Lindor and 21 teammates sign for 2018

Shortstop eligible for arbitration next year without a new contract

Shortstop Francisco Lindor and all 21 of his pre-arbitration eligible teammates signed their contracts for 2018, the Indians announced on March 11.

Other players in the group include right-handed pitchers Mike Clevinger, Nick Goody, Adam Plutko, Julian Merryweather, Ben Taylor and Cody Anderson; left-handed pitchers Ryan Merritt, Tyler Olson and Shawn Morimando; infielders Willi Castro, Yu Chang, Yandy Diaz, Erik Gonzalez, Eric Stamets and Giovanny Urshela; catchers Francisco Mejia and Eric Haase; outfielders Bradley Zimmer, Tyler Naquin and Greg Allen plus utility player Rob Refsnyder.

Terms of the contracts were not disclosed. All 22 players have been with the team in Goodyear, Ariz., since spring training began last month.

Lindor earned $579,000 in 2017. This is the final season the Indians can sign Lindor before he begins the arbitration ritual. If he does not sign a long-term contract, Lindor could go to arbitration in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The two-time All-Star would be eligible for free agency in 2022. He will turn 29 on Nov. 14 of that year.

Often an arbitration-eligible player and the team he plays for will come to a one-year agreement before an arbitrator gets involved, but not always.

Right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer won his arbitration hearing last month. He sought $6.525 million. The Indians offered $5.3 million. The arbitrator does not arrive at a compromise. He chooses the offer by the team or the request by the player to set the contract terms for that year.

Bauer, who went 17-9 last season while making $3.55 million, remains under Indians’ control through 2020 and can go to arbitration two more times.

ROSS D. FRANKLIN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Indians’ Francisco Lindor hits a fly ball during the third inning of a spring training game against the Padres on March 10 in Peoria, Ariz.