Tigers Sign Jose Alvarez To Minor League Deal
The Tigers have signed left-hander Jose Alvarez to a minor league contract, per the transactions log at MiLB.com. He won’t pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, though Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press writes that the club will help Alvarez oversee his recovery and rehabilitation with an eye toward the 2024 campaign. Alvarez is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
The 33-year-old Alvarez is a known commodity to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who was the Giants’ general manager during Alvarez’s two-year stint in San Francisco from 2021-22. He was outstanding for the Giants in ’21, pitching to a 2.37 ERA with a well below-average 15.8% strikeout rate but strong walk and ground-ball rates of 7.1% and 50.5%, respectively. His 2022 season was cut short by arm troubles that led to his subsequent Tommy John surgery, and prior to going on the shelf Alvarez was tagged for an ugly 5.28 ERA.
Alvarez actually made his Major League debut with the Tigers nearly a decade ago, in 2013, but he was tagged for a 5.82 ERA in 38 2/3 innings that season. The Tigers traded him to the Angels in exchange for Andrew Romine the following offseason, and Alvarez would eventually establish himself as a quality big league reliever in Anaheim.
From 2014-21, Alvarez racked up 366 2/3 innings of 3.14 ERA ball with a 20.2% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate, 46.8% grounder rate, 70 holds and three saves. He’s held lefties to a .238/.288/.365 slash in his career, and while righties have posted a strong .270 average and .340 OBP against him, they haven’t hit for much power (.399 slugging, .129 ISO). Alvarez has always thrived in terms of limiting hard contact, yielding just an 86.3 mph average exit velocity and a feeble 30% hard-hit rate dating back to 2015, when Statcast first began tracking such measures. He’s never yielded an average exit velocity of even 87 mph. Last year’s league average was 88.6 mph.
Jose Alvarez Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
SEPTEMBER 2: Alvarez indeed underwent Tommy John surgery this week, the Giants announced.
AUGUST 25: Giants left-hander Jose Alvarez‘s 2022 season is over due to a setback in his injury rehab, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Alvarez hasn’t pitched since mid-June due to a pair of injured-list stints, first for a back strain and then elbow inflammation that Slusser reports was later diagnosed as a UCL strain. The problem is serious enough that Tommy John surgery is likely necessary, though Alvarez will probably seek out a second opinion before making his final choice about surgery.
Due to the usual 12-15 month recovery timeframe for TJ surgery, Alvarez seems likely to miss the entire 2023 season. On the off chance that Alvarez does find a favorable second opinion, it would still seem like he’d be facing a lengthy absence that might make him questionable for the start of the 2023 campaign, and there’s no guarantee that he wouldn’t eventually end up getting a Tommy John surgery anyway in the event of another setback.
It’s a tough outcome for the 33-year-old, who will end his 10th Major League season with just 15 1/3 innings pitched and a 5.28 ERA. Alvarez signed a free agent with San Francisco prior to the 2021 season that ultimately paid him $2.55MM over the 2021-22 seasons, after the Giants exercised a club option on his services for 2022.
As such, the left-hander will now head into free agency with a lot of health uncertainty hanging over his market. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Alvarez won’t be able to find a new deal this winter, as several pitchers in similar TJ situations have signed two-year contracts, with only a minimum salary for the first year of the contract in the understanding that the pitcher will miss most or all of the year rehabbing.
Alvarez had a solid track record of success as a member of the Angels and Phillies bullpens from 2015-19, posting a 3.36 ERA/3.80 SIERA over 295 innings in those seasons. Alvarez wasn’t just a left-handed specialist, as he delivered good numbers against right-handed batters in addition to dominating left-handed batters. His solid run was interrupted by an injury-plagued 2020 season, as he tossed only 6 1/3 innings for Philadelphia due to a groin injury.
