Dodgers avoid arbitration with Yasmani Grandal, Alex Wood

The Dodgers settled their final four arbitration cases for the winter, reaching one-year agreements with catcher Yasmani Grandal, left-handed pitcher Alex Wood, right-handed pitcher Josh Fields and left-handed pitcher Luis Avilan.

Grandal will earn the largest salary of the bunch, agreeing to a $5.5 million contract for 2017. Wood signed for $2.8 million, Fields signed for $1.05 million and Avilan signed for $1.5 million. These contracts are non-guaranteed.

The Dodgers have not held an arbitration hearing since 2007. The process is designed to encourage settlements.

Grandal, 28, hit 27 homers in 2016, which tied him with Justin Turner for the team lead. He posted a career-best .816 on-base plus slugging percentage, and the team’s front office continues to see his value in his ability to frame pitches. He can become a free agent after 2018.

Wood, 26, missed most of last season due to elbow surgery. He finished with a 3.73 earned-run average, and is expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation this spring. He could also aid the team out of the bullpen.

Both Avilan and Fields are expected to contribute in relief in 2017. Avilan, 28, bounced back and forth between the Dodgers and the minors last season, but ended the year with a 3.20 ERA and made the postseason roster.

Acquired in August, the 31-year-old Fields pitched his way into the upper reaches of the bullpen hierarchy, and could be part of the solution to replace set-up man Joe Blanton this season. Fields struck out 10.2 batters per nine innings with a 2.72 ERA in 19 games for the Dodgers.

In another move, the Dodgers shipped infielder Micah Johnson to Atlanta for either cash considerations or a player to be named later. The team had designated Johnson for assignment earlier this week to make room on the 40-man roster for the re-signing of closer Kenley Jansen.

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