Vance Worley beats Pirates in arbitration case

Vance Worley has won his arbitration case against the Pirates and will make $2.45 million rather than the Pirates' proposed amount, which was $2 million.

As I mentioned in the Q+A yesterday, trying to parse why arbitrators opt for one figure rather than another is awfully difficult. And even Worley's filing number was significantly less than MLBTR's estimated $2.9 million, so from that perspective, the Pirates come out ahead either way. Worley receiving $2.45 million rather than $2 million does, however, help establish Worley's baseline salary for future seasons, which is especially noteworthy since Worley will be arbitration eligible three more times.

Based on his performance last season, though, it would have been hard to argue Worley didn't deserve a significant raise. There's a reasonable case that he was the Pirates' most reliable starter last season. His peripherals suggest that his 2.85 ERA could have been higher, but he was stingy with walks and got his fair share of ground balls, a combination that bodes well for his future as a back-end guy.