It made for an ill-timed platform season as Alvarez was eligible for free agency for the first time, and the Giants ended up with a nice bargain for their modest $2.55MM investment. Despite a 4.42 SIERA in 2021 and one of the lowest (15.8%) strikeout rates of any pitcher in baseball, Alvarez outperformed his peripherals to post a 2.37 ERA over 64 2/3 frames last season, benefiting from a 50.5% grounder rate, lots of soft contact, and a .251 BABIP.
This performance made it a pretty easy call for the Giants to exercise their club option, but Alvarez unfortunately again finds himself heading into free agency as a big injury question mark. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Giants re-sign Alvarez to another low-cost two-year deal, even if there’s naturally more risk attached to an older pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery.
Giants Place Jake McGee On Release Waivers, Claim Aaron Fletcher
The Giants announced Thursday that left-hander Jake McGee, whom they designated for assignment over the weekend, has been placed on unconditional release waivers. San Francisco also claimed lefty Aaron Fletcher off waivers from the Pirates and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. Lefty Jose Alvarez was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
McGee, 35, is in the second season of a two-year, $5MM contract that pays him $2.5MM and contains a $4.5MM club option (with a $500K buyout). He’s still owed the balance of that salary and the full weight of the buyout. It’s quite rare for players with any salary of note to be claimed off outright waivers or release waivers during the season, making it likely that he’ll clear and become a free agent. At that point, any team could sign McGee and owe him only the prorated league minimum for any time spent in the Majors. The Giants would remain on the hook for the remainder of his salary.
The contract looked brilliant last season, when McGee turned in 59 2/3 innings of 2.72 ERA ball. The lefty led the Giants with 31 saves, struck out 24.3% of his opponents against a tiny 4.2% walk rate, and served as a key member of a bullpen that propelled San Francisco to an MLB-best 107 wins.
Things haven’t gone nearly as smoothly in 2022, however. Though his velocity has remained mostly the same, McGee’s strikeout rate has plummeted to 11.5% as his walk rate has jumped to 6.3%. Beyond the freefall in his strikeout rate, McGee has been unable to strand runners this season, with his 49.7% left-on-base rate checking in miles below the 74.4% career rate he carried into the season. The end result is a disastrous 7.17 ERA through his first 21 1/3 innings.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to McGee in the wake of the move. The southpaw called it a “letdown” to be cut loose, given how much he’s enjoyed his time there, but he took the move in stride and was understanding of the team’s decision. Once he clears waivers, he’ll be able to sign with any team he wishes, and there are quite likely several clubs who’d be in the market for an effectively free look at a reliever with McGee’s track record.
Fletcher, meanwhile, will step into McGee’s place as a lefty relief option for the club. The 26-year-old split his time between Pittsburgh and their top affiliate in Indianapolis, making nine appearances with the Bucs and 14 in Triple-A. Fletcher allowed nine runs in 11 2/3 innings with the big league club, striking out six while walking four. He allowed just six runs (three earned) through 18 2/3 frames in Indianapolis, however, apparently catching the Giants’ attention in the process.
While Fletcher has yet to have success in brief big league stints with the Mariners and Pirates, he owns a 2.56 ERA in parts of four minor league campaigns. He’s typically posted gaudy ground-ball numbers throughout his professional tenure, including a 55.2% clip in Triple-A this season. Fletcher is in his second minor league option year, so he can bounce on and off the active roster for the foreseeable future.
As for Alvarez, he’ll be out for an extended period. The veteran southpaw just landed on the IL on July 5 with elbow inflammation, and he’ll now be ineligible to return until early September. Signed to a one-year guarantee heading into 2021, Alvarez posted a sparkling 2.37 ERA through 64 2/3 innings. The club exercised a $1.5MM option on his services for this year, but he posted a 5.28 ERA in 21 outings. He’ll now miss at least the bulk of the second half of the season, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be healthy enough to take the mound again before hitting free agency next winter.
