NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty and Atlanta pitcher Mike Soroka won their salary arbitration cases on Saturday, and Tampa Bay reliever Ryan Yarbrough lost. Flaherty was awarded a raise from from $604,500 to $3.9 million by arbitrators Howard Edelman, Steven Wolf and Walt De Treux, who heard arguments Feb. 5. The Cardinals had submitted $3 million. Soroka was given a raise from $583,500 to $2.8 million by arbitrators Frederic Horowitz, Margaret Brogan and Robert Herzog, who heard arguments Friday. The Braves had argued for $2.1 million. Yarbrough received a raise from $578,500 to $2.3 million from arbitrators Allen Ponak, Mark Burstein and Jules Bloch rather than his request for $3.1 million. Players and teams have split six decisions. The New York Mets defeated third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis and the Baltimore Orioles beat outfielder Anthony Santander. First baseman Ji-Man Choi defeated the Rays. Four players remain scheduled for hearings next week: Los Angeles Dodgers... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Yarbrough and the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays went to a salary arbitration hearing Tuesday, with the pitcher asking for a raise from $578,500 to $3.1 million and the team arguing for $2.3 million. The case was heard over Zoom by arbitrators Allen Ponak, Mark Burstein and Jules Bloch. A 29-year-old left-hander, Yarbrough was 1-4 with a 3.56 ERA in nine starts and two relief appearances, striking out 44 and walking 12 in 55 2/3 innings. He was 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA in two postseason starts and five relief appearances, helping the Rays reach the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yarbrough was eligible for arbitration for the first time. Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi won his hearing last week, and New York Mets third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis, and Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander lost. Decisions remains pending for Yarbrough and St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty. Six players remain scheduled for hearings: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes and pitcher Walker Buehler; Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ; San Francisco second baseman Donovan Solano; and Atlanta pitcher Mike Sorotka and shortstop Dansby Swanson. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets defeated third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis, the Baltimore Orioles beat outfielder Anthony Santander and first baseman Ji-Man Choi defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the first three of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. Davis receives a raise from $592,463 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request. The decision by Gil Vernon, Mark Burstein and Jeanne Vonhof was announced Friday, three days after they heard the case. Because of the pandemic, hearings are being conducted by Zoom for the first time rather than in person. Davis, 27, hit .247 with six homers and 19 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened season. Santander gets a raise from $572,500 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request, the same figures exchanged by Davis and the Mets. Santander’s case was heard Wednesday by arbitrators Melinda Gordon, Richard Bloch and Frederic Horowitz. Santander, 26, hit .261 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. He... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets defeated third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis, the Baltimore Orioles beat outfielder Anthony Santander and first baseman Ji-Man Choi defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the first three of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. Davis receives a raise from $592,463 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request. The decision by Gil Vernon, Mark Burstein and Jeanne Vonhof was announced Friday, three days after they heard the case. Because of the pandemic, hearings are being conducted by Zoom for the first time rather than in person. Davis, 27, hit .247 with six homers and 19 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened season. Santander gets a raise from $572,500 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request, the same figures exchanged by Davis and the Mets. Santander’s case was heard Wednesday by arbitrators Melinda Gordon, Richard Bloch and Frederic Horowitz. Santander, 26, hit .261 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. He... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets defeated third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis, and the Baltimore Orioles beat outfielder Anthony Santander in the first two of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. Davis will receive a raise from $592,463 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request. The decision by Gil Vernon, Mark Burstein and Jeanne Vonhof was announced Friday, three days after they heard the case. Because of the pandemic, hearings are being conducted by Zoom for the first time rather than in person. Davis, 27, hit .247 with six homers and 19 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened season. Santander gets a raise from $572,500 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request, the same figures exchanged by Davis and the Mets. Santander’s case was heard Wednesday by arbitrators Melinda Gordon, Richard Bloch and Frederic Horowitz. Santander, 26, hit .261 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. He was eligible for arbitration for the first time. A decisions... