NEW YORK — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with seven players Friday to avoid salary arbitration, including shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Michael Conforto and first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith.
Lindor will earn $22.3 million and Conforto gets $12.25 million in their final years before potentially becoming free agents, while Smith agreed to a $2.55 million deal in his first year eligible for arbitration.
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo ($4.7 million) and right-handers Edwin Diaz ($7 million), Seth Lugo ($2,925,00) and Robert Gsellman ($1.3 million) also agreed to one-year deals.
Lindor was acquired from Cleveland last week along with starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco in a blockbuster trade that excited Mets fans. New York parted with young infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario plus two minor leaguers in a deal that signalled the club is serious about paying for star players and contending immediately under new owner Steve Cohen.
The next step will be trying to keep Lindor beyond this year. The four-time All-Star shortstop said he’s not opposed to signing a long-term contract with the Mets. He said he wouldn’t want to negotiate after the start of spring training, though.
Lindor, 27, had a down year at the plate during the pandemic-shortened season. He batted .258 with eight homers, 27 RBIs and a .750 OPS while starting all 60 games and earning just more than $6.48 million prorated from his $17.5 million salary.
Conforto, who turns 28 in March, has become a steady and productive staple in the middle of New York’s dangerous lineup. He batted a career-best .322 in 54 games last season with nine homers, 31 RBIs and a .927 OPS. The slugging right fielder also scored 40 runs, played solid defence and was selected second team All-MLB. He made $2,962,963 prorated from an $8 million salary.
Conforto was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2014 out of Oregon State and helped them reach the World Series as a rookie the following season. The 2017 All-Star can become a free agent after the upcoming season and is represented by Scott Boras. With Cohen in place, the Mets have said they’re interested in talking to Conforto about a long-term contract _ and he sounded open to the idea. But this late in the game, reaching an agreement before he hits the open market could prove challenging.
Cubs avoid arbitration with Bryant, Baez, Contreras
CHICAGO — The Cubs avoided arbitration with three of their biggest stars, agreeing to one-year deals with third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Javier Baez and catcher Willson Contreras on Friday.
Bryant, who struggled through injuries in his worst season, is set to earn $19.5 million. Baez is due $11,65 million and Contreras $6.65 million.
The Cubs also agreed to an $8,63 million deal for next season with pitcher Zach Davies, acquired in the trade that sent NL Cy Young Award runner-up Yu Darvish to San Diego.
Outfielder Ian Happ remains eligible for arbitration.
Chicago made a move for the future, agreeing to a minor league contract with promising international prospect Cristian Hernandez, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal with the 17-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic has not been announced. MLB.com first reported the move.
The Cubs returned to the playoffs after missing out in 2019, only to score just one run while getting swept by Miami in their wild-card series. Theo Epstein stepped down as president of baseball operations and general manager Jed Hoyer got promoted to replace him. The Cubs then traded Darvish to San Diego for Davies and young prospects, ushering in a rebuilding phase.
With core players such as Baez and Bryant struggling, the Cubs ranked among the worst in the majors with a .220 batting average.
Baez, the 2018 NL MVP runner-up and two-time All-Star struggled in a big way at the plate last season. His averaged dropped 78 points to .203, and he hit just eight homers with 24 RBIs. Baez earned $3,703,704 prorated from a $10 million salary.
Bryant, the 2016 NL MVP, batted .206 _ by far his career low. He had just four homers and 11 RBIs. Two of those home runs were hit in the final two games against the crosstown White Sox. Bryant earned a prorated $6,888,889 portion of an $18.6 million salary.
Contreras came on strong down the stretch at the plate to finish with a .243 average, seven homers and 26 RBIs. The two-time All-Star threw out nine runner stealing and drew praise for his improved pitch framing. Contreras earned $1,666,667 prorated from a $4.5 million salary.
Davies went 7-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts for San Diego last season. The 27-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Cubs along with a package of young prospects for Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini last month. Davies earned a prorated $1,944,444 portion of a $5,25 million salary.
Happ led the Cubs with 12 homers and was second on the team with 28 RBIs. He finished with a .258 average after slumping in September. He earned $231,111 prorated from a $624,000 salary.
Bellinger agrees to one-yearl, $16.1M deal with Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers star Cody Bellinger agreed to a $16.1 million, one-year contract Friday with the World Series champions that avoided salary arbitration.
The Los Angeles outfielder and first baseman was the 2019 NL MVP and 2017 NL Rookie of the Year. He hit a career-low .239 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs in the shortened season, down from a .305 average with 47 homers and 115 RBIs, all career bests.