Injured List Transactions: DeSclafani, Solano, Buehler
The Giants reinstated starter Anthony DeSclafani from the 60-day injured list this evening. He’ll get the nod tonight against the Braves, his first appearance since April 21. The righty made three starts in April, allowing nine runs through 13 1/3 innings before hitting the IL due to right ankle inflammation. DeSclafani tossed 167 2/3 frames of 3.17 ERA ball last season and was re-signed on a three-year free agent deal over the winter.
In a corresponding move, San Francisco placed reliever José Álvarez on the 15-day IL due to lower back tightness. The Giants also recalled righty Sam Delaplane and placed him on the MLB 60-day IL to free a spot on the 40-man roster. Delaplane, whom the club added to the 40-man earlier this month, is still working his way back from an April 2021 Tommy John procedure. He won’t be able to pitch in a major league game until at least mid-August and has yet to make his MLB debut. Delaplane will collect MLB service time and be paid the prorated $700K league minimum salary while on the major league injured list.
The latest on a pair of other IL moves with 40-man roster implications:
- The Reds activated Donovan Solano from the 60-day injured list. He’ll make his team debut whenever he gets into a game. Signed to a $4.5MM free agent deal, the righty-hitting infielder suffered a left hamstring injury that cost him the first couple months of the season. Solano is coming off a three-year stretch with San Francisco in which he hit .308/.354/.435, and he figures to see some time at second and third base in Cincinnati. With the Reds having fallen into last place in the NL Central, it’s possible they’ll look to flip the 34-year-old for salary relief and/or a minimal prospect return before the trade deadline. Starter Nick Lodolo was transferred to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot. That’s a procedural move backdated to the time of Lodolo’s initial IL placement on April 25, so he’ll be eligible to return by the end of the week. The southpaw has been out with a back strain but started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville over the weekend.
- The Dodgers transferred star Walker Buehler from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list. That opens 40-man roster space for newly-acquired outfielder Trayce Thompson, whose contract was selected as expected. Buehler is dealing with a flexor strain in his forearm and is targeting a late August or early September return, making the transfer an inevitability. To clear active roster space for Thompson, reliever Caleb Ferguson went on the 15-day IL with forearm tendinitis. The left-hander downplayed any long-term concern about the issue when speaking with reporters this afternoon (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Ferguson, who missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, has tossed five scoreless innings over six appearances.
Giants Exercise Club Options On Wilmer Flores, Jose Alvarez, Jay Jackson
The Giants officially announced decisions on their club options today, exercising their rights to retain infielder Wilmer Flores, left-hander Jose Alvarez, and right-hander Jay Jackson for the 2022 season. As was previously reported, San Francisco officially declined their $22MM club option on Johnny Cueto, and will instead pay Cueto $5MM in buyout money. Additionally, right-hander Yunior Marte‘s contract was selected to the Giants’ 40-man roster.
There wasn’t much surprise with any of these option decisions except for possibly Jackson, just because it wasn’t publicly known that the veteran reliever’s contract contained any sort of option. The Giants signed the veteran reliever to a minor league deal this past winter, and Jackson posted a 3.74 ERA and a strong 31.1% strikeout rate over 21 2/3 IP in the big leagues, though he was also hampered by a below-average 13.3% walk rate. Jackson has tossed 56 1/3 innings with the Padres, Brewers, and Giants over parts of three MLB seasons, but he had more success pitching in parts of four seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball.
Flores inked a two-year, $6.25MM free agent deal with San Francisco in February 2020, and he’ll now return for a third season and earn $3.5MM. (The Giants had a $3.25MM decision to make, as Flores was owed $250K in a buyout if the option had been declined.) Flores has hit .264/.328/.470 with 30 home runs over 649 PA in a Giants uniform, and has seen action as a part-time first, second, and third baseman, making him both a versatile platoon piece and a big weapon against left-handed pitching.
Alvarez signed with the Giants last winter, earning $1.05MM in salary last season and now another $1.5MM in 2022 via his exercised club option. Despite several solid years as a member of the Angels and Phillies bullpens, Alvarez’s market was hurt by his lack of action in 2020, as a groin injury limited him to only 6 1/3 frames over eight appearances with Philadelphia.
