.5 million hike in what he made last season.
Whether you consider Patterson talented or a total underachiever, he had a solid season with the O's in 2006, batting .276 with 16 home runs, 53 RBIs and a career-high 45 stolen bases, the third-highest total in the American League.