He slumped to a .136 average (3 for 22) with one homer and three RBIs in the World Series against Tampa Bay as the Dodgers won their first title since 1988.
A two-time-All Star, Bellinger earned $4,259,259 in prorated pay last year from an $11.5 million salary.
He is eligible for free agency after the 2023 season.
Angels avoid arbitration with Dylan Bundy, four others
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels avoided arbitration with right-hander Dylan Bundy and four other players Friday.
The Angels agreed to 2021 contracts with Bundy ($8,325,000), left-hander Andrew Heaney ($6.75 million), right-hander Mike Mayers ($1.2 million), right-hander Felix Pena ($1.1 million) and catcher Max Stassi ($1.6 million). Two-way standout Shohei Ohtani is the team’s last remaining player still eligible for arbitration.
Bundy had a standout debut season with the Angels after they acquired him from Baltimore, going 6-3 with a 3.29 ERA, a career-best 1.036 WHIP and 72 strikeouts against just 17 walks. He earned a prorated $1,851,852 portion of his $5 million salary. He gets a solid raise in his final year before free agency.
Heaney went 4-3 with a 4.46 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 12 mostly solid appearances while receiving a prorated $1,592,593 portion of his $4.3 million salary. Mayers was outstanding in his first season with the Angels after they claimed him off waivers from St. Louis in November 2019. He went 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA in a team-leading 29 appearances while earning the prorated $212,222 portion of his $573,000 salary. New general manager Perry Minasian got rid of most of last season’s underachieving bullpen, but Mayers remains a key piece in Anaheim.
Pena, a veteran reliever and occasional starter, went 3-0 with a 4.05 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings. He made the prorated $217,593 portion of his $587,500 contract. Stassi broke through as the Angels’ starting catcher in his first full season in Orange County, batting .278 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in just 31 games while making the prorated $296,296 portion of his $800,000 contract.
Judge, Yankees agree at to $10,175,000, 1-year contract
NEW YORK — Slugging outfielder Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided arbitration when they agreed Friday to a one-year contract worth $10,175,000.
Judge had his third straight injury-interrupted season since winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year award, hitting .257 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in 101 at-bats and 28 games. After homering in his first five games, he strained his right calf and played just once between Aug. 11 and Sept. 16.
The two-time All-Star was limited to 112 games in 2018 by a broken bone in his right wrist when by hit by a pitch from Kansas City’s Jakob Junis and to 102 games in 2019 by a strained oblique muscle.
He earned $3,148,148 in prorated pay last year from an $8.5 million salary. Judge is eligible for free agency after the 2022 season.
Red Sox’s Devers agrees to $4,575,000 deal
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a $4,575,000, one-year deal with third baseman Rafael Devers that avoided salary arbitration..
The 24-year-old Devers had a breakout season in 2019, when he batted .311 with 32 homers and 115 RBIs, leading the majors with 54 doubles and 359 total bases and finishing 12th in the AL MVP voting.
But last year was a setback: He hit .263 while committing 14 errors at third base _ the most in the majors. The next closest was 11. Devers earned $256,481 prorated of a $692,500 salary last season.
With Devers’ deal the Red Sox have come to terms with all their arbitration-eligible players this off-season. In December Boston agreed to one-year contracts with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez ($8.3 million), right-handers Matt Barnes ($4.5 million), Ryan Brasier ($1.25 million) and Austin Brice ($870,000) and catcher Kevin Plawecki ($1.6 million).
Nationals agree to deals with Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Josh Bell
WASHINGTON — NL batting champion Juan Soto, shortstop Trea Turner and first baseman Josh Bell agreed to 2021 contracts for substantial raises with the Washington Nationals on Friday, leaving the team with no players headed to arbitration.
Soto’s one year-deal is worth $8.5 million, Turner’s is for $13 million and Bell’s is $6.35 million. Friday was the scheduled exchange by players and teams of proposed salary figures for arbitration.
A young, slugging outfielder, Soto hit .351 in 2020, also leading the National League in on-base percentage (.490) and slugging percentage (.695). He finished with a team-high 13 homers and 37 RBIs in 47 games during the pandemic-truncated season.
Soto made just above $233,111 in prorated salary in 2020; he had been due to make s$629,400 if it had been a full season.
This was his first time being eligible for arbitration.
Soto was fifth in NL MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger award, a year after helping Washington win the franchise’s first World Series title.
Turner came in seventh place in the MVP tally after topping the NL in hits with 78 and coming in fourth in batting average at .335. He led Washington with 41 RBIs and 12 stolen bases and finished second on the club with 12 homers.
