NEW YORK — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $28.5 million deal, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez reached a one-year agreement worth $18 million, according to sources. Both Guerrero and Valdez are set to become free agents after the World Series.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, secured a $10.15 million contract two years before free agency, a figure more than triple his earnings from the previous season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, secured a $28.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, following last year’s record-setting $19.9 million arbitration win against the team’s $18.05 million offer.
Juan Soto remains the benchmark for arbitration-eligible players, having inked a $31 million deal with the New York Yankees last year, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $30 million 2023 contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto later signed a record-shattering 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets as a free agent in November.
Guerrero wasn’t the only Blue Jays player to settle. Outfielder Daulton Varsho ($8.2 million) and catcher Alejandro Kirk ($4.6 million) also reached one-year agreements with Toronto. The Astros followed suit, finalizing deals with third baseman Isaac Paredes ($6.625 million) and shortstop Jeremy Peña ($4.1 million).
With 155 arbitration-eligible players at the start of the day, the majority were expected to reach agreements.
- Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez agreed to a $14 million salary and right-hander Dylan Cease agreed to $13.75 million for the 2025 season with the San Diego Padres.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to deals with starting pitcher Zac Gallen ($13.5 million) and first baseman Josh Naylor ($10.9 million). Gallen went 14-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 156 strikeouts last season, while Naylor batted .243 with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs.
- The Seattle Mariners reached an $11.3 million deal with outfielder Randy Arozarena, who batted .219 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs last season.
- The New York Yankees and two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams, who was acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason, agreed to an $8.6 million contract.
- The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers locked in a pair of key right-handed relievers, coming to terms on one-year deals with Michael Kopech ($5.2 million) and Brusdar Graterol ($2.8 million).
- The Chicago White Sox signed first baseman Andrew Vaughn for $5.85 million. He batted .246 last season with 19 home runs, 70 RBIs and tied a career high with 30 doubles.
- Also agreeing were Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez ($8.8 million), Reds right-hander Brady Singer ($8.75 million), Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins ($8,725,000) and Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley ($8.2 million).
Seventeen players failed to reach agreement before numbers were exchanged Thursday, most notably star right fielder Kyle Tucker, who was acquired via trade by the Chicago Cubs heading into his final season before free agency.
Tucker filed for $17.5 million, and the Cubs countered at $15 million.
Outside of Tucker and the Cubs, the largest financial gap belonged to right-hander Michael King ($8.8 million) and the San Diego Padres ($7.325 million).
Nathaniel Lowe, newly acquired by the Washington Nationals, was among the players unable to reach an agreement, filing for $11.1 million while the team countered with $10.3 million.
Other arbitration-eligible players who failed to agree include Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, utility player Brendan Donovan, and pitcher Andre Pallante. Additional holdouts included Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran, New York Yankees relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Dennis Santana, Baltimore Orioles utility man Jorge Mateo, and Los Angeles Angels trio Mickey Moniak, Luis Rengifo, and José Quijada. The list also featured Pittsburgh Pirates starter Johan Oviedo, Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, and Tampa Bay Rays infielder Taylor Walls.
Arbitration hearings are set for Jan. 27 through Feb. 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida. While both parties can negotiate until the hearing date, many teams treat the exchange date as a firm deadline, making exceptions primarily for multi-year agreements.
Last winter, players won 9 of 15 arbitration hearings, though teams still hold a commanding historical advantage of 353-266 since the process began in 1974. The 2024 hearing schedule reflects a slight drop from the 19 hearings in 2023, where teams prevailed in 13 cases, but an increase from the 13 hearings in 2022, where players claimed victory in nine.
As of the November deadline, 169 players were eligible for arbitration after teams tendered 2025 contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters, a drop from 238 earlier in the offseason.
While arbitration agreements are guaranteed, outcomes determined by panels are not. Notably, San Francisco Giants third baseman J.D. Davis and Mets right-hander Phil Bickford were released after winning their cases last year. Davis, originally awarded $6.9 million, received $1,112,903 in termination pay before signing a $2.5 million deal with the Athletics. Bickford, awarded $900,000, received $217,742 before securing a $1.1 million major league deal with the Yankees, plus $180,000 for minor league service.
