The Indians didn’t want to go to arbitration with Kelly Shoppach because they figured he’d get $2.5 million or so, so they traded him to Tampa Bay. Today Shoppach avoided arbitration altogether by signing a two-year, $5.5. million deal with a club option for 2012.
The Rays recently signed Dioneer Navarro to a one-year, $2.1 million deal. Given the shorter, cheaper commitment to Navarro, methinks we’ve just seen a starter lose his job and/or become trade bait.