The 27-year-old Turner is a fixture at the top of the lineup and pairs with Soto to give the Nationals two offensive cornerstones.
Turner was supposed to make $7.45 million in 2020, but that was reduced to a prorated salary of $2,759,259.
General manager Mike Rizzo has pursued a long-term deal for Turner.
“Trea is part of that core that we’re talking about. You are looking at a young player that’s really coming into his own and becoming a real factor in the game, so he’s a guy that we have had discussions in the past,” Rizzo said in September. “We certainly would love to continue to have discussions.”
Washington traded for Bell last month in its first significant move of the off-season, filling a hole at first base while also hoping to add some pop to the batting order by getting him from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Nationals are counting on the 28-year-old Bell to play like the version that earned an NL All-Star berth for a terrific first half of the 2019 season _ he batted .302 and produced 27 homers and 84 RBIs _ rather than the player he’s been since.
He slumped to a .233 average with 10 homers the rest of the way that season, then dropped to a career-worst .226 average with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 57 games in 2020.
Bell collected a prorated salary of $1,777,778 last season; his contract was worth $4.8 million before the pandemic shortened the schedule.
Note: The Nationals also announced Friday that they agreed to terms with 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Armando Cruz and nine other international free agents. A total of five are from the Dominican Republic, four from Venezuela and one from Aruba; all are teens.
Pirates avoid arbitration with pitcher Musgrove, eight others
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates avoided arbitration with right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove and eight others on Friday as the club tries to bounce back after finishing with the worst record in the majors in 2020.
Musgrove, the team’s opening day starter in 2020, will make $4.45 million after going 1-5 with a 3.86 ERA last season while making a pro-rated $1,037,037 of a $2.8 million salary. The 28-year-old could help anchor the top of the rotation along with Jameson Taillon, the emphasis on "could." With the Pirates in full rebuild mode, Musgrove is one of their few major-league ready trade chips as they look to restock their prospect pool.
Catcher Jacob Stallings, a Gold Glove finalist while dealing with a pitching staff ravaged by injuries, earned a significant raise. The 31-year-old’s pay jumped from $586,500 ($217,222 pro-rated) to $1.3 million. Stallings hit .248 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in his first full season as a starter.
Infielder Colin Moran, now the de facto starting first baseman after the Pirates traded Josh Bell to Washington on Christmas Eve, earned a bump from $593,500 ($219,815 pro-rated) to $2.8 million. Moran hit .248 with a team-high 10 home runs in 2020.
Second baseman Adam Frazier, like Stallings a Gold Glove finalist last season, will make $4.3 million. Frazier, who made a pro-rated $1,037,037 of $2.8 million in 2020, hit .230 with seven homers and 23 RBIs last season. Frazier, like Musgrove, could be on the move considering the glut of options in the middle infield and Frazier’s versatility.
Left-handed pitcher Steven Brault, who carved out a spot at the back of the rotation, earned a raise to $2.05 million from $218,704 prorated of a $590,500 salary. Brault struggled early but was impressive in September, going 1-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
Chad Kuhl, who returned in 2020 after missing most of two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, will earn $2.13 million, up from $311,111 prorated of $840,000. Kuhl went 2-3 with a 4.27 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) last year.
Reliever Kyle Crick, limited to seven appearances due to injury, will make $800,000, an increase from $218,519 prorated of $590,000. Richard Rodriguez, who figures to enter spring training as the closer after racking up four saves last season, jumped to $1.7 million from $234,630 prorated of $633,500. Reliever Chris Stratton will earn $1.1 million in 2021, an increase from $217,963 prorated of $588,500.
Rangers agree to 1-year deals with Gold Glovers Gallo, Kiner Falefa
The Texas Rangers agreed to one-year deals with right fielder Joey Gallo and expected starting shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa on Friday, avoiding arbitration with their two Gold Glove winners.
Gallo got a $6.2 million deal, after last season earning $1,629,630 prorated of the $4.4 million salary he agreed to to avoid arbitration last year.
Kiner-Falefa won a Gold Glove at third base last season, but the Rangers have already said he will go to spring training with the opportunity to be their starting shortstop. His $2 million deal is up from his $587,000 salary for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when he got $217,407 prorated.
With the agreements, the Rangers will again avoid a salary arbitration hearing. They haven’t had one since 2000, with first baseman/outfielder Lee Stevens.
Gallo won his first Gold Glove for standout defence last season, though he struggled at the plate. The 27-year-old outfielder hit .181 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs in 57 games in his sixth MLB season since being the 39th overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft.
