Baseball players win 3 of 5 arbitration cases, lead teams 11-8 with 3 left
PHOENIX — Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer, Houston’s Collin McHugh and Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi won their salary arbitration cases Thursday, and Toronto’s Marcus Stroman and Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson lost.
Decisions for all five pitchers had been held for simultaneous announcement to prevent any of the cases from being affected by the rulings.
Players have an 11-8 advantage over teams with three more cases possible. The 22 decisions would be the most since players went 14-10 in 1990. McHugh and Odorizzi became the first players to win hearings in consecutive years since Minnesota pitcher Kyle Lohse in 2005 and ‘06. Stroman lost after winning last winter.
Miami pitcher Dan Straily and Kansas City pitcher Brandon Maurer argued their cases Thursday, and Cincinnati second baseman Scooter Gennett awaits a hearing. Twentyseven players swapped proposed salaries with their teams last month.
Bauer received a raise from $3.55 million to $6,525,000 from arbitrators Andrew Strongin, Steven Wolf and Robert Herzog, who heard the case on Feb. 8. The Indians offered $5.3 million.
A 27-year-old right-hander, Bauer was 17-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 31 starts and one relief appearance for the AL Central champions last season, when he made $3.55 million. He was just the third Cleveland player to go to a hearing since 1991. The Indians defeated pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin four years ago.
McHugh was given a hike from $3.85 million to $5 million by Mark Burstein, Jeanne Wood and Allen Ponak, who listened to arguments Tuesday. The World Series champion Astros offered $4.55 million.
McHugh heads to spring training projected as a sixth starter behind a rotation of Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers Jr. and Charlie Morton. The Astros could decide to trade McHugh.
The 30-year-old right-hander was 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 12 starts last season. He was on the disabled list with tendinitis in his pitching shoulder until July 22.