The Baltimore Orioles have avoided arbitration with right handed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie by agreeing to a one-year deal according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.

The deal is for $5.75 million guaranteed plus awards bonuses (via CAA Sports, Guthrie’s agency). The right hander made $3 million in 2010. He asked for $6.5 million, while the club countered with a $5 million offer when the two sides exchanged figures.

“I don’t look at it necessarily as a relief,” Guthrie said. “It’s a huge blessing of course to agree on a contract that guarantees me a lot of money to play a game I really enjoy playing. When you get to this point in your career, there’s an understanding of the arbitration process and you understand that it may end up in a hearing or it may not. You do your best to be prepared for either one of them. It’s not necessarily a relief. It’s just part of the process and the next step for me personally, and it’s a good step for us as an organization. Now, all the attention can be on spring training and us molding together as a new team.”

Guthrie was 11-14 with a 3.83 ERA and 119 SO in 209.1 innings and 34 starts with the Orioles in 2010.