He was an All-Star in 2019, when he hit .253 with 22 homers in 70 games before right wrist surgery — and went deep in the All-Star Game. That came after consecutive 40-homer seasons despite hitting under .210 in 2017 and 2018. In 473 big league games, Gallo has hit .208 with 120 homers — and 122 singles.
The Rangers said in December that the 25-year-old Kiner-Falefa would go to spring training as their top shortstop and that 32-year-old Elvis Andrus needed to prepare to play all infield positions. Andrus is the longest-tenured Ranger after 12 seasons and the only player remaining from their back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Kiner-Falefa hit .280 in his third big league season, when he earned the starting job at third base in camp. He started 42 games at third base, and another 15 games at shortstop when Andrus was injured. The Rangers had even used Kiner-Falefa as a catcher the previous two seasons as a way to get him in the lineup.
Texas also signed 19 international free agents Friday, including eight from the Dominican Republic and eight from Venezuela. The group included centre fielder Yeison Morrobel from the Dominican Republic with a $1.8 million signing bonus and two shortstops, Danyer Cueva from Venezuela ($1,025,000) and Yeferson Tineo from the Dominican Republic ($600,000).
Cleveland avoids arbitration with three, all acquired in trades
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians avoided salary arbitration with catcher Austin Hedges, right-hander Phil Maton and infielder Amed Rosario, agreeing Friday to one-year deals with three players who joined them via trade in the past six months.
Hedges will make $3.28 million in 2021, Rosario $2.4 million and Maton $975,000.
The team began the off-season with seven arbitration eligible players, including All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor. But the Indians traded Lindor along with starter Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets for Rosario, infielder Andres Gimenez and two propsects.
The 25-year-old Rosario batted .252 in 46 games last season. It’s not clear what the Indians plans are for Rosario, who could be in the mix to replace Lindor. Rosario earned $225,474 prorated from a $608,780 salary.
Considered an excellent defensive catcher, the 28-year-old Hedges came to the Indians in July from San Diego as part of the Mike Clevinger deal. Hedges got one hit in 12 at-bats with the Indians in 2020. He made $1,111,111 prorated from a $3 million salary.
Also part of the Clevinger deal, Maton will likely have a spot in Cleveland’s bullpen in 2021. The right-hander started well after joining the Indians, but struggled over his last 11 appearances and finished 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA. He earned $211,889 prorated from a $572,100 salary.
Reliable third baseman Matt Chapman earns big raise from A’s
OAKLAND, Calif. — Slick-fielding third baseman Matt Chapman reached agreement Friday on a $6.49 million, one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics to avoid arbitration, and the club also secured deals with its five other arbitration-eligible players.
Chapman earned a hefty raise after making $230,926 in prorated pay of his $623,500 salary in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
The two-time Gold Glove winner’s year was cut short by a season-ending hip injury in September — a big blow for Oakland. He was limited to 37 games before undergoing surgery on his right hip. The 27-year-old Chapman had 10 homers and 25 RBIs batting .232 before the injury.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt reached agreement on a $4.9 million contract, left-hander Sean Manaea will earn $5.95 million, outfielder Mark Canha $6,925,000, right-hander Frankie Montas $1.8 million and Lou Trivino $912,500.
Bassitt emerged as Oakland’s ace as the Athletics won the AL West and their wild-card playoff round before losing in four games to rival Houston in the AL Division Series. He went 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA and 55 strikeouts. Bassitt had a 2020 salary of $2.25 million that was prorated to $833,333 over the condensed 60-game schedule.
Canha batted .246 with five homers, 12 doubles, two triples and 33 RBIs while playing 59 games and five different positions — 21 at designated hitter, 17 in right field, 15 in left, nine in centre and three at first base. Canha, 31, had been set to earn $4.8 million last season but his prorated salary wound up at $1,777,778.
Manaea, limited to five September starts in 2019 as he went 4-0 when he returned from shoulder surgery before losing the wild-card game to Tampa Bay, went 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 11 starts. The 28-year-old Manaea was due to make a $3.75 million salary last year but earned $1,388,889 prorated for the shortened season.
Montas pitched opening day for Oakland and finished 3-5 with a 5.60 ERA over 11 starts and 53 innings. He went 9-2 in 2019 despite an 80-game suspension after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He had been due to make $573,500 last season but earned $212,407.
Trivino could be a closer candidate this spring. He earned $210,556 of his prorated $568,500 salary in 2020. He had 26 strikeouts to 10 walks and was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA over nine outings and 23 1/3 innings.
