D-backs avoid arbitration

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a pair of one-year contracts that settled arbitration cases, giving catcher Miguel Montero US$5.9 million and infielder Ryan Roberts $2,012,500.

Montero's agreement Tuesday came just ahead of the scheduled start of what would have been the first salary arbitration hearing of the year. The deal was $200,000 below the midpoint of the $6.8 million he had asked for and the $5.4 million Arizona had offered.

Montero hit .282 with 18 homers and 86 RBIs last year, when he made $3.2 million. Roberts batted .249 with 19 homers, 65 RBIs and 18 steals, earning $423,500. His agreement was $50,000 above the midpoint between the $2,275,000 he had asked for and the $1.65 million he had been offered.

Twenty-five players remain in arbitration, with hearings scheduled through Feb. 17.