Teams win 13 of 19 cases vs. players in arbitration
Seattle Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernández was among five players who lost their salary arbitration cases on Saturday and Angels outfielder Hunter Renfroe won as teams finished with a 13-6 advantage in decisions.
Angels infielder Gio Urshela, Tampa Bay relievers Colin Poche and Ryan Thompson and St. Louis reliever Génesis Cabrera also lost their cases.
Teams won the majority of decisions for the fourth straight year and have a 347-257 record since arbitration began in 1974.
Hernández will receive $14 million instead of his request for $16 million. The previous high for an arbitration case that went to a decision was $13.5 million by pitcher Gerrit Cole in his 2019 win over Houston and by pitcher Max Fried in his loss to Atlanta this year.
An All-Star in 2021, Hernández hit .267 with 25 home runs and 77 RBIs in 131 games last season for Toronto, then was traded to Seattle in November for right-hander reliever Erik Swanson and minor league lefty Adam Macko.
Renfroe will get $11.9 million instead of the Angels' offer of $11.25 million.
Urshela gets $8.4 million instead of $10 million. Thompson receives $1 million rather than $1.2 million, Poche gets $1,175,000 instead of $1.3 million and Cabrera gets $950,000 instead of $1.15 million.
Tampa Bay split four decisions, losing earlier to outfielder Harold Ramírez ($2.2 million) and reliever Jason Adam ($1,775,000).
The 19 hearings this year were up from 13 last year and the most since 22 in 2018.
Among the players who swapped figures with their teams on Jan. 13, 14 reached agreements without hearings.
There were about 200 players eligible for arbitration heading into the week of the exchange. Eleven players wound up with multiyear contracts topped by Houston pitcher Cristian Javier with a fiveyear deal, and the Mets' Jeff McNeil and Tampa Bay's Jeffrey Springs with four years each.
Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz and Pete Fairbanks agreed to three-year deals along with Philadelphia's José Alvarado, Toronto's Bo Bichette, Seattle's Dylan Moore and Minnesota's Chris Paddack. The Phillies' Seranthony Domínguez and the Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin got two years each.
White Sox thrilled to see Hendriks at camp
Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is serving as an inspiration for the rest of the team in spring training.
Hendriks went public with his battle with cancer in January, announcing he has non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But he has been working out at the team's facility in Arizona, and pitching coach Ethan Katz said the three-time All-Star had a bullpen session on Friday.
The right-hander has had 38 and 37 saves for the White Sox over the past two seasons.
“This guy's unbelievable. He really is,” an emotional Katz said Saturday. “He'll be back on the field as soon as he can.”
Right-hander Lucas Giolito said learning of Hendriks' diagnosis was “pretty devastating,” but it has helped having him around at camp.
“It's like a great thing to see. He's a special guy off the field as well,” Giolito said. “So seeing him do his thing right now, we're all looking forward to having him back.”
Brewers sign veteran relief pitcher Wilson
The Milwaukee Brewers signed left-handed pitcher Justin Wilson to a $1 million, one-year contract.
Wilson gets an $850,000 salary this season and the Brewers have a $2.5 million option for 2024 with a $150,000 buyout.
The 35-year-old Wilson went 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 3 2/3 innings over five April relief appearances for the Cincinnati Reds last season. He had Tommy John surgery last June 3.
Wilson is 33-24 with a 3.41 ERA and 18 saves in 527 relief appearances over 11 seasons.