He bounced back in a major way with the Giants, posting a 2.37 ERA over 64 2/3 innings. Never a particularly big strikeout pitcher, Alvarez’s strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 15.8% last season, yet he still kept batters at bay by inducing a lot of grounders (50.5% groundball rate) and a lot of soft contact.
Giants Sign Jose Alvarez
MARCH 6: The Giants announced the signing of Álvarez to a one-year, $1.15MM contract with a $1.5MM club option for 2022, per MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado (via Twitter). The option comes with a $100K buyout, adds John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). That bonus will count towards the luxury tax, though the option year will not. Therefore, Álvarez’s deal should count $1.16MM against the luxury tax payroll this season.
MARCH 2: Free-agent reliever Jose Alvarez is nearing a deal with the Giants, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. It’s unclear whether it will be a major league contract.
The left-handed Alvarez, who will turn 32 in May, debuted with the Tigers in 2013 and has since pitched for the Angels and Phillies. Alvarez struggled to keep runs off the board as a Tiger, but he did well in Anaheim and Philadelphia. Overall, despite a subpar strikeout percentage (20.8), Alvarez has logged a respectable 3.59 ERA/3.85 SIERA in 340 2/3 major league innings. He has thrown 50-plus innings in a season on four occasions, though he only tossed 6 1/3 frames last year as a result of a groin injury.
If his agreement with San Francisco does go through, Alvarez could be part of a bullpen that has no shortage of southpaws. Jake McGee has been their relief corps’ biggest free-agent acquisition, but Jarlin Garcia, Sam Selman, Wandy Peralta and Caleb Baragar are also on the Giants’ 40-man roster.
Phillies Select Rafael Marchan
The Phillies announced they’ve selected the contract of catcher Rafael Marchan before the second game of today’s doubleheader with the Marlins. Right-hander Connor Brogdon was optioned to the alternate training site, while southpaw José Álvarez has been transferred to the 45-day injured list to open space on the 40-man roster.
Marchan currently ranks seventh among Phils’ farmhands at Baseball America. He’s drawn plaudits for his advanced receiving and game calling skills behind the plate. The 21-year-old has demonstrated strong bat-to-ball skills in the low minors, never striking out at greater than an 11.7% clip at any stop.
In the short-term, he’s likely on hand as injury insurance. J.T. Realmuto left last night’s game with hip discomfort and didn’t play in the first game today. Andrew Knapp will get the nod behind the plate in both sides of the twin bill.
Álvarez has been on the 10-day injured list since August 21 after taking a comebacker off the groin. At last check, he was hoping to return in the playoffs if the Phils qualify; there’s no indication those plans have changed.
Health Notes: Paxton, Rays, Phils, Reds, Cards
Yankees southpaw James Paxton will go the next couple days without throwing after feeling soreness following Wednesday’s session, manager Aaron Boone told WFAN (via Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). It’s unclear how much longer Paxton will be sidelined from the flexor strain that sent him to the IL on Aug. 21, but as Ackert notes, time is running out for him to return – at least to the Yankees’ rotation – during the regular season. Paxton’s problems, both in terms of injury and performance, are among the reasons the Yankees’ starting staff has disappointed this year. Although the 31-year-old dealt with his share of injuries in prior seasons, he typically fared well when healthy. In 2020, though, Paxton has stumbled to a 6.64 ERA over five starts and 20 1/3 innings.
- Rays manager Kevin Cash hasn’t ruled out regular-season returns for third baseman Yandy Diaz or catcher Mike Zunino, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Diaz went to the IL on Sept. 1 with a right hamstring strain, while Zunino has been down since Aug. 29 with a strained oblique. Diaz has been a major on-base threat with a .307/.427/.386 line in 138 plate appearances, whereas Zunino has gone through a second straight horrible season on offense (.133/.235/.383 with 29 strikeouts in 68 PA).
