New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto agreed to a one-year, $31 million contract Thursday, avoiding arbitration.
This is a record value for a one-season contract awarded to a player eligible for arbitration. Shohei Ohtani set the previous mark with a $30 million deal.
Soto was acquired from the San Diego Padres by the Yankees on December 7.
The pact was made on the day players and teams were to exchange proposed salary amounts, in preparation for arbitration.
Soto made $23 million last year in his only full season with the San Diego Padres. He will be able to become a free agent after this season.
Soto hit .275 last year, with 35 homers and 109 RBIs.
The Padres obtained him from Washington on August 2, 2022, after he turned down a 15-year, $440M offer from the Nationals.
Soto was acquired by the Yankees last month.
Ohtani played last season on a one-year, $30M contract with the Los Angeles Angels, a deal completed in October 2022.
He became a free agent and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last month.
Mets agree to terms with Alonso
The New York Mets have agreed to a one-year, $20.5 million deal with first baseman Pete Alonso.
The power slugger had 46 home runs and 118 RBIs last season, but he posted a low average of .217.
Alonso has been one of the most consistent power hitters since joining the MLB. He hit at least 37 home runs in each of his four full seasons in the majors.
Arozarena and McClanahan have agreements
Slugger Randy Arozarena and injured ace Shane McClanahan have agreed to deals with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Star player last year, Arozarena will get $8.1 million this year.
He pocketed $4.15 million last season. He hit .254, with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs. He also stole 22 bases.
McClanahan received a two-year, $7.2M pact. He underwent a second Tommy John surgery on August 21 and is not expected to pitch this year.
Last year he went 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA, making 21 starts.
However, right-handed reliever Jason Adam and choice hitter Harold Ramirez could go to arbitration next month.
Adam had 12 saves last year. Ramirez contributed 12 homers and 68 RBIs, appearing in 122 games.
Fried and Minter under contract
Left-handers Max Fried and AJ Minter have agreed to one-year deals with the Atlanta Braves.
Starting pitcher Fried will pocket $15 million, reliever Minter $6.22 million.
Last season, Fried was 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA.
He missed nearly three months with a left forearm strain. At the end of the season, he also had to sit out due to a blister.
In 2022, Fried went 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA, finishing second in the NL Cy Young voting.
Fried will turn 30 on January 18. In seven seasons with Atlanta, he has a 62-26 record and a 3.03 ERA.
Aged 30, Minter has 10 saves in 2023. He has posted a 3.76 ERA in 70 games.
Cease stays in Chicago for one season
Pitcher Dylan Cease and the Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth US$8 million.
Cease, who has been involved in some trade rumors, struggled last season after finishing second in the 2022 American Cy Young Award ballot. The 28-year-old right-hander posted a 7-9 record and 4.58 ERA in 33 starts.
The White Sox also signed power slugger Andrew Vaughn ($3.25 million), right-hander Michael Kopech ($3 million), infielder Nicky Lopez ($4.3 million) and pitchers Michael Soroka ($3 million), Touki Toussaint ($1.3 million) and Garrett Crochet ($800,000).
The Chicago team signed contracts with its seven arbitration-eligible players.
Vaughn posted a .258 batting average last season, with 21 home runs and 80 RBIs.
Busch and Almonte with the Cubs
The Chicago Cubs acquired third baseman Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for two minor league prospects.
The Dodgers received pitcher Jackson Ferris and center fielder Zyhir Hope.
Busch, 26, was named Pacific Coast League AAA Player of the Year last season. He could be the Cubs’ third baseman on opening day of the 2024 season.
Busch had a .323 batting average with 27 home runs and 90 RBIs with Oklahoma City. He made his major league debut in late April, hitting 12 hits in 72 plate appearances, also recording two homers and seven RBIs in 27 games.
Almonte, 29, was 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 49 relief appearances with the Dodgers last season. In his career, the right-hander has a 7-6 record and a 4.51 ERA in 196 outings with the Colorado Rockies (2018-21) and Dodgers (2022-23).
Ferris, who turns 20 on Monday, was a second-round pick of the Cubs in the 2022 draft. Hope, who turns 19 on Jan. 19, was selected in the 11th round by the Cubs in 2023.
The Cubs have designated catcher Brian Serven for assignment.
2024-01-12 02:00:59
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