SURPRISE, Ariz. -- For the first time since general manager Dayton Moore came to the Royals in May 2006, the Royals went to arbitration with a player.
And the Royals prevailed.
An arbitration panel ruled Friday in the Royals favor over right-hander Brandon Maurer after a hearing Thursday. Maurer had asked for $3.5 million, while the Royals countered at $2.95 million. The panel picked the Royals' figure.
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Maurer, 27, made $1.9 million last season. After being acquired in a Trade Deadline deal with the Padres last season, Maurer went 2-2 with an 8.10 ERA with the Royals. He had two saves.
The Royals have been close to going to arbitration hearings in recent years with Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer, but settled on deals with each player just before the hearings started.
"We tried to negotiate the process early on [in the Maurer negotiation], and the two sides were just too far apart," Royals vice president and assistant general manager Scott Sharp said. ""I think generally we're player-friendly. You don't want it to be contentious, and I don't think it was in this case. Just too far apart."
Maurer said the hearing never got contentious. "No, at all," he said. "I was kind of waiting for that 'Oh crap moment,' but it never happened."
Overall, Maurer went 3-6 with a 6.52 ERA between the Royals and Padres. He had 22 saves total.
The last time a Royals player went to arbitration was in February 2006 when outfielder Emil Brown won his case, getting $1.775 million instead of the Royals' offer of $1.4 million.