 12/21/2003 4:50 AM ET
Phillies sign outfielder Ledee
Offer arbitration to Padilla, Polanco, Rollins
PHILADELPHIA -- Ricky Ledee agreed to a one-year contract with the Phillies for $1.225 million, avoiding the arbitration process, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced Sunday.
Ledee, 30, appeared in 121 games for the Phillies last season, hitting .247. He hit .224 as a pinch-hitter, but was tied for third in the National League with two pinch-home runs last season. Of his 54 starts, 35 were made in center field, 19 in left field.
The Phillies offered arbitration to pitcher Vicente Padilla, infielder Placido Polanco and shortstop Jimmy Rollins by Saturday night's midnight deadline.
The Phillies didn't extend a contract offer to the 31-year-old southpaw Valerio De Los Santos, who joined Philadelphia in a September trade with Milwaukee. De Los Santos appeared in six games and allowed 10 base runners in four innings, though he picked up a win. Third baseman Travis Chapman was also non-tendered.
Arbitration-eligible players not offered contracts by Saturday's midnight ET deadline become free agents. This happened with Travis Lee and Marlon Anderson last year, and both eventually signed with Tampa Bay.
Rollins and Padilla, who are both arbitration-eligible for the first time, are close to deals, said a source within the organization, and should see substantial raises from the $450,000 and $425,000 respective salaries they earned in 2003.
Agreements with Polanco, who earned $2.87 million, and Ledee could soon follow. Should a contract not be reached, the sides would head to arbitration, where a three-man panel will decide on a salary submitted by the club or the player. Hearings are scheduled for the first two weeks of February.
Polanco, Terry Adams and Kevin Millwood were in that boat last season, and settled. The Phillies haven't had a case go to arbitration since winning against Lee in 2001.
Millwood returns to the process after accepting the Phillies' offer of arbitration before Friday's midnight ET deadline. He agreed last season to a $9.9 million contract, and could see a raise to $11.5 million.
The Phillies also claimed left-hander Victor Alvarez off waivers from the Dodgers. He will compete for the spot in the bullpen vacated by De Los Santos, but would more likely end up in the minors.
Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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