Erik Bedard has agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, avoiding arbitration with the team that acquired him last week from the Orioles.
The two sides are believed to have already started negotiations on a long-term deal.
General manager Bill Bavasi, who has not had a contract go to arbitration since he joined Seattle in 2004, indicated last week that the team was exploring a multiyear extension for the left-handed ace, whom the Orioles traded for the Mariners' top outfielder prospect, Adam Jones, left-handed reliever George Sherrill and three minor league pitchers.
Bedard, 28, was 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA last year for the Orioles.
He was asking for $8 million in arbitration. Seattle's offer was $6 million.
Arbitration -- Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang lost his arbitration case against the Yankees, making players 0-for-4 this year. Wang was awarded $4 million instead of his request for $4.6 million by arbitrators Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Nationals infielder Felipe Lopez lost his case Thursday ($4.9 million instead of $5.2 million), and relievers Brian Fuentes of the Rockies ($5.05 million instead of $6.5 million) and Jose Valverde of the Astros ($4.7 million instead of $6.2 million) lost yesterday.