Mets Avoid Arbitration with Church, Pagan

Outfielders Ryan Church and Angel Pagan, both in their first year of arbitration eligibility, agreed to contracts on Tuesday according to Marty Noble at MLB.com.

Church will be paid $2.8 million in 2009 and Pagan will make $575,000.

Church had an excellent start to the 2008 season, hitting .311 with nine homers, and 31 RBI in April and May. Church suffered a concussion in late May when he collided with Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar. Symptoms from the concussion lingered throughout the season limiting Church's playing time.

Pagan played well in April hitting .276 with a .352 on-base percentage while filling in for the injured Moises Alou. However, Pagan injured himself while making a catch against the wall in Dodger Stadium and needed surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.

John Maine and Pedro Feliciano remain the lone Mets without a contract. Both players and the Mets submitted their salary numbers on Tuesday.

Maine is asking for $3 million while the Mets have offered $2.2 million.

Feliciano is asking for $1.95 million and the Mets have offered $1.35 million.

Arbitration hearings will take place in February, so there is still plenty of time for Maine and Feliciano to settle with the Mets and sign contracts.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Mets have gone to an arbitration hearing just one time since 1992. It was last year with Oliver Perez and he won.