Oakland's four remaining arbitration-eligible players -- first baseman Yonder Alonso, outfielder Josh Reddick, relief pitcher Fernando Rodriguez and third baseman Danny Valencia -- filed for arbitration Tuesday, which was the first day those players could begin the process.
Reddick, who made $4.1 million last year, is in his final year of arbitration prior to becoming a free agent, and Valencia, Alonso and Rodriguez are each in their second year.
Friday is the deadline for the A's and the players to exchange desired salary figures for 2016. The midpoint between what the player wants to be paid and what the team wants to pay him generally serves as a launch point for contract negotiations.
If the two sides can't agree to a deal by February, cases would be heard by a three-person arbitration panel, which would side with either the player or the team. Arbitration hearings could lead to bad feelings, so both sides typically work hard to avoid taking the process that far.
The A's won their lone arbitration case last year, against Jarrod Parker, who had asked for $1.7 million and instead received half of that. Valencia won his arbitration case last year while with the Blue Jays, getting $1.675 million after the Blue Jays had offered $1.25 million.