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets defeated J.D. Davis in the first of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. The third baseman and outfielder will receive a raise from $592,463 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request. The decision by Gil Vernon, Mark Burstein and Jeanne Vonhof was announced Friday, three days after they heard the case. Because of the pandemic, hearings are being conducted by Zoom for the first time rather than in person. Davis, 27, hit .247 with six homers and 19 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened season. Decisions also are pending for Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander and Tampa Bay first baseman Ji-Man Choi. Santander asked for a raise from $572,500 to $2,475,000, and the Orioles argued for $2.1 million, the same figures that were exchanged by Davis and the Mets. Santander’s case was heard by arbitrators Melinda Gordon, Richard Bloch and Frederic Horowitz. Santander, 26, hit .261 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. He was eligible... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Ji-Man Choi and the Tampa Bay Rays argued their salary arbitration case Thursday. The 29-year-old asked for a raise to $2.45 million, and the Rays argued for $1.85 million. A decision is expected Friday from Margaret Brogan, Gary Kendellen and Brian Keller, who heard the case over Zoom. Choi hit .230 with three homers and 16 RBIs last year, then batted .240 (10 for 40) with two homers and four RBIs as the Rays advanced to the World Series and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted .261 with 19 homers and 63 RBIs in 2019. Choi had a base salary of $850,000 last year and earned $427,148 in prorated pay, including performance bonuses. Decisions also are pending for New York Mets third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis and Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander, the first two cases of the year. Rays reliever Ryan Yarbrough remains scheduled for a hearing later this month. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Ji-Man Choi and the Tampa Bay Rays argued their salary arbitration case Thursday. The 29-year-old asked for a raise to $2.45 million, and the Rays argued for $1.85 million. A decision is expected Friday from Margaret Brogan, Gary Kendellen and Brian Keller, who heard the case over Zoom. Choi hit .230 with three homers and 16 RBIs last year, then batted .240 (10 for 40) with two homers and four RBIs as the Rays advanced to the World Series and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted .261 with 19 homers and 63 RBIs in 2019. Choi had a base salary of $850,000 last year and earned $427,148 in prorated pay, including performance bonuses. Decisions also are pending for New York Mets third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis and Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander, the first two cases of the year. Rays reliever Ryan Yarbrough remains scheduled for a hearing later this month. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Outfielder Anthony Santander and the Baltimore Orioles argued the second salary arbitration case of the year Wednesday. Santander asked for a raise from $572,500 to $2,475,000, and the Orioles argued for $2.1 million, the same figures that were exchanged by third baseman/outfielder J.D. Davis and the New York Mets, who argued the first case Tuesday. Santander's case was heard by arbitrators Melinda Gordon, Richard Bloch and Frederic Horowitz. Santander, 26, hit .261 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. He was eligible for arbitration for the first time. Eleven more players remain scheduled for hearings through Feb. 19. ___ More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — J.D. Davis and the New York Mets argued the first of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. The third baseman and outfielder asked for a raise from $592,463 to $2,475,000 during Tuesday’s hearing before Gil Vernon, Mark Burstein and Jeanne Vonhof. The Mets argued for $2.1 million. Davis is eligible for arbitration for the first time. Because of the pandemic, hearings are being conducted by Zoom for the first time rather than in person. Still scheduled for hearings are Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes and pitcher Walker Buehler; Tampa Bay first baseman Ji-Man Choi and reliever Ryan Yarbrough; Houston shortstop Carlos Correa; St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty; Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ; Los Angeles Angeles pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani; Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander; San Francisco second baseman Donovan Solano; and Atlanta pitcher Mike Sorotka and shortstop Dansby Swanson. Teams won seven of 12 hearings last year, including six of the first... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for eligible players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Lindor's deal is the fourth-largest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player, trailing Mookie Betts ($27 million with Boston last year), Nolan Arenado ($26 million with Colorado in 2019) and Josh Donaldson ($23 million with Toronto in 2018).... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with eight players Friday to avoid salary arbitration, including shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Michael Conforto and first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith. Lindor will earn $22.3 million and Conforto gets $12.25 million in their final years before potentially becoming free agents. Smith agreed to a $2.55 million deal in his first year eligible for arbitration. Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo ($4.7 million) and right-handers Edwin Díaz ($7 million), Seth Lugo ($2,925,00), Miguel Castro ($1,687,500) and Robert Gsellman ($1.3 million) also agreed to one-year deals. Lindor’s is the fourth-biggest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player, trailing Mookie Betts ($27 million with Boston last year), Nolan Arenado ($26 million with Colorado in 2019) and Josh Donaldson ($23 million with Toronto in 2018). New York had nine players eligible for arbitration — tied with Pittsburgh for the most among major league teams.