Gonzalez avoids arbitration (O’s exchange figures with Britton, Matusz)

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  Roch Kubatko

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  January 15, 2016 2:47 pm

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The Orioles are down to two unsigned arbitration-eligible players.
Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez has agreed to a $5.1 million deal. He made $3.275 million last season while going 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.396 WHIP in 26 starts over 144 2/3 innings.
Gonzalez made two stops on the disabled list with groin and shoulder injuries. He’s healthy now and hoping for a bounceback season.
Closer Zach Britton and left-hander Brian Matusz haven’t agreed to terms. Britton’s agent, Scott Boras, will submit a…

The Orioles are down to two unsigned arbitration-eligible players.

Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez has agreed to a $5.1 million deal. He made $3.275 million last season while going 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.396 WHIP in 26 starts over 144 2/3 innings.

Gonzalez made two stops on the disabled list with groin and shoulder injuries. He’s healthy now and hoping for a bounceback season.

Closer Zach Britton and left-hander Brian Matusz haven’t agreed to terms. Britton’s agent, Scott Boras, will submit a salary figure later today and the Orioles will counter with their own.

Matusz also will go through the process in hopes of reaching agreement later this winter. Hearing dates will be scheduled next month.

Britton went 4-1 with a 1.92 ERA, 0.990 WHIP and 36 saves in 64 games and 65 2/3 innings. He led all relievers in groundball percentage at 80.4 and groundball/flyball ratio at 8.47.

Britton, who earned his first career All-Star Game selection, made $3.2 million this year.

Matusz went 1-4 with a 2.94 ERA in 58 games and posted a 1.184 WHIP in 49 innings. Left-handers batted .186 against him and right-handers hit .244.

Matusz averaged a career-high 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The former first-round pick made $3.2 million in 2015.

The Baltimore Sun first reported Gonzalez’s agreement, which a source confirmed.

Outfielder Alejandro De Aza was the only Oriole who went to an arbitration hearing last year. He lost and had to settle for $5 million.

Update: The Orioles have exchanged salary arbitration figures with Matusz and Britton.

Matusz filed at $4.4 million, while the Orioles countered at $3.5 million.

Britton filed at $7.9 million, with the Orioles countering at $5.6 million.