Soto, Alonso, Guerrero get big deals, 33 head to arbitration

Updated Jan. 14, 2023 2:04 a.m. ET

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NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached big-money agreements on one-year contracts as more than 100 players avoided salary arbitration with deals Friday and 33 exchanged proposed figures with their teams.

All-Star pitcher Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves were headed toward a hearing for the second straight year, while Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette and Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker were the farthest apart from their clubs, each asking for $7.5 million while their team offered $5 million.

Seattle outfielder Teoscar Hernández, acquired in a trade from the Blue Jays, requested $16 million and was offered $14 million.

AL batting champion Luis Arraez was the only eligible Minnesota player who didn't settle, asking for $6.1 million while the Twins offered $5 million. NL batting champion Jeff McNeil was the lone New York Mets player on track for a hearing, asking for $7.75 million while the team proposed $6.25 million.

Fried was awarded $6.85 million last year rather than Atlanta's $6.6 million offer. This time, he asked for $15 million as the Braves offered $13.5 million.

Seven Tampa Bay players were headed toward hearings, including reliever Colin Poche. He asked for $1.3 million and was offered $1,175,000 in the smallest gap.

Three players each from Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels were on track for hearings.

Soto got a $23 million deal with San Diego, tied for the fourth-highest one-year contract among arbitration-eligible players. Shohei Ohtani set the record when the two-way star agreed last fall to a $30 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

Soto also trailed Mookie Betts ($27 million with Boston in 2020) and Nolan Arenado ($26 million with Colorado in 2019), and he matched Josh Donaldson's $23 million with Toronto in 2018. Soto, who turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from Washington last summer before he was traded to the Padres, can become a free agent following the 2024 World Series.

In addition to its deal with the star outfielder, San Diego also reached a $14.1 million, one-year agreement with Josh Hader, the largest salary for an arbitration-eligible relief pitcher.

The high-spending Mets struck a $14.5 million agreement with Alonso, who tied for the major league lead with 131 RBIs last season. The first baseman nearly doubled his $7.4 million salary.

Guerrero, runner-up in 2021 AL MVP voting, agreed to the same figure with Toronto, the first baseman increasing his salary from $7.9 million.

Left-hander Julio Urías settled with the Los Angeles Dodgers at $14.25 million, first baseman Rhys Hoskins with NL champion Philadelphia at $12 million, outfielder Ian Happ with the Chicago Cubs at $10.85 million and right-hander Brandon Woodruff with Milwaukee at $10.8 million.

Right-hander Lucas Giolito agreed with the Chicago White Sox at $10.4 million, two-time All-Star right-hander Shane Bieber with Cleveland at $10.01 million and left-hander Jordan Montgomery with St. Louis at $10 million.

Minnesota right-hander Chris Paddack, recovering from Tommy John surgery in May, agreed to a $12.5 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal is subject to a successful physical. Paddack gets $2.5 million in each of the next two seasons and $7.5 million in 2025.

For players and teams who fail to strike deals, arguments before three-person panels will be scheduled for Jan. 30 to Feb. 17 in St. Petersburg, Florida. They will be the first in-person hearings since 2020, just before the pandemic.

Teams have won the majority of decisions for three straight years and lead players 334-251 since salary arbitration started in 1974.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero

Major League Baseball

Juan Soto

Pete Alonso

San Diego Padres

New York Mets

Juan Soto

Bo Bichette

Teoscar Hernández

Kyle Tucker

Vladimir Guerrero

Pete Alonso

Luis Arraez

Chicago White Sox

Atlanta Braves

Los Angeles Angels

New York Mets

Chicago Cubs

Los Angeles Dodgers

San Diego Padres