- The Phillies expect outfielder/designated hitter Jay Bruce to return this month, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Bruce has been on the IL twice with quad problems going back to August, and his most recent placement came Sept. 6. He was a good power source before then with a .225/.276/.578 line and six home runs in 76 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Philly’s hopeful that left-handed reliever Jose Alvarez will make it back if they earn a playoff spot. Alvarez threw 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball before taking a 105 mph line drive off the groin on Aug. 20.
- Reds left-hander Wade Miley “took a step back today” in his recovery from shoulder troubles, manager David Bell announced (Twitter links via C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic). Consequently, the Reds don’t expect Miley back this weekend. He last took the mound Aug. 27. The news is better for outfielder Nick Senzel, who Bell said is “pretty close” to coming back. Senzel hasn’t played since Aug. 14, but the Reds haven’t disclosed a reason for his absence.
- Cardinals righty Johan Oviedo is in COVID-19 quarantine, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Oviedo hasn’t tested positive for the illness, but he was exposed to someone who did. As a result, the Cardinals – whose season was halted for a couple weeks last month because of the virus – are taking a cautious approach. They placed Oviedo on the IL on Thursday. It seems righty Carlos Martinez will take over in the Cardinals’ rotation for Oviedo, a 22-year-old rookie who has put up a 4.66 ERA/4.26 FIP in his first four starts and 19 1/3 innings in the bigs.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League
Entering the day, there were more than 150 players on the clock to exchange arbitration figures with their respective teams prior to a noon ET deadline. As one would expect, there’ll be an utter landslide of arbitration agreements in advance of that deadline. We already ran through some key facts and reminders on the arbitration process earlier this morning for those who are unfamiliar or simply need a refresher on one of MLB’s most complex idiosyncrasies, which will hopefully clear up many questions readers might have.
We’ll track the majority of the National League’s settlements in this post and are maintaining a separate one for American League settlements as well. Note that all projections referenced come courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:
- The Rockies have an agreement in place with righty Jon Gray, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (via Twitter). It’s a $5.6MM deal, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
- Outfielder Tommy Pham has struck a $7.9MM pact with the Padres, who acquired him at the outset of the offseason, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Other Friars striking deals, per an update from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, include Zach Davies ($5.25MM) and Matt Strahm ($1.4MM).
- The Nationals announced that they’ve avoided arbitration with Trea Turner. It’s a $7.45MM agreement, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter), right in range of the $7.5MM projection.
- The Mets are in agreement with a laundry list of players. Right-handers Marcus Stroman ($12MM) and Noah Syndergaard ($9.7MM) were the top earners, per reports from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Both come in close to their projected values of $11.8M and $9.9MM, respectively. The Mets also have a $5.1MM deal with reliever Edwin Diaz, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). He entered the offseason projected at the $7.0MM level but will fall well shy of that. Despite an outstanding overall track record, Diaz’s platform season was a dud and obviously created some risk in a hearing for his side. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo will play for $2.175MM in his first season of arb eligibility, landing well over the $1.7MM that the model projected. Southpaw Steven Matz, meanwhile, lands a $5MM deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). That’s $300K shy of his projected amount. Relievers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo will earn $1.225MM and $2MM, respectively, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links). Slugger Michael Conforto will earn $8.0MM, per SNY.tv’s Andy Martino (via Twitter), which is notably south of the $9.2MM that we projected. And fellow outfielder Jake Marisnick checks in a just over 10% north of his projection at $3,312,500, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
- Star reliever Kirby Yates receiveds a $7,062,500 salary from the Padres, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He tops the $6.5MM that MLBTR projected by a solid margin, reflecting just how exceptional he was in 2019.
- The Marlins will pay recently acquired infielder Jonathan Villar a $8.2MM salary, per MLB.com’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). That’s a far sight shy of the $10.4MM that the MLBTR system projected, perhaps reflecting a more difficult path to the bigger number through recent comparables. The club also had some added leverage here since Villar would likely not fare terribly well on the open market if cut loose at this stage or later. (Unless this is a guaranteed deal, Villar could still be jettisoned, with the club paying just a fraction of the settled amount.) The Fish also have also agreed to terms with lefty Adam Conley (for $1.525MM, per MLB Network Radio’s Craig Mish, via Twitter) and righty Jose Urena (for $3.75MM, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, on Twitter).
