Nats, Desmond avoid arbitration with $3.8M deal

By HOWARD FENDRICH

WASHINGTON (AP) Shortstop Ian Desmond got a raise of more than $3 million on Friday, when the Washington Nationals announced they agreed to contracts with six of their seven arbitration-eligible players.

Desmond, who made $512,500 last season and was selected to the NL All-Star team, avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $3.8 million, one-year deal.

He's coming off a breakout year, when he batted .292 with 25 homers, 33 doubles, 73 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, and cut his errors from 23 to 15. He also hit .368 in his postseason debut for the NL East champions.

Other players agreeing were left-handed starting pitcher Ross Detweiler, right-handed relievers Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen, and outfielder Roger Bernadina. The Nationals also gave a $2.5 million, one-year contract with right-handed reliever Drew Storen on Thursday.

The agreements left right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann as Washington's last remaining player whose case could go to a hearing in front of a three-arbitrator panel in Phoenix next month. The sides exchanged arbitration figures but they also might reach an agreement before any hearing.

Zimmermann asked for $5.8 million, while the Nationals submitted $4.6 million. He made $2.3 million last season, when he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA last season, making 32 starts and pitching 195 2-3 innings.

Detweiler agreed to a $2,337,500, one-year deal, a raise from $485,000 last season, when he went 10-8 with a 3.40 ERA in 27 starts and six relief appearances.

Clippard also got a substantial raise, moving to $4 million next season after making $1,675,000 in 2012. After a series of injuries to other relievers, he shifted from a setup role to closer and had 32 saves in 37 chances, along with a 2-6 record, 3.72 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 72 2-3 innings.

Stammen agreed to a $2,225,000, two-year contract after going 6-1 with one save, a 2.34 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 88 1-3 innings across 59 relief appearances in 2012. Out of 81 players who agreed to terms with major league teams Friday, Stammen was one of only two who got a multiyear contract; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Josh Thole was the other ($2.5 million, two years).

Stammen will make $875,000 this year and $1.35 million in 2014.

Bernadina agreed to a one-year deal worth $1,212,500, after earning $493,000 last season as a reserve outfielder. He hit .291 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 15 steals in 227 at-bats.

All told, the six players with new contracts are guaranteed $14,725,000 in 2013 , an increase from $10.5 million for those players last year.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

Updated January 18, 2013