A Quick Recap of the 2023 MLB Arbitration Offer Deadline

January 13 is the deadline the deadline for MLB teams to make offers to arbitration-eligible players. Because of this deadline, many players who fell into this category reached deals on or around this date to avoid a messy situation later in the spring. Here’s a quick recap of went down today in Major League Baseball.

Related: 2023 MLB Fantasy: How Much Value Does Astros SS Jeremy Peña Have?

A Look at Notable Deals

Now, we should mention that there were some players who already agreed to new deals prior to this deadline. SP/DH Shohei Ohtani agreed to a one-year/$30 million deal with the Angels back in October. C Sean Murphy and 3B Rafael Devers, meanwhile, both inked new multi-year deals. The former wiped out the remaining of his arbitration years, while Devers signed his massive extension after agreeing to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration.

Now, let’s take a look at some notable agreements prior to the deadline:

Urías, Hader, Hoskins, Giolito, and Montgomery are all slated to enter free agency after the end of this season. Bieber and Soto will head to market after 2024.

While those players settled their financial situation for next season, a number of notable players did not. Toronto star infielder Bo Bichette failed to reach an agreement, as did former Jay Teoscar Hernandez with Seattle. Mets infielder and reigning NL batting champion Jeff McNeil also reportedly does not have a deal after the deadline. Thosethree, along with all other players who didn’t reach deals today, may still negotiate new deals prior to an arbitration hearing.

The two most interesting arbitration-eligible players without deals may well be LHP Max Fried and RHP Corbin Burnes. Neither reached a deal by the deadline, and it’s fair to wonder what the future has in store for each. Fried has developed into an ace for the Braves, a win-now team that is set to compete for years to come. It’s highly doubtful that the Braves deal Fried between now and the winter of 2024, when Fried is set to enter free agency. However, can Atlanta re-sign Fried given the Braves’ high payroll? Doing so could push Atlanta past the luxury tax threshold at some point in the near future.

2021 NL Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes is another name to watch. Milwaukee is set to compete to for the NL Central title in 2023, but can a smaller-market team like the Brewers keep Burnes in town past 2024? The right-hander will get a hefty payday in the winter of 2024, provided that he stays healthy and productive. Will the Brewers pull the trigger and deal Burnes, in case the right-hander intends on walking? That decision won’t be made now, but it may come after the 2023 season should Milwaukee fail to the make the playoffs.

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