- Righty Vince Velasquez will pitch for $3.6MM this year with the Phillies, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly (via Twitter). Fellow hurler Jose Alvarez will earn $2.95MM, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- The Rockies have an agreement with lefty Kyle Freeland, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). He’ll earn $2.875MM. Outfielder David Dahl takes home $2.475MM, Heyman adds on Twitter. The former had projected at $2.4MM and the latter at $3.0MM.
- Pirates hurler Joe Musgrove will receive $2.8MM, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter links). Fellow righty Keone Kela will earn a reported $3.725MM. Both players had projected at $3.4MM, but land well to either side of that number. Infielder Adam Frazier also has a deal at $2.8MM, per Mackey (via Twitter).
- Righty Anthony DeSclafani will earn $5.9MM from the Reds, according to Robert Murray (via Twitter). He had projected at $5.2MM. Backstop Curt Casali will earn $1.4625MM, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). And reliever Matt Bowman takes down $865K, Murray adds on Twitter.
- The Dodgers have worked out a non-typical deal with righty Ross Stripling, Heyman tweets. He’ll get an up-front signing bonus of $1.5MM, which he’ll receive in the next week, and then earn $600K for the campaign to come. Stripling had projected to earn $2.3MM on the year.
- Cardinals righty John Gant will earn $1.3MM after settling with the club. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first tweeted that a deal was in place, while Murray had the number on Twitter. That comes in just under his $1.4MM projection.
Earlier Settlements
Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League
The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures passed yesterday at 1pm ET, and there has been a landslide of settlements on one-year deals to avoid an arbitration hearing. We’ll track those settlements from the National League in this post. Once all of the day’s settlements have filtered in, I’ll organize them by division to make them a bit easier to parse.
It’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of teams have adopted a “file and trial” approach to arbitration, meaning that once arbitration figures are exchanged with a player, negotiations on a one-year deal will cease. The two parties may still discuss a multi-year deal after that point, but the majority of players who exchange figures with their team today will head to an arbitration hearing.
As always, all salary projections referenced within this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and we’ll also be updating our 2019 Arbitration Tracker throughout the day…
Today’s Updates
- Rounding out contract numbers for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dominic Leone will take home $1.26MM, Chasen Shreve will make $900K, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna will earn $12.25MM in his last season before free agency, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Ozuna has the most high-impact potential as he looks to rebound from a still-productive season in 2018 that saw his power output hindered at times by a balky shoulder. He still managed 23 home runs and a .280/.325/.433 slash line while playing just about every day outside of a 10-day DL stint late in August.
- The Diamondbacks came to terms with a slew of players, per Feinsand (via Twitter), including Matt Andriese for $920K, Steven Souza Jr. for $4.125MM, shortstop Nick Ahmed for $3.6625MM, and potential closer Archie Bradley for $1.83MM.
- The Rockies and starting pitcher Jon Gray have come to an agreement on a $2.935MM deal, per Feinsand (via Twitter). Gray had an up-and-down 2018 that is generally considered to be more promising than the optics of his 5.12 ERA make it seem.
- The Pirates have come to terms on one-year deals with both of their arbitration eligible players, per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Left fielder Corey Dickerson signs for $8.5MM, and reliever Keone Kela takes home $3.175MM. It’s a small arb class for the Pirates, whose list will grow next season as players like Josh Bell, Jameson Taillon, and Joe Musgrove, among others, reach their first season of eligibility.
- The Dodgers signed a couple of their remaining arbitration-eligible players yesterday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links). Utility man Chris Taylor has a $3.5MM deal, while outfield Joc Pederson settled at $5MM.
Earlier Updates