Angels and 2B Howie Kendrick avoided arbitration by agreeing to a four-year, $33.5 million contract extension. The deal buys out Kendrick's final year of arbitration and his first three years of free agency. The 28-year-old second baseman has a .292/.329/.434 batting line over his first six seasons in the big leagues and posted career-highs in 2011 with 18 homers, a .464 slugging percentage and an .802 OPS. He should enjoy hitting in front of Albert Pujols for the next few years.