The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided an arbitration hearing with Tony Gonsolin by signing him to a two-year, $6.65 million contract extension that runs through the 2024 season.
Gonsolin was the only member of the Dodgers’ 10 arbitration-eligible players who did not agree to terms by the January 13 exchange deadline. The right-hander filed for a $3.4 million salary for the 2023 season, while the Dodgers countered at $3 million.
Gonsolin is coming off a career year in which he went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 0.88 WHIP and 4.6 WAR over a career-high 130.1 innings pitched en route to his first All-Star Game selection.
According to the Associated Press, Gonsolin’s new contract includes incentives for games started and relief appearances, and placement in National League Cy Young Award voting:
Gonsolin gets $3.25 million this year and $3.4 million in 2024. His salary in the second season can escalate by up to $3 million based on a points system in which he will be credited one point for each start, or each relief appearance of 3 1/3 innings: $500,000 apiece for 14, 16, 18, 20, 24 and 28 points. The 2024 salary also would increase by $1,125,000 for winning a Cy Young Award this year, $625,000 for finishing second or third in the voting and $500,000 for finishing fourth or fifth.
Gonsolin has eclipsed 14 starts in a single season only once, which came last year when he took the ball a career-best 24 times. His previous high was 13 starts during the 2021 season.
Gonsolin can also add to his 2024 base salary if he places in NL Cy Young Award voting. He has never done so, but presumably would have last season if he didn’t miss time down the stretch due to right forearm strain and general soreness.
The 28-year-old was among the 100 players who qualified for bonuses stemming from performance last year as part of the pre-arbitration pool program.
Dodgers last arbitration hearing
The only arbitration hearings under Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman came in 2020, when the team won their case over Joc Pederson but lost to Pedro Báez. Those were the first arbitration hearings for the Dodgers since defeating Joe Beimel in 2007.
Friedman historically has taken a “file and trial” approach, but showed a willingness to avoid an arbitration hearing by agreeing to multi-year contracts with the likes Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes, Walker Buehler and now Gonsolin.
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