The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Cody Bellinger, Dylan Floro, Corey Seager and Julio Urias were each signed to a one-year contract for the 2021 season to avoid arbitration. Corey Knebel reportedly agreed to a deal as well, but it has not yet been made official by the club.
Scott Alexander was another of the Dodgers players eligible for salary arbitration, though his case was resolved at the December deadline to tender contracts as he too agreed to a one-year contract.
Noticeably absent from the Dodgers’ announcement were Austin Barnes and Walker Buehler. Barnes is in a second year of salary arbitration, while it is a first for Buehler.
According to J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, both players seek a multi-year contract and otherwise will plan on an arbitration hearing in February:
The next step for both players, I’m told, will either be an arbitration hearing or a multi-year deal.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) January 16, 2021
With players and teams who failed to come to terms by Friday’s deadline now having filed and exchanged salary figures, they are permitted to continue negotiating before the arbitration hearing is held. Though some clubs — the Dodgers included — historically operate under a file and trial philosophy.
But that wasn’t the case last winter with Max Muncy and Chris Taylor, as the Dodgers successfully bought out years of arbitration by signing both players to multi-year contracts.
Barnes is coming off another season in which he struggled at the plate. There was some improvement down the stretch, which he attributed to assistance from Mookie Betts. All the while Barnes successfully managed a Dodgers pitching staff that was one of the best in baseball.
His ability to call a game and receive pitches led to the Dodgers relying on Barnes behind the plate with plenty of regularity during the postseason.
Buehler again was a bit slow to find his rhythm and he also dealt with blisters for the first time in his career. The right-hander nevertheless was dependable in the playoffs once again, and some of that success was credited to Barnes.
Dodgers free agency
While the Dodgers agreed to contracts with a majority of their arbitration-eligible players, the bulk of team’s free agents are still unsigned. Most notably Justin Turner, whose importance increased in the wake of DJ LeMahieu re-signing with the New York Yankees.
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