According to Alex Speier, the Red Sox have come to an agreement on a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, avoiding arbitration. The $4.5 million figure represents a raise of 80% for the catcher, who earned just $2.5 million last year.

It's Jarrod Saltalamacchia's final year under team control, which means this year should go a long way towards setting his worth on the open market. If it's more of the same from Salty in 2013--big power, little patience--chances are he's looking at somewhere between seven and eight million dollars per year when he hits free agency.

The Red Sox' streak of not going to arbitration with their players has lasted more than ten years now, but should face one of its greatest challenges this year when the Sox sit down at the table with Scott Boras to discuss Jacoby Ellsbury. The center fielder earned $8 million last season in just his second year of arbitration after a monster 2011. After an incredibly disappointing injury-ruined 2012 season, however, one has to imagine there's going to be some serious push-back from the Red Sox on that particular deal.