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Lindor's deal is the fourth-highest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player, trailing Mookie Betts ($27 million with Boston last year), Nolan Arenado ($26 million with Colorado in 2019) and Josh Donaldson ($23 million with Toronto in 2018). Bryant agreed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Bryant agreed to $19.5 million with the Chicago Cubs. He, too, can become a free agent after the season, falling one day shy of eligibility at the end of the 2020 season. The third baseman lost a grievance last offseason that claimed the Cubs delayed his call-up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Bryant agreed to $19.5 million with the Chicago Cubs. He, too, can become a free agent after the season, falling one day shy of eligibility at the end of the 2020 season. The third baseman lost a grievance last offseason that claimed the Cubs delayed his call-up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with eight players Friday to avoid salary arbitration, including shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Michael Conforto and first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith. Lindor will earn $22.3 million and Conforto gets $12.25 million in their final years before potentially becoming free agents, while Smith agreed to a $2.55 million deal in his first year eligible for arbitration. Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo ($4.7 million) and right-handers Edwin Díaz ($7 million), Seth Lugo ($2,925,00), Miguel Castro ($1,687,500) and Robert Gsellman ($1.3 million) also agreed to one-year deals. New York had nine players eligible for arbitration — tied with Pittsburgh for the most among major league teams. The only one who did not reach an agreement by Friday's deadline to exchange proposed salaries was third baseman-outfielder J.D. Davis. Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Davis asked for $2,475,000 and the Mets offered him $2.1 million.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with eight players Friday to avoid salary arbitration, including shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Michael Conforto and first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith. Lindor will earn $22.3 million and Conforto gets $12.25 million in their final years before potentially becoming free agents, while Smith agreed to a $2.55 million deal in his first year eligible for arbitration. Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo ($4.7 million) and right-handers Edwin Díaz ($7 million), Seth Lugo ($2,925,00), Miguel Castro ($1,687,500) and Robert Gsellman ($1.3 million) also agreed to one-year deals. New York had nine players eligible for arbitration — tied with Pittsburgh for the most among major league teams. The only one who did not reach an agreement by Friday's deadline to exchange proposed salaries was third baseman-outfielder J.D. Davis. Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Davis asked for $2,475,000 and the Mets offered him $2.1 million.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith, outfielders Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo and pitchers Edwin Díaz, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. Smith will make $2.55 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, Conforto is set to receive $12.25 million in his third eligible year, and Nimmo gets $4.7 million and Díaz $7 million in their second years. Lugo agreed to $2,925,000, and Gsellman will make $1.3 million. The 25-year-old Smith enjoyed a huge breakout during the pandemic-shortened season, forcing his way into the everyday lineup and hitting .316 with 10 home runs, 21 doubles, 42 RBIs and a .993 OPS in 50 games. He earned $214,380 prorated from his $578,826 salary. Smith’s natural position is first base, creating a bit of a potential logjam with Mets slugger Pete Alonso. If the National League adopts the designated hitter again, problem solved. If not, Smith could see plenty... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and pitchers Edwin Díaz, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. Smith will make $2.55 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, while Nimmo gets $4.7 million and Díaz $7 million in their second eligible years. Lugo agreed to $2,925,000, and Gsellman will make $1.3 million. The 25-year-old Smith enjoyed a huge breakout during the pandemic-shortened season, forcing his way into the everyday lineup and hitting .316 with 10 home runs, 21 doubles, 42 RBIs and a .993 OPS in 50 games. He earned $214,380 prorated from his $578,826 salary. Smith’s natural position is first base, creating a bit of a potential logjam with Mets slugger Pete Alonso. If the National League adopts the designated hitter again, problem solved. If not, Smith could see plenty of playing time in left field, where his shortcomings and inexperience are... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets agreed to one-year contracts with first baseman-outfielder Dominic Smith and pitchers Edwin Díaz, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. Smith will make $2.55 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, while Díaz gets $7 million in his second eligible year. Lugo agreed to $2,925,000, and Gsellman will make $1.3 million. The 25-year-old Smith enjoyed a huge breakout during the pandemic-shortened season, forcing his way into the everyday lineup and hitting .316 with 10 home runs, 21 doubles, 42 RBIs and a .993 OPS in 50 games. He earned $214,380 prorated from his $578,826 salary. Smith’s natural position is first base, creating a bit of a potential logjam with Mets slugger Pete Alonso. If the National League adopts the designated hitter again, problem solved. If not, Smith could see plenty of playing time in left field, where his shortcomings and inexperience are evident. Even team president Sandy Alderson acknowledged... [More]