Drew Smyly wins Arbitration Case

According to Jon Heyman, Drew Smyly has won his arbitration and is set to earn $3.75M for the 2016 season. The Tampa Bay Rays were 6-0 vs players in arbitration hearings before today, never having lost a case.

Smyly won his case, gets 3.75M

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 4, 2016

smyly is a client of darek braunecker & mark rodgers. rays were arguing to pay $3.2M. players now lead 1-0.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 4, 2016

Can confirm: Drew Smyly wins his arbitration case, according to a source. Will earn $3.75 million in 2016. @JonHeyman first. #Rays

— Devan Fink (@DevanFink) February 4, 2016

Drew Smyly wins arbitration case over #Rays, per @JonHeyman, will make $3.75M. Team offered $3.2. #Rays had been 6-0 in hearings

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) February 4, 2016

Drew Smyly was 5-2 in 66.2 IP over 12 starts in 2015, compiling a 3.11 ERA, 3.91 FIP and 3.47 xFIP. Rehabilitation for a torn labrum kept him out from May to August, although it was not clear whether it was a recent injury.

With Smyly's salary now set, the team payroll for 2016 would be $64.78 million, pending any further trades or signings.

While a difference of $550k may seem silly in the grand scheme of things, MLBTR had a great reminder in their write up of Smyly's arbitration win:

The sum in question at the hearing may seem relatively trivial to onlookers, although as several GMs and assistant GMs explained to MLBTR last year at this time, teams feel a responsibility to manage the arbitration market, as it is shared by all 30 clubs. Because all arbitration cases are built on recent historical comparables, the slight increases would eventually compound and become more significant were every team simply to give in to what appear, on the surface, to be relatively trivial amounts.