A’s Sign Howell and Avoid Arbitration Hearing

Oakland A’s reliever Jay Howell, who submitted a $685,000 figure in his baseball salary arbitration case, signed a one-year contract Saturday, four days before the scheduled hearing.

Terms were not disclosed. The A’s submitted an arbitration figure of $430,000.

Howell, a right-hander, was one of five players acquired from the New York Yankees in the December 1984, trade that sent Rickey Henderson to New York. He was 9-8 last season with 29 saves and a 2.85 earned-run average.

In Chicago, catcher Jody Davis agreed to a three-year contract with the Cubs, two days before a scheduled arbitration hearing.

Terms were not disclosed. Davis was asking for $900,000, while the club was offering $675,000.

Davis, 29, batted .232 last year with 17 home runs and 58 runs batted in in 138 games.