Blue Jays reach deals with 11 of 12 players ahead of arbitration. Guerrero is the lone exception

Updated Jan. 11, 2024 11:17 p.m. ET

Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to one-year contracts Thursday with 11 of their 12 players who were eligible for salary arbitration, with the lone exception being three-time All-Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero asked for $19.9 million while the Blue Jays countered at $18.05 million. He made $14.5 million last season.

The Blue Jays agreed to deals with catchers Danny Jansen ($5.2 million) and Alejandro Kirk ($2.8 million), infielders Cavan Biggio ($4.2 million) and Santiago Espinal ($2,725,000), outfielder Daulton Varsho ($5.65 million), left-handed pitchers Génesis Cabrera ($1,512,000) and Tim Mayza ($3.59 million), and right-handed pitchers Jordan Romano ($7.75 million), Erik Swanson ($2.75 million), Trevor Richards ($2.15 million) and Nate Pearson ($800,000).

Guerrero hit .264 with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs last season. He led the American League with 48 homers in 2021.

Guerrero can still negotiate a deal with the team before a hearing. Eligible players without agreements will be scheduled for hearings before three-person panels from Jan. 29 through Feb. 16 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Of the 11 players who agreed to deals, Romano's was the biggest. The two-time All-Star has been the Blue Jays' closer the past three seasons and had a 2.90 ERA with 36 saves last year.

Kirk, a 2022 All-Star, also got a big bump in pay, more than tripling his salary of $767,300 from last season.

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