Ohlendorf, Pirates close to settling arbitration?

How close are the Pirates and Ross Ohlendorf to settling the arbitration case? Pirates beat reporter Jenifer Langosch answered that question during her weekly inbox.

Neither side is speaking specifically on the matter, though I can tell you that the preference for both sides is to avoid a hearing. The Pirates have not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 2004, but they are running out of time to avoid another one — hearings begin on Tuesday.

The two sides are $625,000 apart, as Ohlendorf has asked for $2.025 million and the Pirates submitted a $1.4 million offer. That’s not a significant gap, but that doesn’t necessarily mean an agreement will be reached easily. Where Ohlendorf’s salary is set this winter will affect the increases he sees in his subsequent arbitration-eligible years. Such knowledge is not lost on either side, and it makes each party hesitant to budge too much.