Acquired from the A’s last month, Andrew Bailey has avoided arbitration with the Red Sox by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.9 million.
Bailey submitted a $4.7 million figure for arbitration while the Red Sox countered at $3.35 million, so he ends up accepting $100,000 less than the midpoint. And he can make up for that with the $100,000 in potential incentives included in the deal.
This is Bailey’s first season of arbitration eligibility, so he’s under the Red Sox’s control through 2014.
Boston gave up Josh Reddick, Miles Head, and Raul Alcantara to get Bailey and Ryan Sweeney from Oakland last month, bringing him in as Jonathan Papelbon’s replacement after Bailey saved 75 games with a 2.07 ERA in three seasons for the A’s. Bailey is 27 years old, so a long-term deal could make sense, but his elbow problems mean the Red Sox will likely want to go year-to-year for now.
