Phillies, Revere reach deal for 1-year, $1.95 million

THE PHILLIES came to an agreement on a 1-year contract yesterday with outfielder Ben Revere, their last arbitration-eligible player, and are getting close to finalizing their roster, with spring training around the corner.

Revere and the Phillies avoided arbitration with a 1-year, $1.95 million contract for the 2014 season.

Only a week earlier, the parties exchanged numbers as part of the arbitration process. The Phillies proposed a $1.4 million salary for Revere; the centerfielder requested $2.425 million for the upcoming season.

Just as with reliever Antonio Bastardo earlier this week, the sides basically met in the middle. In doing so, they avoided having to take the process to an arbitration hearing next month in Florida.

The Phillies entered the winter with five arbitration-eligible players - Revere, Bastardo, starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick, outfielder John Mayberry Jr. and infielder Kevin Frandsen. All five were tendered contracts in December and were able to avoid arbitration since.

Barring major changes to the payroll in the next 2 months, the Phillies are likely to begin 2014 with a payroll very similar to last year's number.

In 2013, the Phillies had an Opening Day payroll of $159.58 million. The Phillies have 17 players under contract at $158.83 million for 2014. Once they renew the contracts of the pre-arbitration-eligible players who will fill out the rest of the roster - among them, Domonic Brown, Cody Asche, Jake Diekman and Brad Lincoln - the payroll for 2014 should hover around $164 million.

Even if a non-roster player breaks camp with the team - such as outfielder Bobby Abreu or pitcher Chad Gaudin - it wouldn't drastically change the payroll. Abreu, for instance, receives $800,000 if he makes the major league roster.

Revere, 25, meanwhile, is entering his second season as the Phillies' starting centerfielder. He hit .305 with a .338 OBP and had 22 stolen bases in 30 chances in 88 games in 2013.

Revere missed the second half of the season after breaking his right foot.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese