Catcher Dioner Navarro will earn $400,000 less in 2009 than he had hoped as the result of an arbitration ruling in favor of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Navarro will earn $2.1 million this season after a three-person panel ruled in favor of the club, following a hearing held Monday.
"[Navarro] wants to thank the Rays organization for making this a fair debate and for handling the hearing with class," his agent, Kendall Almerico, said, according to Tampa-area media reports. "He is very excited to report to spring training and is looking forward to helping the team get back to the World Series."
Navarro's arbitration case was the fourth that has gone to an arbitration hearing in franchise history. The team has won all four, having prevailed in its case with catcher Josh Paul in 2006 and 2007 and with pitcher Esteban Yan in 2002.
Navarro, an All-Star last season, hit .295 in 120 games with a career-high 126 hits, including 27 doubles and 7 home runs, and 54 RBIs.