"Anibal Sanchez would have loved to sign a multi-year deal with the Miami Marlins Get your Marlins Tickets now!, but the alternative isn't bad.

Monday, Sanchez learned he won his arbitration case against the club. Friday, the two sides went before a three-person panel, which decided Sanchez merited the $8 million he sought rather than the $6.9 million the Marlins wanted to pay him.

Sanchez's arbitration award is the largest ever given to a starting pitcher. Jered Weaver lost to the Angels last year, but still earned $7.365 million. Other notable starting pitcher salaries decided by arbiters: Freddy Garcia in 2003 beat the Mariners, getting $6.85 million rather than $5.9 million and Oliver Perez in 2009 securing a $6.5 million salary instead of the $4.725 the Mets wanted to pay him."