Last December the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to one-year deals with Scott Alexander and Austin Barnes prior to the deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players.
Meanwhile, Pedro Baez, Cody Bellinger, Kiké Hernandez, Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, Ross Stripling, Chris Taylor and Julio Urias were tendered before the deadline. Yimi Garcia was non-tendered, became a free agent and later went on to sign with the Miami Marlins.
Then in January the Dodgers came to terms with Bellinger, Hernandez, Seager, Stripling and Urias. Each agreed to a one-year contract and avoided arbitration for the 2020 MLB season. However, L.A. failed to reach agreements with Baez, Muncy, Pederson and Taylor, and now face arbitration hearings in February.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is among the executives who operates under a “file-and-trial” philosophy. So while the Dodgers and their arbitration-eligible players are free to continue negotiating, it’s not considered a likely scenario.
That could change if the Dodgers were to pursue a multi-year contract with Baez, Muncy, Pederson or Taylor, but the organization is undecided if they have interest in that possibility, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez:
An exception is made for multiyear contracts, but the Dodgers have not yet decided whether to pursue any with their unsigned players, a source said.
Should the Dodgers head to arbitration hearings with their four players, they reportedly intend to argue none of Muncy, Pederson or Taylor carry a full-time role. Pederson certainly was platooned throughout the 2019 season, but he still appeared in 149 games.
He batted .249/.339/.538 with 16 doubles, 36 home runs, 83 runs scored and 74 RBI. Pederson’s batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, runs scored and RBI all represented the best marks of his career.
Pederson additionally broke his own Dodgers franchise record with nine leadoff home runs — one year after setting the mark with eight.
Muncy and Taylor also were productive, appearing in 141 and 124 games, respectively.
The total discrepancy in reported figures the parties filed is a combined $3.475 million. The largest difference is between the Dodgers and Pederson — $1.75 million.
Pederson filed at $9.5 million, while the Dodgers countered at $7.75 million. MLB Trade Rumors projected an $8.5 million salary for Pederson in 2020.
Baez is said to have filed at $4 million (Dodgers at $3.5 million), Muncy submitted $4.675 million (team countered with $4 million), and Taylor asked for $5.8 million (countered by $5.25 million).
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