Pitcher John Maine (pictured) and right fielder Ryan Church headline the list of six Mets who filed for salary arbitration today along with 105 other players around baseball. As well as Maine and Church, the other Mets to apply for arbitration were: relievers Pedro Feliciano and Duaner Sanchez, outfielders Angel Pagan and Jeremy Reed.

The sides can (and usually do) avoid arbitration by agreeing on a contract before hearings start in February. The Mets are known for averting arbitration — Oliver Perez last year was the first Met to go to arbitration since 1992.

Perez, by the way, won his hearing and was given a $6.5 million deal for the 2008 season. That was almost $2 million more than the Mets offered.