John Lannan loses arbitration hearing against Nationals, will make $5 million in 2012

We have the results of the first arbitration hearing of the offseason. According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, left-hander John Lannan lost his hearing against the Nationals and will earn a $5 million salary this season.

Lannan, 27, requested a $5.7 million salary when arbitration figures were exchanged last month. Both sides stated their respective cases yesterday, but the three-person panel of arbitrators ultimately ruled in the favor of the team.

While Lannan lost the hearing, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times notes that he is now the highest-paid pitcher on the Nationals.

Lannan posted career-bests with a 3.70 ERA and 10 wins across 33 starts last season, despite an underwhelming 106/76 K/BB ratio over 184 2/3 innings. He remains under team control through 2013.

The White Sox have reportedly picked up first baseman Yonder Alonso from the Indians, according to Stadium. The return for Alonso is expected to be nothing more flashy than a “fringe prospect,” though the minutiae of the deal is still pending a formal announcement from both teams.

Alonso, 31, inked a two-year deal with the Indians during the 2017 offseason. His first campaign with the club yielded a modest .250/.317/.421 batting line, 23 home runs, .738 OPS and 0.7 fWAR in 574 PA. The real boon for the White Sox may not be a passable veteran bat, however, but something more intangible — like Alonso’s clout with his brother-in-law and highly-coveted free agent slugger, Manny Machado.

While Alonso’s 2018 output represented a significant decline from the career-best numbers he posted in 2017, he’s still a solid contributor at the plate and, more importantly, slated to remain under team control for the next two years with just $8 million owed in 2019 and a $9 million option in 2020. As MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince notes, the $17 million the Indians just erased from their payroll should give them enough room to accommodate the contracts for right-handers Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber — a bonus regardless of what they happen to get in the trade.