The San Diego Padres have agreed to terms with five players on one-year contracts for the 2013 season, including right-handed pitcher Edinson Volquez, left-handed reliever Joe Thatcher, catcher John Baker, infielder Everth Cabrera and outfielder Will Venable.
The Padres have three players who remain eligible for arbitration: Reliever Luke Gregerson, left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard and -- the big one -- infielder Chase Headley.
Headley and the Padres exchanged offers Friday. Headley is seeking $10.3 million for 2013. The Padres offered him $7.075. Headley made $3.475 million in 2012.
Volquez, 29, led the Padres with 174 strikeouts this past season. In his first season with the Padres after being acquired from Cincinnati, the right-hander went 11-11 with a 4.14 ERA in 32 starts. He more than doubled his 2012 salary, getting a reported $5.725 million.
Thatcher, 31, the team's left-handed short relief specialist, went 1-4 in 2012 with a 3.41 ERA in 55 relief appearances. Thatcher, who has had injury problems for several seasons, got a raise to a reported $1.35 million.
Baker, 31, hit .238 in his first campaign with the Padres after being acquired from Miami. He settled for $930,000.
Cabrera, 26, hit .246 with 19 doubles, three triples, two home runs, and a National League-leading 44 stolen bases for the Padres in 2012. He is the first Padre to lead the NL in stolen bases as he reclaimed the starting shortstop position. Cabrera's contract is worth a reported $1.275 mllion.
Venable, 30, hit .264 with 26 doubles, eight triples, nine home runs, 45 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 2012. The left-handed hitter set career-highs in games, hits, doubles, triples and runs scored. Venable got a raise to a reported $2.675 million.
That leaves Headley as the elephant in the room. Coming off a breakout season in which he hit 31 homers and led the NL with 115 runs batted in, Headley could become the Padres' first $10 million-a-year player since Greg Maddux in 2007-08.
It's unclear if the team's new ownership will try to sign him before the season to a multiyear deal, or hold off and let Headley prove that last season was not a fluke. Headley turns 29 in May. San Diego fans are anxious to see management hang on to its star talent, especially homegrown talent like Headley.
Also up for a raise will be Richard, 29, the team's best pitcher last season when he went 14-14 and led the Padres with 218 innings pitched. Volquez and Richard were the only starting pitchers not felled by serious injuries.
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