Astros avoid arbitration with all but 1 player
The Astros agreed to 2024 salary terms with six of seven arbitrationeligible players before Thursday’s deadline, including starter Framber Valdez and right fielder Kyle Tucker.
Houston also agreed to terms with outfielder Chas Mccormick and pitchers Bryan Abreu, Luis Garcia and José Urquidy, avoiding potential arbitration hearings with the six players. Utilityman Mauricio Dubón and the Astros did not reach an agreement and appear headed for an arbitration hearing this spring. Thursday marked the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to agree to salaries for 2024 or exchange salary figures for a potential hearing. The sides can continue to negotiate prior to the hearing, though some teams adopt a “file and trial” approach of not negotiating after figures are exchanged.
Tucker and the Astros agreed to a $12 million salary for 2024, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, avoiding going to an arbitration hearing for a second consecutive year. Tucker will more than double the $5 million salary he received in 2023 after losing his hearing to the team.
Tucker finished fifth in American League Most Valuable Player voting last season, leading the league with 112 RBIS and posting a .284/.369/.517 slash line with 29 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He garnered his second
All-star selection and first Silver Slugger award and was named a Gold Glove finalist.
Valdez agreed to a $12.1 million salary, an increase from his $6.8 million salary in 2023. The lefthander compiled a 12-11 record and a 3.45 ERA in 31 starts last season. He threw his first career no-hitter and placed ninth in AL Cy Young voting.
Dubón is in his second year of eligibility. He made $1.4 million in 2023, when he played in a career-high 132 games, including at second base while Jose Altuve was sidelined by injuries and in center field later in the season, posted a .720 OPS and won the AL Gold Glove for utility players. MLB Trade Rumors projected Dubón to receive a $3.1 million salary for 2024.
Matt Kawahara
Yankees to sign starter Stroman
Marcus Stroman and the New York Yankees agreed Thursday on a $37 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. The agreement includes an option for 2026 that could become guaranteed.
Stroman posted an Instagram story with a photo of himself in a Yankees uniform.
The righthander grew up on Long Island, about 55 miles from Yankee
Stadium, and spent 2019 and 2021 across town with the New York Mets.
The 32-year-old Stroman opted out of the final year of his contract with the Cubs, passing on a $21 million salary for 2024 to test the market. He went 16-16 with a 3.73 ERA over his last two seasons with Chicago.
Atlanta signs GM to new contract
Atlanta has agreed to a contract extension with general manager Alex Anthopoulos that will keep him with the sixtime reigning NL East champions through the 2031 season.
The team announced the deal Friday, locking up the GM who oversaw a World Series championship in 2021 and has been responsible for securing long-term contracts with many of top players.
With Anthopoulos at the helm, the Braves began their run of division titles in 2018. This past season, Atlanta won an Mlb-best 104 games before being knocked off for the second year in a row by Philadelphia in the NL Division Series.
Reds add Suter to bolster bullpen
Cincinnati Reds dipped into the free agent pool again to bolster its bullpen, agreeing to terms with lefthander Brett Suter, a person familiar with the deal said Thursday night. He went 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 69 innings for the Rockies in 2023.