Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing by agreeing to a one-year, $28.5 million contract on the deadline day for player-team salary submissions.
Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez also reached an agreement, securing an $18 million, one-year deal. Meanwhile, Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker submitted the highest request among 17 players who exchanged figures, seeking $17.5 million, while the team countered with $15 million.
Other notable negotiations included Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who asked for $11.1 million compared to the team’s $10.3 million offer, and San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King, who requested $8.8 million against the team’s $7.325 million proposal.
Several players reached deals to avoid arbitration, including San Diego infielder Luis Arraez ($14 million), Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease ($13.75 million), Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen ($13.5 million), Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor ($10.9 million), Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena ($11.3 million), Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal ($10.15 million), and New York Yankees closer Devin Williams ($8.6 million). Arraez notably lost his arbitration case last year and earned $10.6 million.
Guerrero and Valdez are both set to become free agents after the upcoming season. Guerrero, the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, earned $19.9 million last season after winning an arbitration case, the highest award in arbitration history at the time. The Blue Jays had offered $18.05 million.
Juan Soto set the record for arbitration-eligible players in 2023 with a $31 million deal while with the New York Yankees, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $30 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto, now a free agent, signed a historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets in November.
For players unable to reach agreements, arbitration hearings are set to take place in St. Petersburg, Florida, from January 27 to February 14. Last winter, players won nine out of 15 arbitration hearings, with teams holding a historical advantage of 353-266 since arbitration began in 1974.
This year, 169 players were eligible for arbitration, a decrease from 238 in the previous year. All arbitration agreements are guaranteed, but contracts resulting from arbitration panel decisions are not.
Notably, San Francisco Giants third baseman J.D. Davis and New York Mets pitcher Phil Bickford were released despite winning their cases last year. Davis received termination pay of $1,112,903 instead of a $6.9 million salary and later signed a $2.5 million deal with the Oakland Athletics. Bickford received $217,742 in termination pay and signed with the Yankees on a contract worth $1.1 million in the majors and $180,000 in the minors.
