Agent says Veras has no hard feelings

The Brewers on Tuesday won their arbitration case against reliever Jose Veras, whose first pitch for his new team came in a hearing room instead of on a baseball field.

Veras, acquired in a December trade with the Pirates, will earn $2 million in 2012 instead of the $2.35 million he’d sought. Agent Bryce Dixon downplayed the awkward beginning by pointing to another player who faced a Monday hearing in St. Petersburg. Fla. Veras traveled from his home in the Dominican Republic on the same flight as Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, who wound up avoiding arbitration with a last-minute, $14.575 million compromise.

“If the Red Sox were almost willing to take ‘Big Papi’ to arbitration, [Veras] understands this is part of the business,” Dixon said. “You just have to roll with it. With relievers, there are just a ton of variables you can nit-pick on, and you never know what the arbitrators are going to hang their hat on.

“We’re surprised by the outcome, but Jose is fine with it. Jose is looking forward to being a Brewer, and he’s hoping that the Brewers have the same type of success this year as they did [in 2011].”

The Brewers improved to 3-4 in arbitration hearings since 1974 and 1-1 under the club’s current regime. You’ll be able to read more about the factors that went into the Veras case over at Brewers.com.

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