The Oakland A’s agreed to a one-year contract with pitcher Burch Smith on Tuesday, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Smith, who was eligible for salary arbitration this winter and now avoids that process, will receive $705,000 in 2021.
We’ll begin with a look at Smith, followed by details about how the arbitration system works and what this news means.
Burch Smith
The right-hander was acquired from the San Francisco Giants last February, the first MLB trade between the local rivals in three decades. He earned a spot in the A’s bullpen this season and turned in by far the best performance of his career, retiring 36 of the 44 batters he faced.