In 11 post-season trips since 2000, Oakland has advanced to the AL Championship Series just once — in 2006 before being swept by the Tigers. The 2020 team fell short of its World Series goal after the A’s won 97 games each of the previous two years only to lose in the one-game wild card.
McCullers, Diaz reach deals with Astros, who finalize Baez
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros agreed to one-year contracts with right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and infielder Aledmys Diaz on Friday to avoid salary arbitration.
Houston also finalized a $12.5 million, two-year deal with reliever Pedro Baez that includes a club option and could be worth $19.5 million for three seasons. Last season he was 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA and two saves in 18 appearances for the Dodgers.
McCullers will make $6.5 million next season after a solid year in 2020 in his return after missing a season after Tommy John surgery. McCullers was 3-3 with a 3.93 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 11 starts last season, earning $1,518,519 prorated from a $4.1 million salary. He’ll be one of the leaders of Houston’s rotation in 2021 with ace Justin Verlander out all year after having Tommy John surgery.
The 30-year-old Diaz will make $3 million next season. He played just 17 games in an injury-plagued 2020 season. He hit .241 with three homers and six RBIs in his second season in Houston and earned $962,963 prorated from a $2.6 million salary.
Shortstop Carlos Correa is Houston’s only only
arbitration-eligible player who remains unsigned.
In seven seasons with the Dodgers, Baez the right-hander is 21-15 with a 3.03 ERA in 355 appearances. He has 369 strikeouts in 356 career innings and has limited opponents to a .206 average.
He’s been particularly against left-handers in his career and has limited them to a .181 average. His best season came in 2019 when he went 7-2 and led the team with 71 appearances and set career-bests in wins, opponents average (.174) and WHIP (0.95).
He gets a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $4.5 million this year and $5.5 million in 2022. Houston has a $7.5 million option with a $2 million buyout.
Baez’s 2022 salary can escalate by $1 million based on innings this year: $250,000 each for 30, 40, 50 and 60. His option would escalate to $8 million if he has 100 innings in 2021 and 2022 combined.
Braves agree to 1-year deals with left handers Fried, Minter
ATLANTA — The Braves have agreed Friday to one-year deals with left-handers Max Fried and A.J. Minter that avoid arbitration.
Fried gets $3.5 million and Minter $1.3 million.
Fried, 26, earned a significant raise for 2020, when he earned $216,111 as his prorated portion of his $583,500 salary. Fried finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting after going 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in the regular season.
Fried excelled in his fourth season when asked to fill in as Atlanta’s ace following Mike Soroka’s season-ending Achilles injury. Fried, who won 17 games in 2019, had a 3.04 ERA in four post-season starts.
Minter enjoyed a strong bounce-back season, recording a 0.83 ERA in 22 appearances. He had 24 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings, reclaiming his spot as a reliable left-hander after struggling in 2019 with a 7.06 ERA. He also earned a prorated $216,111 salary in 2020.
The agreements left shortstop Dansby Swanson and Soroka as the only Atlanta players facing arbitration.
Brewers reach 1-year deals with Josh Hader, Brandon Woodruff
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers avoided going to arbitration with pitchers Josh Hader and Brandon Woodruff by agreeing to one-year contracts with the former All-Stars.
Hader signed for $6,675,000 while Woodruff agreed to a $3,275,000 deal. The Brewers don’t have any arbitration cases.
Last year, Hader lost an arbitration case that resulted in a $4.1 million salary, which was pro-rated to $1,518,519 in the pandemic shortened the season. Hader said after his arbitration case last year that he believed the system is outdated and doesn’t account for the fact that high-leverage relievers now occasionally pitch earlier in games.
Hader, who turns 27 on April 7, has been one of the game’s top relievers over the last few seasons and made the NL All-Star team in 2018 and 2019.
The left-hander was 1-2 with a career-high 3.79 ERA in 21 games last year, but six of the eight runs he allowed came in just two appearances. He had an NL-leading 13 saves while striking out 31 and allowing just eight hits in 13 innings.
In his four-year career, Hader has a 2.54 ERA with 62 saves and 380 strikeouts in just 223 2/3 innings.
Woodruff, who turns 28 on Feb. 10, went 3-5 with a 3.05 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings last season. The right-hander tied for the NL lead in starts and ranked fourth in the NL in innings pitched.
Woodruff had a 2020 salary of $633,100 that was pro-rated to $234,481 due to the shortened season.
That came after a 2019 season in which he made the NL All-Star team but missed nearly two months with a left oblique strain. Woodruff went 11-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 22 starts that season.
[relatedlinks]
