The Angels and starting pitcher Garrett Richards avoided arbitration on Thursday, coming to terms on a $6.425 million contract for 2016, a source told MLB.com. Richards, who could end up as the Opening Day starter, went 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA in 207 1/3 innings in 2015, his first season removed from major knee surgery. When figures were formally exchanged on Friday, the Angels filed for $5.3 million, and Richards' representative, Fred Wray of Relativity Sports, countered with $7.1 million. The final figure is $225,000 above the midpoint, but just shy of the $6.8 million projection from MLBTradeRumors.com. With Richards taken care of, right fielder Kole Calhoun -- still four years away from free agency -- stands as the Angels' lone remaining arbitration-eligible player. Richards won't be a free agent until after the 2018 season and will be paid more than double his $3.2 million salary from 2015. The prior year was Richards' first as a full-time Major League starter, and the 27-year-old right-hander took full advantage, going 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA and an opponents' slugging percentage of just .261 before tearing the patellar tendon of his left knee in Fenway Park on Aug. 20, 2014. - See more at: http://m.angels.mlb.com/news/article/162516166/angels-garrett-richards-agree-to-deal
