Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman avoids arbitration with $3.45 Million deal

Despite going to arbitration with Caleb Joseph, the Baltimore Orioles and Kevin Gausman were able to avoid a hearing. Gausman will make $3.45 Million in 2017.

The Baltimore Orioles appeared as if they were going to ‘file-and-trial’ all three of their arbitration candidates: Caleb Joseph, Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach.

Joseph already lost his case against the Orioles and will make $700,000 in 2017.

However, before Gausman was able to go to an arbitration hearing, he and the Orioles settled for a $3.45 Million contract. He was set to argue a $3.55 Million contract while the Orioles wanted to give Gausman $3.15 Million. The Orioles have team control over Gausman for the next three offseasons.

According to FOX Sports, the contract has a built in bonus of $50,000 if Gausman reaches 30 starts and another $50,000 bonus if Gausman reaches 33 starts.

Gausman pitched a career-high 30 games for the Orioles in 2016, going 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA in 179.2 IP. The Orioles are hoping Gausman gives them a strong season, especially since the Orioles rotation hasn’t changed–minus the trade of Yovani Gallardo to the Seattle Mariners.

The agreement allows Gausman to enter Spring Training next week without a looming contract over his head. Gausman recently spoke about the potential arbitration case during Orioles FanFest a few weeks back, stating that there was plenty of uncertainty.

The only remaining player who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing is Brad Brach. Brach filed a $3.05 Million salary versus the Orioles $2.525 Million contract.

If the Orioles and Brach are unable to come to an agreement, Brach and the Orioles will stand before an arbitrator while the Orioles attempt to prove why Brach isn’t worthy of $3.05 Million.

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Brach’s hearing is scheduled for February 16th.