The San Diego Padres avoided arbitration with their young up-and-coming SS Khalil Greene. Greene gave up his final 2 years of arbitration and signed a 2-year $11 million guaranteed contract. He can also earn more on performance based bonuses.
Originally Greene was seeking only $4.9 million in arbitration, while the Padres were offering $4 million. The contract calls for the shortstop to make $4.5 million in 2008, and $6.5 million in 2009. The Padres were looking to make this a 3 or 4 year deal but Greene refused to give up his first years of free agency.
Even without locking him up to a longer deal, this deal is pretty fair for both sides. Greene gets middle ground for 2008 between what both sides were offering, and gets a size-able raise for 2009. On the Padres end, they risk the possibility of having to pay even more more in 2009 if he has a big season. And who knows maybe Greene remembers this gesture of loyalty when he becomes a free agent after the '09 season.
Greene recently was the Padres' MVP in 2007, when he hit .254 and set career highs in games played (153), runs (89), hits (155), doubles (44), homers (27) and RBI (97) and posted the highest fielding percentage (.984) among National League shortstops who played in 108 or more games. Greene also ranked 2nd amongst NL SS's in RBIs and doubles, while finishing 3rd in homers.
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