Astros agree to terms with 6 players; Dubón headed to arbitration.
Houston Six of the Astros’ seven arbitration-eligible players, including right fielder Kyle Tucker and left-handed pitcher Fernández, who were both second-year American League All-Stars the previous season, struck agreements on Thursday.
Along with right-handers José Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Bryan Abreu as well as outfielder Chas McCormick, the Astros were unable to come to an agreement with utility player Mauricio Dubón, who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing. The specifics of the deals were disclosed to MLB.com by a source, although the team did not make them public. What you should know about the arbitration procedure is as follows:
What is salary arbitration?
Players with three or more years of Major League service time but fewer than six (when they qualify for free agency) can negotiate their salaries for the upcoming season. Those salaries are based primarily on comparable players who signed contracts in recent seasons. If the player and club cannot agree to terms, a hearing is scheduled in February. A panel of arbitrators will hear arguments from both sides, then select the salary figure provided by the player or the club.
What’s the situation for each arbitration-eligible Astros player?
RHP Bryan Abreu ($1.775 million salary for 2024; first-time arbitration eligible):2023 saw Abreu emerge as one of baseball’s top relievers, with a 1.75 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He allowed opponents to bat just.177 while striking out 100 batters against 31 walks in a career-high 72 innings pitched. In nine postseason games, he tossed eight and a third innings, recording a 4.32 ERA.
RHP Luis Garcia ($1.85 million salary, first-time arbitration eligible): Following a 15-win campaign in 2022, Garcia started just six games in 2023, finishing 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA before suffering an injury that required Tommy John surgery in May to end his season.
OF Chas McCormick (first-time arbitration-eligible, $2.85 million salary): McCormick had a breakout season in 2023, hitting .273 with 22 homers, 19 stolen bases and 70 RBIs while making 51 starts in center field, 45 in left field and nine in right field. He led the Astros with three multi-homer games, and was 8-for-28 in the postseason with a home run.
RF Kyle Tucker (second-time arbitration-eligible, $12 million salary): Tucker, who slashed .284/.369/.517 with 29 homers, 30 steals and an American League-leading 112 RBIs, finished fifth in AL MVP voting. Last year, he made $5 million after losing an arbitration hearing in which he was seeking $7.5 million.
RHP José Urquidy, who earns $3.75 million and is eligible for arbitration a second time:During the previous season, Urquidy only pitched in 16 games (10 starts), going 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA. After missing three months due to right shoulder soreness, he was forced to leave his sixth start of the season. He didn’t return to the mound until August. In the postseason, he made three appearances (two starts) and recorded a 5.40 ERA.
LHP Framber Valdez ($2.1 million salary, second-time arbitration eligible): Although Valdez didn’t pitch as well in the second half of the season, he finished 12-11 with a 3.45 ERA and earned $6.8 million in revenue last year. He went 5-5 with a 4.66 ERA in his last 14 starts, which included a no-hitter against on August 1, after going 7-6 with a 2.51 ERA in his first 17 starts.
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