Dodgers, James Loney avoid arbitration with one-year deal

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No Jered Weaver scare here.

The Dodgers avoided arbitration with first baseman James Loney by agreeing to a one-year, $4.875-million contract with him Friday.

Loney was the last of the Dodgers’ three arbitration-eligible players to sign. He had been scheduled for an arbitration hearing next Friday.

Arbitration can be tricky, with teams having to almost put down their own players in hearings to justify their salary offers. Sometimes, the often-contentious proceedings can leave players bitter and less willing to re-sign when they become free agents.

The Angels beat Weaver, their ace, in an arbitration ruling Thursday.

Loney submitted an arbitration figure of $5.25 million to the Dodgers’ $4.7-million offer, the final figure $100,000 below the midpoint.

The Dodgers previously avoided arbitration by signing Chad Billingsley ($6.275 million) and Hong-Chih Kuo ($3.075 million). Loney has one more year of arbitration eligibility.

He made $3.1 million last season, when he hit a career-low .267. He hit 10 home runs and drove in 88 runs in 161 games.

Loney will turn 27 in May.

-- Steve Dilbeck