According to Peter Abraham (by way of Nick Cafardo) of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox and Alfredo Aceves have agreed to terms on a one year deal worth $1.2M. The contract includes upwards of $100K in performance based bonuses, and allows both sides to avoid going before an arbitrator to decide their fates. When figures were exchanged on January 15th, the two sides were $700K apart with Aceves requesting $1.6M and the Red Sox countering with $900K. As it is frequently the case, the two sides met somewhere in the middle.
This agreement leaves David Ortiz as the only arbitration eligible case that’s yet to be decided. The two sides are reportedly $4M apart on a one year deal, and little progress has been made toward brokering a multi-year pact. If the two sides fail to agree, the Ortiz case will be the first one since 2002 where the Red Sox have had to go to arbitration. Arbitration cases are being held between February 2nd through February 17th, so a decision is forthcoming. Considering his 2011 performance and salary, my bet is on Ortiz winning his case.