Newly-acquired starter right-hander Rick Porcello and familiar bullpen righty Junichi Tazawa have both avoided arbitration with the Boston Red Sox on Friday after agreeing to one year, non-guranteed contracts for the upcoming season. NESN's Darren Hartwell reported the news late Friday night. Only two other Red Sox players have not avoided arbitration as of now, pitcher Wade Miley and utility man Daniel Nava.
Rick Porcello, in December, was acquired by the Red Sox from the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, reliever Alex Wilson, and pitcher Gabe Speier. He is currently coming off his best season in MLB at age 26. In 2014, he started 31 games, compiling a solid 3.43 ERA and pitching over 200 innings for the first time in his career. He will be a top-of-the rotation guy for the Red Sox this season with their newly-remodeled rotation. Porcello, who was a Super Two player, will earn $12.5 million in his fourth and last arbitration year. He is due to hit costless agency after the 2015 season. Porcello will be making $4 million more for 2015 than he did in 2014.
Junichi Tazawa has been a key part of the bullpen over the past 3 seasons, serving in multiple roles for the team. In 2014, the 28-year-old Tazawa had another solid season for the Sox, posting a strong 2.86 ERA in 71 games while the team struggled. For 2015, Tazawa will earn $2.25 million in his second year of arbitration, a good deal for a guy the Red Sox know they can depend on throughout the season. For 2014, Tazawa made $1.275 million, so, like Porcello, he also received a solid bump.
Wade Miley, who is arbitration-eligible for the first time in his career, has filed for $4.3 million; the team has countered with an offer of $3.4 million according to CBS Sports writer Jon Heyman. Miley, like Porcello, was acquired this past winter in order to bolster the rotation. Last season, he posted a rough 4.34 ERA in 33 starts with the Arizona Diamondbacks while continuing to be a workhorse. Last season was a down year for Miley compared to 2012 and 2013, which both saw the lefty post an ERA below 3.60.
Daniel Nava, like Miley, is also arbitration-eligible for the first time in his career. He has filed with the Red Sox for $2.25 million, but the Red Sox have countered with an offer of $1.3 million according to Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs. Nava is coming off a really weird year that saw him in the first half struggle immensely at the plate, hitting .238, which eventually led to his demotion to Triple-A for 24 games. After proving himself once again in Pawtucket, he would make it back for the second half, where he would return to his 2013 form to hit .297.
Over the past few seasons, Nava has become a fan favorite around Boston thanks to his impact on and off the field. His versitility in the field is also a huge help for the Sox since he can play in a few different key spots. It was reported by WEEI's Rob Bradford last week that Nava and the Red Sox had been contemplating giving up switch hitting due to his struggles last season from the right side of the plate.
Even though Nava and Miley at the moment have not agreed to a salary with the Red Sox, it is not a big deal. They still have two weeks to figure out an agreement that fits both sides before arbitration hearings begin on February 1. There are many players avoiding arbitration each day, so keep an eye out for what Nava's and Miley's salaries will be for the 2015 season.