The Arizona Diamondbacks and Kelly Johnson settled before facing an arbitrator, much in Johnson’s favor:

Infielder Kelly Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $5.85 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.

Johnson hit .284 last season with 26 homers, 71 RBIs and 36 doubles, and made $2.35 million.

When players and teams exchanged proposed arbitration figures last month, he had asked for $6.5 million and had been offered $4.7 million.

The mid-point was $5.6 million, so the DBacks probably thought Johnson had a pretty good case. Johnson’s combination of OBP and power was up with the elite players at the position in 2010. He also showed durability at the position. Even six million is not a lot to spend for that much value.

Johnson will be a free agent at the end of the season. Playing 2011 as a 29 year old, the Diamondbacks will get the last year of his prime at a low cost, and then allow someone else to pay for Kelly’s decline. Going above the mid-point to settle was a very good move in that regard.