Reliever Guillermo Mota avoided a salary arbitration hearing by agreeing to terms with the Red Sox on a one-year, $3 million contract for 2006.

Starters Josh Beckett and Bronson Arroyo, two other Red Sox pitchers who were eligible for arbitration, exchanged figures with the club and could reach agreements before their hearings next month.

Mota is 22-24 with seven saves and a 3.61 ERA (186 ER/464.1 IP) in 386 major league relief appearances with the Expos (1999-2001), Dodgers (2002-04) and Marlins (2004-05).

The righthander has limited opponents to a .231 batting average, including a .221 mark by lefthanders and a .238 mark by righthanders. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound righthander has 375 strikeouts in 464.1 innings, an average of 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and he has allowed only 41 home runs in his career, an average of one per 11.1 innings.

The 32-year-old Mota went 2-2 with two saves and a 4.70 ERA last season with the Marlins, making 56 appearances and recording 14 holds. One of baseball’s most durable set-up men from 2003-04 with the Dodgers and Marlins, Mota led the National League with a career-high 105.0 relief innings in 2003 and 96.2 relief innings in 2004.

In 2003, Mota posted career bests with a 1.97 ERA, 105.0 innings and 99 strikeouts while serving as a set-up man to Eric Gagne, who recorded 55 saves (second-most in major league history). The native of San Pedro de Macoris, DR set career highs in appearances (78), wins (nine) and holds (30) between the Dodgers and Marlins in 2004, tying for second in the league in relief wins and tying for fourth in holds.

Beckett, who made $2,425,000 last year, asked for $4.9 million while the team offered $3.75 million. Arroyo made $1,925,000 last season and asked for $4.2 million. The team offered $2.95 million.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.