Tag: salary arbitration

Red Sox avoid arbitration with five remaining eligible players, including Christian Arroyo and Alex Verdugo

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with their five remaining arbitration-eligible players ahead of Friday’s deadline to exchange figures.

Boston came to terms with right-handers Nick Pivetta and Ryan Brasier, catcher Reese McGuire, infielder Christian Arroyo, and outfielder Alex Verdugo on Friday after previously agreeing to deals with left-hander Josh Taylor, outfielder Rob Refsnyder, and third baseman Rafael Devers.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox will pay Pivetta $6.3 million, Brasier $2 million, McGuire $1.225 million, Arroyo $2 million, and Verdugo $6.3 million. As has already been reported, Taylor will receive a salary of $1.025 million, Refsnyder a salary of $1.2 million, and Devers a salary of $17.5 million in 2023.

The Red Sox came into the offseason with 11 arbitration-eligible players in total, but they whittled that number down to eight by cutting ties with Abraham Almonte in October and non-tendering Franchy Cordero and Yu Chang in December.

Devers earned a 56.3 percent raise after taking home $11.2 million in 2022. The 26-year-old, of course, has since signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension that begins in 2024 and runs through the end of the 2033 season.

Verdugo’s pay was bumped by 75.5 percent after he made $3.55 million last year while Pivetta’s increased by 101.9 percent after he earned $2.65 million. Both Verdugo and Pivetta are currently slated to become free agents for the first time at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.

Brasier will receive a 42.9 percent raise after earning $1.4 million in 2022. The veteran reliever is entering his final year of club control and will be eligible for free agency next winter. Arroyo will see his salary increase by 66.7 percent as he, like Verdugo and Pivetta, is two years away from hitting the open market.

McGuire, who was acquired from the White Sox last August, will make $1.225 million in 2023. That represents a 69.6 percent raise from the $722,000 salary he received as a pre-arbitration-eligible player in 2022. McGuire and Taylor are both controllable through 2025 while Refsnyder is controllable through 2024.

All told, the Red Sox ended up committing $36.6 million to their eight arbitration-eligible players for this coming season. This marks the second straight year in which they avoided having to take anyone to an arbitration hearing as well.

(Picture of Christian Arroyo and Alex Verdugo: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

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Red Sox, Josh Taylor avoid arbitration by agreeing to $1.025 million deal for 2023 season

The Red Sox and left-hander Josh Taylor have agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2023 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon. The deal is worth $1.025 million, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Taylor, who turns 30 in March, did not appear in a game at the major-league level in 2022 due to a low back strain that dates back to the end of the 2021 regular season. The 29-year-old was sent out on several minor-league rehab assignments, but he struggled to a 6.00 ERA in 13 outings (12 innings) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester before being shut down from throwing in mid-July.

It was certainly a disappointing development for Taylor, as the lefty was coming off an impressive 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.40 ERA and 2.83 FIP with 60 strikeouts to 23 walks over 61 relief appearances spanning 47 2/3 innings of work. His 34 percent whiff rate ranked in the 92nd percentile of all big-league pitchers that year.

Despite spending the entirety of the 2022 season on the injured list, the Red Sox still tendered Taylor a contract in November. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound southpaw is entering his second season of arbitration eligibility and will receive the exact same salary ($1.025 million) in 2023 as he did last year. He is currently slated to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.

If healthy come Opening Day, Taylor figures to join free agent addition Joely Rodriguez as the two primary left-handed relievers available for Alex Cora out of the Boston bullpen to start the season.

With Taylor locked in for 2023, the Red Sox have five remaining players who are eligible for salary arbitration in right-handers Ryan Brasier and Nick Pivetta, catcher Reese McGuire, infielder Christian Arroyo, and outfielder Alex Verdugo. The deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures is Friday.

(Picture of Josh Taylor: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox, Rafael Devers avoid arbitration by agreeing to $17.5 million deal for 2023 season

The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2023 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration, the club announced earlier Tuesday afternoon. The deal is worth $17.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Devers was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $16.9 million in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility. The 26-year-old will instead receive a 56.3 percent raise from the $11.2 million he took home in 2022.

In 141 games for the Red Sox last season, Devers batted .295/.358/.521 with 42 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs, 88 RBIs, 84 runs scored, three stolen bases, 50 walks, and 114 strikeouts over 614 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter made his second straight All-Star team and finished 14th in American League MVP voting despite being hindered a right hamstring injury throughout the second half of the campaign.

Defensively, Devers logged 1,186 innings at third base in 2022. The 6-foot, 240-pound infielder was worth negative-six defensive runs saved and negative-two outs above average at the hot corner, per FanGraphs.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Devers originally signed with Boston as a highly-touted international free agent in August 13. After establishing himself as one of baseball’s top prospects, the young slugger made his major-league debut at the age of 20 in July 2017.

