Bellinger gets $11.5M deal with Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — NL MVP Cody Bellinger agreed Friday to an $11.5 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest salary for a player eligible for arbitration for the first time.
Shortstop Corey Seager agreed to a $7.6 million, oneyear deal with the Dodgers, also skipping arbitration.
Bellinger, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, hit .305 with a career-high 47 homers and 115 RBIs, a bargain at $605,000. He also won a Gold Glove Award for his outfield play. With 2 years, 160 days of major league service, Bellinger is eligible for arbitration three more times and can become a free agent after the 2023 season.
Bellinger’s deal tops the old mark of $10.85 million on a oneyear deal for Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs in January 2018.
Seager, the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, missed most of the 2018 season following Tommy John surgery. He hit .272 with 19 homers and 87 RBIs this year, tying for the NL lead with 44 doubles. He earned a raise from a $4 million salary last year.
The Dodgers also reached one-year deals with righthander Ross Stripling, lefthander Julio Urías and infielder-outfielder Enrique Hernández to avoid arbitration.
Stripling, an All-Star in 2018, was 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 appearances last season, including 15 starts.
Urías is projected to be part of the starting rotation in 2020 after four years of splitting time between the minors and majors. He returned from shoulder surgery in 2017, and last year he served a 20-game suspension for violating the league’s domestic violence policy. Urías was 4-3 with four saves and a 2.49 ERA in 37 appearances.
Hernández can be a free agent after the World Series. He made starts at seven positions last year, appearing in 130 games. His averaged dropped to .237 with 17 home runs and a career-high 64 RBIs.
The team had yet to reach deals with arbitration-eligible right-hander Pedro Báez, infielder Max Muncy, outfielder Joc Pederson and outfielder-infielder Chris Taylor. The Dodgers have not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 2007. Betts’ $27M, Bryant’s $18.6M skip arbitration with big deals
NEW YORK — Outfielder Mookie Betts agreed Friday to a $27 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, the largest one-year salary for an arbitration-eligible player, while Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant got an $18.6 million, one-year deal.
Cincinnati pitcher Trevor Bauer struck a $17.5 million agreement after winning hearings against Cleveland the previous two winters, and Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor also agreed to $17.5 million.
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, eligible for the first time, received an $8.5 million deal.
Among 155 players eligible for arbitration at the start of the day, just 20 remained headed for hearings next month after exchanging proposed arbitration salaries with teams.
Houston outfielder George Springer asked for a raise from $12.15 million to $22.5 million and was offered $17.5 million in the biggest gap. Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto requested a hike from $6.05 million to $12.4 million and was offered $10 million, and Milwaukee closer Josh Hader asked for a boost from $687,600 to $6.4 million and was offered $4.1 million.
Four of the remaining cases involve the Dodgers, whose last arbitration hearing was a victory over Joe Beimel in 2007.