TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday announced that Gold Glove third baseman Kelly Gruber has agreed to a three-year contract.
Gruber, 28, of Austin, Texas, had been scheduled for an arbitration hearing in Chicago Thursday morning.
Terms of Gruber's contract were not announced, but he had been seeking $3.3 million a year while the club offered $2.25 million.
It's believed Gruber's contract makes him the highest paid Blue Jay ever. Outfielder Joe Carter makes $3 million a year.
Gruber's contract was negotiated by Randy and Alan Hendricks, who engineered the $21.5 million, four-year contract extension for Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens.
Gruber batted .274, with 31 home runs in 1990. He was second in the American League with 118 RBI, 303 total bases and 73 extra-base hits.
He has twice been selected to the All-Star team, and last year was named the Labatt's Blue Jay player of the year.
Gruber has been with the club five years, the last three as the regular third baseman.