Since then, Devers has compiled a .283/.342/.512 slash line to go along with 139 home runs and 455 RBIs in 689 career games with the Red Sox across six big-league seasons. In addition to being a two-time All-Star, Devers won his first World Series title in 2018 and his first Silver Slugger Award in 2021.

Devers, who turns 27 in October, is currently slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career at the conclusion of the 2023 season. The Red Sox have made it clear that they would like to sign one of their franchise cornerstones to a long-term contract extension, especially after shortstop Xander Bogaerts left for the Padres in free agency last month.

“He has been somebody that we love and want right at the center of everything we hope to accomplish, obviously in 2023 but more importantly, in the years beyond,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said of Devers in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “Because those are the years he’s not under our control. We’re hoping to change that.”

While Bloom and Co. have expressed a desire to retain Devers beyond 2023, they are running out of time do so. Last month, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that Devers — who is represented by REP1 Baseball — would not entertain any extension negotiations during the regular season, meaning an agreement would have to be reached by the end of spring training.

It remains to be seen how close the two sides are to a long-term deal at this point. With that being said, though, avoiding arbitration could prove to be a step in the right direction for both player and club.

With Devers locked in for 2023, the Red Sox have six remaining players who are eligible for salary arbitration in right-handers Ryan Brasier and Nick Pivetta, left-hander Josh Taylor, catcher Reese McGuire, infielder Christian Arroyo, and outfielder Alex Verdugo.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox avoid arbitration with all eligible players, including Rafael Devers

The Red Sox have avoided arbitration with all five of their arbitration-eligible players heading into the 2022 season, the club announced on Tuesday.

Boston was able to come to terms with pitchers Nick Pivetta and Josh Taylor, infielders Christian Arroyo and Rafael Devers, and outfielder Alex Verdugo on Tuesday, thus avoiding a possible hearing. They did the same with reliever Ryan Brasier and catcher Kevin Plawecki prior to last November’s non-tender deadline.

Pivetta, 29, was entering his first season of arbitration eligibility and was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $3.2 million in 2022. The right-hander will instead net $2.65 million this year, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

Taylor, 29, was also entering his first season of arbitration eligibility and was projected by MLBTR to earn $1.1 million in 2022. The left-handed reliever may not be ready for the start of the season due to a back issue, but he will be making $1.025 million this year regardless, per McDaniel.

Arroyo is another first-year arbitration-eligible player. The 26-year-old second baseman was projected by MLBTR to also earn $1.1 million in 2022. He has instead avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $1.2 million salary for the upcoming season, according to the Boston Sports Journal’s Sean McAdam.

Devers is undoubtedly the most notable name on this list and the most expensive as well. As a second-year arbitration-eligible player, the 25-year-old All-Star was projected by MLBTR to earn $11.1 million in 2022 — representing a 143% raise from the $4.575 million he made in 2021.

There were some rumblings that Devers and the Red Sox were not going to come to an agreement on a salary figure for the 2022 season ahead of Tuesday’s 1 p.m. eastern time deadline and would instead be going to an arbitration hearing. Those concerns turned out to be premature, though, as the two sides have since settled on a $11.2 million salary for the year, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Finally, we arrive at Verdugo, who is also embarking upon his first season of arbitration eligibility. The 25-year-old was projected by MLBTR to earn $3.2 million in 2022 but will actually make a little more than that at $3.55 million, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

These agreements do not preclude the Red Sox from engaging in contract extension talks with any of the aforementioned players leading up to Opening Day on April 7. This is particularly prevalent for Devers, who can become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Red Sox, Rafael Devers avoid arbitration with $4.575 million deal for 2021

The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers have avoided salary arbitration, as the two sides reached agreement on a $4.575 million contract for the 2021 season, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand

UPDATE: It’s official now.

Devers, 24, was entering his first season of arbitration eligibility. He was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn approximately $6.3 million in 2021.

Had Devers and the Red Sox not settled on a dollar figure by Friday’s deadline, the two sides would have had to appear in front of an arbitrator sometime next month in order to determine the infielder’s salary for the upcoming season.

Prior to Friday’s deadline, Devers had been the only arbitration-eligible player the Sox had yet to come to terms with, as the club signed the likes of Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Austin Brice, Kevin Plawecki, and Eduardo Rodriguez to contracts in December.

Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, neither Boston nor Devers’ camp talked about a potential long-term contract extension leading up to Friday’s agreement. The Dominican national’s agent, Nelson Montes de Oca of REP1 Baseball, said as much when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier last week.

“We haven’t talked about 2021 or a multiyear deal right now,” Montes de Oca said. “Right now he’s just concentrated on getting in shape for 2021 and put in the best season and helping the team win. We haven’t talked or thought about any multiyear deal at this point.”

