This year’s round of (virtual) arbitration hearings kicked off earlier this week. While a perhaps surprising number of players agreed to one-year deals to avoid arbitration last month rather than risk a hearing, we’ll still have a handful of cases heard by a three-person panel of arbitrators over the next couple of weeks. Some results from the first wave of hearings…
- Mets third baseman/outfielder J.D. Davis lost his arbitration hearing and will earn $2.1MM in 2021 rather than the $2.475MM at which he filed, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has proven to be a good find for the now-former front office regime, hitting .288/.370/.483 with 28 homers and 31 doubles through 682 plate appearances since debuting with the Mets. Davis figures to see action at third base and perhaps in left field again in 2021, and he’ll be eligible for arbitration three more times due to his status as a Super Two player.
- Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi won an arbitration hearing against the club and will be paid $2.45MM in 2021, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (via Twitter). The team had filed for a $1.85MM salary. Choi, 29, has spent the past three seasons with the Rays, batting a combined .257/.359/.461 with 30 homers, 45 doubles and three triples in 821 trips to the plate. He slashed .230/.331/.410 in 42 games last year and is controllable through 2023. Choi was one of two outstanding arbitration cases for the Rays — the other being left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, whose trial has not yet taken place.
- The Orioles won their arbitration hearing over outfielder Anthony Santander, tweets Feinsand. Santander, like Davis, filed at $2.475MM with his club countering at $2.1MM. He’ll earn the lesser of those two sums. The 26-year-old is a former Rule 5 pick who had a solid showing in 2019 before breaking out with a huge performance in 2020. This past season, Santander batted .261/.315/.575 with 11 homers and 13 doubles in just 165 plate appearances. On the whole, he’s given the O’s a .261/.302/.505 slash with 31 homers and 33 doubles in his past 570 plate appearances. There are some obvious OBP question marks, but the power has prompted teams to look at Santander as a possible trade option. He’s also a Super Two player and is controlled through 2024.
Glad Choi won. While his stats have been average, maybe even a little below average, he’s had bright moments and has brought a lot of energy to that team.
glad the Rays lost
Yankees fan, obviously
He is now the ninth highest-paid player on the team. World Series or not, that is not good for the game.
RAYS’ 12 HIGHEST-PAID PLAYERS (Everyone else is league minimum)
Kevin Kermaier – $11,500,000
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo – $7,000,000
Chris Archer – $6,500,000
Tyler Glasnow – $4,000,000
Manuel Margot – $3,400,000
Michael Wacha – $3,000,000
Ryan Yarbrough – $2,900,000
Brandon Lowe – $2,500,000
Ji-Man Choi – $2,450,000
Joe Wendle – $2,250,000
Mike Zunino – $2,000,000
Yonny Chirinos – $1,175,000
dont say its bad! teams like Oakland and Tampa Bay should be celebrated! who car0es about
*who cares about winning World Series when people pity you for being cheap!
Is the problem business men wanting to make money, or the league not requiring owners to reinvest enough of the money back into the organization? Owners like Jeff Loria and the Rays’ owner wouldn’t be issues if the league didnt let them in
As Ray’s fan I’m thrilled that my team penny pinches and provides me the opportunity to watch quality mlb product live at a discount. Happy consumer here!
Rays compete with any franchise year and year out and I love the product on the field. Bring me more young players and time to move KK. Sorry Kk it’s been fun to watch you but Randy can cover CF going forward and keep my tickets affordable. Not sure my wife will come without you there but me n kids will be at the games.
If mlb wants a payroll floor then an equitable ceiling must be used too and not sure the large market teams will allow that. Besides beating evil empires on a David budget is way more than could ever imagine, best when you are stadium on paying an 1/8th of the price a NY fan would too. Young players are so much fun to watch in baseball
Agree 100%, not surprised Sternberg challenged it in arbitration since he’s so cheap. They will likely lose the Yarbrough case also…..
Choi owns the Yankees. He loves reminding them that he was once in their system.
Bauer to the Dodgers
No!!! Please tell me your last name is Nightingale.
No I but I do enjoy dressing as one….only certain days of the week tho….
Arbitration panel declares Mets winners today. For other MLB news see player transaction notes, page D22.
JD will be traded by Mets., soon.
Davis and Santander are both Super Twos. According to my research, since 2009 there have been 18 hearings involving Super Twos. Teams have won 13 and players have won 5.
The arbitrators for Davis were Mark Burstein, Gil Vernon, and Jeanne Vonhof. Once again I will rely on my research in case anyone is interested in information on the arbitrators career decisions. Burstein has been part of 19 panels. Those panels are 12-7 in favor of the team. Vernon is a veteran that goes back to the period of a single arbitrator. His career decision mark is 12-11 in favor of the player. Vonhof has participated in two hearings with both favoring the team.
The Santander panel was Richard Bloch, Melinda Gordon, and Frederic Horowitz. Bloch has been involved in 14 panel decisions with teams winning 11 and losing 3. When you add Bloch’s individual decisions, his totals are 23 team wins and 8 player wins. Gordon has participated in 3 panel decisions. Two of those 3 were decided for teams. Horowitz has a 5-4 career log in favor of the teams.
The Choi panel was Margaret Brogan, Brian Keller, and Gary Kendellen. Brogan’s career log is 11 player wins and 9 team wins. Brian Keller is 1-1, and Kendellen is 11-5 in favor of the teams..
Between 2002 and 2012, the Rays won all 6 of their hearings. They have lost 6 in a row, and the Rays are now 6-6. The Orioles have won 15 hearings and lost only 4. The Mets moved up to 12-11.
JD Davis is underrated. Mets should prioritize him more. He’s cheaper than Justin Turner and puts up similar numbers. Mets seem to ignore that and go after big names. That’s what hurts them in the end.
The Mets need to wake Alderson up, and forget about having anything to do with Jake Arrieta. This is a stupid crazy idea that they are interested in potentially signing him to pitch for them in 2021? Arrieta has not been any good since way before 2o18. The last time Arrieta was a decent pitcher was in 2016. He has had multiple injuries, and has not been a decent pitcher in 2017, 2018, 2019, and especially not in 2020.. Yet the Alderson-Cohen show are deeply, and erroneously overlooking good free agent pitchers like James Paxton, Taijuan Walker and Jake Odorizzi. If they don’t like any of these pitchers then trade for a starting pitcher. Unfortunately the Mets would have to give up Nimmo, Davis and a minor league prospect to obtain any good starting pitcher. None of this makes any sense when the Mets could simply sign either Paxton, Walker or Odorizzi.