02/13/2004 9:04 PM ET Phillies, Polanco avoid arbitration Sides agree to a one-year deal worth $3.95 million By Ken Mandel PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies cleared their final bit of arbitration business on Friday, agreeing on a one-year contract with second baseman Placido Polanco. His $3.95 million salary is the midpoint between the $4.5 million he requested and the $3.4 million offered by the Phillies. This is the second straight year that the two sides engaged in such an exercise, and settled at the middle. Polanco earned $2.875 million in 2003. Polanco, who is fifth-year arbitration eligible, will become a free agent at the end of the season. The 28-year-old hit .289 in 2003, and reached career highs in homers (14), RBIs (62) and walks (42), despite missing 40 games with hand and leg injuries. An injury to third baseman David Bell forced Polanco to third base for 21 games last season, but he enters the season as the starting second baseman. "He's one of the smartest players on the team, and does so many things well," said manager Larry Bowa. The Phillies have no more arbitration cases pending and haven't had a hearing since winning the Travis Lee case in 2001. The club has never lost an arbitration case. On Tuesday, Kevin Millwood avoided the process by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $11 million, the largest base salary for one year ever paid to a Phillie, $500,000 more than what Jim Thome will earn in 2004. Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.