Despite the notion that there have been no talks about an extension to this point, the two sides are free to explore that possibility in the meantime. Though, as noted by Cotillo, “conversations about those types of contracts usually take place before or during spring training and are tabled before the beginning of the season.”

As of this writing, Devers is eligible to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.

For now, the former top prospect will prepare to embark on his fifth big-league season (fourth full) as he reunites with manager Alex Cora.

According to Speier, Devers is currently working out in Tampa to prepare for the season. The start of spring training is just a few short weeks away, after all.

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By reaching an agreement with Devers, the Red Sox — or any players on the team for that matter — won’t have to attend any arbitration hearings this spring for the first time since 2019.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign Matt Barnes, 6 others to one-year deals, tender contract to Rafael Devers

UPDATE: As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox also signed right-hander Chris Mazza and outfielder Yairo Munoz to one-year deals on Wednesday.

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The non-tender deadline came and went Wednesday night without the Red Sox cutting a single arbitration or pre-arbitration eligible player from its 40-man roster.

Per a team release, the Sox agreed to one-year contracts with the likes of right-handers Austin Brice, Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, and Chris Mazza, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, and catcher Kevin Plawecki.

Additionally, Boston will tender one-year contracts for the 2021 season to 25 players who remain unsigned, with third baseman Rafael Devers being the most notable of those individuals after the two sides failed to reach agreement on a deal.

The 24-year-old will have until January 15 to come to terms on a contract with the Sox or he will otherwise be headed for salary arbitration for the first time in his career come February.

As for the other players involved here, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo has the details on how much Barnes, Brasier, Brice, Mazza, Munoz, Plawecki, and Rodriguez will be earning next season:

Barnes: $4.5 million salary for 2021
Brasier: $1.25 million salary for 2021
Brice: $870,000 salary for 2021
Mazza: $576,000
Munoz: $582,500
Plawecki: $1.6 million salary for 2021
Rodriguez $8.3 million salary for 2021

All in all, the Red Sox owe this group listed above more than $17.5 million headed into the upcoming season.

Barnes, 30, and Rodriguez, 27, are the only two players who were entering their final year of arbitration eligibility, meaning they will become free agents for the first time in their respective careers next winter barring any extension talks.

On account of them not making any sort of cuts or subtractions on Wednesday, Boston’s 40-man roster is still at full capacity. That is likely to change now that this offseason’s free agency class has increased in size due to other clubs non-tendering a staggering amount of their eligible players in order to save money.

Diving Into 2021 Arbitration Salary Projections for Nine Eligible Red Sox Players

MLB Trade Rumors released their annual arbitration salary projections for the 2021 season earlier Thursday.

Unlike past years, projecting arbitration salaries for 2021 has become even more confounding than usual due to the financial circumstances the pandemic-induced, 60-game 2020 Major League Baseball season created for its clubs.

With that in mind, MLBTR’s Matt Swartz has put together three different projection models for this exercise in salary arbitration. The first of these three models directly uses statistics from the 2020 season, while the second model “extrapolates all counting stats to would-be 162-game totals,” and the third, which only applies to non-first-time arbitration eligible players, gives players 37% of the raise they would have received if the 2020 season was 162 games long. That being the case because 60 divided by 162 is equal to 37%.

It is somewhat confusing, but here is how those projections would apply to the nine members of the Red Sox who are currently eligible for salary arbitration this winter, again courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors.

PlayerModel 1Model 2Model 3
Matt Barnes$3.7MM$5.7MM$4.1MM
Ryan Brasier$1.00MM$1.6MM$1.0MM
Austin Brice$700K$900K$700K
Rafael Devers$3.4MM$6.3MM$3.4MM
Zack Godley$800K$1.1MM$800K
Jose Peraza$2.9MM$3.2MM$3.0MM
Kevin Plawecki$1.6MM$2.0MM$1.3MM
Eduardo Rodriguez$8.3MM$8.3MM$8.3MM
Ryan Weber$900K$1.5M$900K

Among these nine players, Matt Barnes and Eduardo Rodriguez are both entering their final seasons of arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency for the first time next November.

Other names listed above, such as Zack Godley and Jose Peraza, could very well be non-tendered by Boston by December 2, which would make them free agents.

Even if a record number of non-tenders are expected between now and early December, this projection model is certainly still helpful. And if we take the projected salaries of the players listed above and use the third and most-likeliest model to be used in this scenario, the total amount of arbitration salaries would add up to approximately $23.5 million.

Take that total and add it to the salaries of players who are under contract or have options for 2021, which would be approximately $155 million, and you arrive at the Sox’ projected payroll for next season, $178.5 million as noted by @RedSoxPayroll.

