NEW YORK — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing when the first baseman agreed Thursday to a one-year, $28.5 million contract on the day players and teams exchanged the proposed figures.
Houston left-hander Framber Valdez was also among the 148 players reaching deals, getting a one-year, $18 million contract.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker asked for the highest amount among the 17 players who traded figures, $17.5 million. He was offered $15 million.
Washington first baseman Nathaniel Lowe asked for $11.1 million and was offered $10.3 million, and San Diego right-hander Michael King asked for $8.8 million and was offered $7,325,000.
Guerrero and Valdez can become free agents after the World Series. Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, took home a $19.9 million salary last year, a record amount for an arbitration award when a committee chose his figure over the offer from $18.05 million from the Blue Jays.
Juan Soto set a record for an arbitration-eligible player when he agreed to a $31 million deal with the New York Yankees last year, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $30 million contract in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto became a free agent in November and signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets.
Among those agreeing to deals were San Diego infielder Luis Arraez ($14 million) and right-hander Dylan Cease ($13.75 million), Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen ($13.5 million) and first baseman Josh Naylor ($10.9 million), Seattle outfielder Randy. Arozarena ($11.3 million) and Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal ($10.15 million). Arraez lost his hearing last year and won $10.6 million.
Philadelphia left-hander Ranger Suárez ($8.8 million), Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer ($8.75 million), Baltimore outfielder Cedric Mullins ($8,725,000), New York Yankees closer York Devin Williams ($8.6 million) and St. Louis closer Ryan Helsley. ($8.2 million), Toronto outfielder Daulton Varsho ($8.2 million) and Milwaukee right-hander Aaron Civale ($2 million).
For players unable to reach an agreement, hearings will be scheduled before three-person panels from January 27 to February 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Players went 9-6 in hearings last winter, leading teams with a 353-266 advantage since arbitration began in 1974. The 15 hearings were down from 19 in the t year, when clubs won 13, but up from 13 in 2022, when teams won. nine. The players had a winning record for the first time since going 6-4 in 2019.
A total of 169 players were eligible for arbitration after the November deadline for teams to offer 2,025 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man roster, up from 238 at the start of the previous week.
All deals for players eligible for arbitration are guaranteed, but deals subject to panel decisions are not.
San Francisco third baseman JD Davis and New York Mets right-hander Phil Bickford were released after winning their court case last year.
Davis received $1,112,903. in severance pay rather than $6.9 million in salary and Bickford received $217,742 instead of $900,000. Davis then signed a $2.5 million deal with Oakland and Bickford got a deal with the Yankees that paid $1.1 million in the major leagues and $180,000 in the minor leagues.
