New York - Setting himself up for an even bigger payday a year from now, Prince Fielder agreed Tuesday to a $15.5 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in the largest one-year deal for a player not yet eligible for free agency.

On a day when 67 of the 119 players who filed for salary arbitration reached agreements, AL MVP Josh Hamilton, major league home run champion Jose Bautista and Houston pitcher Wandy Rodriguez submitted the largest proposed salaries when players and teams swapped proposed figures.

Hamilton asked Texas for $12 million and was offered $8.7 million; Bautista asked Toronto for $10.5 million and was offered $7.6 million; Rodriguez asked for $10.25 million and was offered $8 million.

Only 37 players exchanged with their clubs, and three of those already have agreements.

Texas agreed with left-hander C.J. Wilson at $7 million and outfielder Nelson Cruz at $2.65 million.

Those among the remaining 34 players who don't settle will have hearings before three-person panels during the first three weeks in February.

Owners won five of eight hearings last year, bringing their advantage to 285-210 since salary arbitration began in 1974. Still, players are winners in the process. Last year, a study by The Associated Press found the 128 players in arbitration averaged a raise of 121 percent, down from the record 172 percent increase in 2009.

Fielder's agreement topped Mark Teixeira's $12.5 million deal with Atlanta in 2008. Both are represented by agent Scott Boras, who encourages clients to test the free-agent market.

Fielder hit .261 with 32 homers and 83 RBIs last season, when he made $11.25 million. It was the lowest batting average in his big league career.

• The New York Yankees agreed to one-year contracts with right-handers Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain and lefty Boone Logan to avoid arbitration.

New York also finalized its $35 million, three-year contract with free-agent reliever Rafael Soriano, adding a proven closer who will become Mariano Rivera's setup man. Soriano is scheduled to be introduced this morning at a Yankee Stadium news conference.

Hughes receives $2.7 million next season, while Chamberlain will earn $1.4 million and Logan $1.2 million. The Yankees lost the 2010 AL championship series to the Texas Rangers in six games a year after winning the World Series.

Hughes won a career-best 18 games last season with a 4.19 ERA over 29 starts and 31 appearances and was a first-time All-Star.