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

By: The Associated Press Posted: 8:20 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 Last Modified: 10:18 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024

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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.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/01/2024 (688 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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).

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates his two-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Toronto. Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Pete Alonso are among 194 players across Major League Baseball still negotiating salaries for the 2024 season leading into Thursday’s Jan. 11, 2024, deadline. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

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.