Of course, this does not take into consideration any players the Red Sox could add over the course of what is sure to be another busy winter for chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co, so that projected payroll number is likely to change relatively soon.

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I hope this piece was insightful as Major League Baseball prepares to embark on an offseason unlike any before in recent memory. Should be intriguing to monitor to say the least.

Red Sox Avoid Arbitration With 5 of 7 Eligible Players

The Red Sox have agreed to one-year deals with five players for the 2020 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration. Those five players are outfielders Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., and relievers Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, and Brandon Workman.

On the other hand, two players, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and outfielder Andrew Benintendi, were unable to reach one-year agreements with the Sox, meaning they are both more than likely headed to arbitration hearings come early February.

Starting with the five players who did reach agreements on Friday, here are the figures that were settled upon by both sides.

Matt Barnes – $3.1 million

Coming off an up-and-down 2019 campaign, the 29-year-old Barnes was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $3 million in penultimate year of arbitration eligibility. Instead, the UCONN product received a bit more than that projected figure and even saw a 94% increase in his salary from last year.

Mookie Betts – $27 million

As has already been discussed on here, Betts’ $27 million payday for 2020 marks the highest ever for a player in their final year of arbitration eligibility, surpassing Colorado’s Nolan Arenado’s record of $26 million from last February. The 27-year-old was projected to earn slightly more ($27.7 million) than that historic figure.

Jackie Bradley Jr. – $11 million

This time, MLB Trade Rumors got it right in the dot, as Bradley Jr. and the Sox settled on $11 million nearly three months after the site released that projection. Like his outfield counterpart in Betts, Bradley Jr. too is set to become a free agent for the first time at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Heath Hembree – $1.6125 million

A potential non-tender candidate back in late November and early December, Hembree has struck around for the time being, earning a $300,000 raise from his 2019 salary.

Brandon Workman – $3.5 million

Another free agent at the end of the 2020 season, Workman enjoyed great success last year and earned a well-deserved 204.3% raise because of it. He was projected to earn $3.4 million by MLB Trade Rumors.

Going back to Benintendi and Rodriguez, the player and team could still theoretically split the difference in their price and reach an agreement, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.

With that scenario unlikely to happen, it appears as if the two will take part in individual arbitration hearings by the first week of February. Winter Weekend just a got a bit more interesting.

 

Red Sox and Mookie Betts Avoid Arbitration With Record-Breaking $27 Million Deal for 2020

The Red Sox and outfielder Mookie Betts have reportedly agreed to a one-year, $27 million deal for the 2020 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1215694968137883648?s=20

Headed into his final year of salary arbitration before becoming a free agent for the first time next winter, the 27-year-old Betts was projected to earn around $27.7 million by MLB Trade Rumors and now comes away with a record-breaking $27 million.

Last year, the Colorado Rockies and All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado settled on a then-record-breaking $26 million for Arenado’s final year of arbitration eligibility before the two sides ultimately reached agreement on an eight-year, $260 million extension that February.

The news of Betts and the Sox coming to an agreement Friday comes on the same day that all 30 clubs and their eligible players had until 12 PM eastern time to exchange arbitration figures.

Just because Betts is now under contract for the 2020 season does not mean that the groundwork has been laid for a potential contract extension. But, it now gives opposing teams such as the Braves, Cardinals, or Dodgers, a more specific idea of what one year of the All-Star outfielder would cost in any trade conversations.

As we all know, Betts still appears locked in on hitting the open market come this November. If no extension between him and Boston is agreed upon by that time, the Tennessee native will have earned approximately $59.5 million in six full seasons with the Sox before reaching free agency.

Red Sox Reportedly Looking to Trade Jackie Bradley Jr. This Offseason

The Red Sox may be looking to trade outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. this winter, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Bradley Jr., who turns 30 in April, is entering his final year of salary arbitration and is projected to earn $11 million in 2020.

With it already out there that the Sox would look like to bring their payroll below the $208 million luxury tax threshold for next season, Bradley Jr.’s projected 2020 salary may not be in the club’s plans.

As Smith notes, Boston could non-tender their outfielder at any time before the December 2nd deadline, meaning he would become a free agent immediately.

Another possibility is that the team could tender Bradley Jr. a contract, look for a trade partner in the coming months, and potentially release him if no partner is found before Opening Day rosters are set, since, “arbitration contracts aren’t fully guaranteed until a player makes the Opening Day roster.”

Bradley Jr. is coming off a 2019 campaign in which he slashed .225/.317/.421 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI over 147 games played while also providing steady defense in center field.

Given the chance that Boston also deals Mookie Betts this winter, it would be hard to imagine a Red Sox outfield without Betts and Bradley Jr. in it in 2020. More is sure to come once we officially hit the offseason later this month, so stay tuned for that.