Chalk one up for the players.
In what's been a quiet offseason of free agent signings, the players finally got a chance to celebrate.
Mookie Betts won his arbitration case against the Boston Red Sox, winning the first salary arbitration case of the year on Wednesday. He will earn $10.5 million in 2018, a raise from $950,000 in 2017.
The Red Sox offered $7.5 million when arbitration figures were filed earlier this month.
His gap was the largest among the 27 players who swapped figures with their teams on Jan. 12.
His request of $10.5 million is close to a first-year arbitration record, falling just shy of the $10.85 million salary Kris Bryant got from the Chicago Cubs earlier this month.
Betts, 25, hit .264 with 24 homers and 102 RBI last year and earned his second All-Star appearance.
Teams won eight of 15 decisions last winter, the most hearings since clubs went 10-6 in 2004, and hold a 302-224 edge since arbitration started in 1974.
Contributing: AP
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