"After the two sides could not settle on his 2012 salary, the Nationals and left-handed starter John Lannan completed an arbitration hearing Wednesday that will determine Lannan's raise for next season. The team will learn the results Thursday.

The Nationals, like all teams, prefer to avoid arbitration trials, which typically include contentious negotiations with their own player. But the Nationals and Lannan could not determine a compromise after the Nationals filed for $5 million and Lannan asked for $5.7 million. "