Khris Davis beats A's in salary arbitration, gets $5M

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Khris Davis defeated the Oakland Athletics in salary arbitration Wednesday.

The outfielder was awarded a $5 million salary for this season by arbitrators Mark Irvings, Gil Vernon and Mark Burstein, who heard the case a day earlier. The A's had argued he should be paid $4.65 million.

Davis, Oakland's regular left fielder, hit .247 for a second straight year and established career highs of 42 home runs and 102 RBIs in his first season with the A's. He earned $524,500 and was eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Also Wednesday, Oakland agreed to minor league contracts with a pair of Cubans: right-handed pitcher Luis Miguel Romero and center fielder Enry Pantojas.

Boston defeated pitcher Fernando Abad on Tuesday in the first case this year. The 31-year-old left-hander was awarded $2 million instead of his $2.7 million request.

Hearings run through Feb. 17.