Ernesto Frieri Avoids Angels Arbitration

Angels closer Ernesto Frieri and newly-acquired relief pitcher Fernando Salas each avoided an arbitration hearing with the Angels by agreeing to a 2014 salary.

Ernasty will be paid $3.8 MIllion and you have to wonder whether that might be the peak of what he could be construed as being worth as that fastball flattens out a little more each season.

Salas was part of the Peter Bourjos trade and is a below average garbage reliever, but at least he didn't make waves with the notoriously petty Moreno regime. In the past, Angels players who won arbitration hearings have suddenly been on quite a shit list - they seem to disappear from club promotions and the in-pocket local media seems to toss around doubt to readers like old ladies throw bread crumbs to the pigeons. Salas gets $870,000 in 2014.

The only two Angels left to negotiate with are David Freese and Kevin Jepsen. How do people justify rewarding mediocrity with more money than it cost to produce Star Wars? The Angels want to give Jepsen a $119,000 raise and he wants a $444,000 raise to $1.625 million. Is there a punch line here?