The Braves avoided the last of their potential salary arbitration cases when they agreed on Friday to a one-year contract with right-hander Arodys Vizcaino.
Vizcaino, 25, finished the 2015 season as the Braves’ closer after Jason Grilli suffered a season-ending injury and Jim Johnson was traded to the Dodgers. Vizcaino recorded nine saves in 10 chances while posting a 1.60 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 13 walks in 33 2/3 innings.
Vizcaino will enter spring training as a candidate to serve as closer again in 2016. The Braves re-signed Johnson in November and Grilli has said he his goal is to be recovered from a torn Achilles’ by the start of the season.
Vizcaino and right-hander Chris Withrow were the two Braves players to file for salary arbitration by Tuesday’s deadline. The team signed Withrow to a one-year contract on Thursday.
The arbitration process involves eligible players and teams exchanging salary figures and, if a deal can’t be reached, submitting proposed salaries to an independent panel. The panel then decides a salary to reward the player.
