Although they went up to the deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided arbitration with each of their players for a 12th consecutive year.
The last time the Dodgers required an arbitration hearing was with reliever Joe Beimel in 2007, which went in favor of the team. Tony Cingrani was also eligible for salary arbitration this winter but he agreed to a one-year contract at the tender deadline.
Meanwhile, the salaries that Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Chris Taylor, Kiké Hernandez, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields and Yimi Garcia will be receiving this season were released via the Associated Press:
The NL champions agreed with Corey Seager ($4 million), Joc Pederson ($5 million), Chris Taylor ($3.5 million), Enrique Hernandez ($3,725,000), Pedro Baez ($2.1 million), Josh Fields ($2.85 million) and Yimi Garcia ($710,000) on 2019 contracts.
Seager was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $2.6 million, so he gets a bit more than expected despite missing almost the entire 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery as well as a hip surgery.
Pederson ($4.3 million), Taylor ($3.2 million), Hernandez ($3.2 million), Baez ($1.8 million) and Fields ($2.8 million) all received more than projected as well, while Garcia received a bit less ($900,000).
Pederson got off to a slow start in 2018, but really turned things around and had one of his best offensive seasons. He hit .248/.321/.522 with 25 home runs, 56 RBI and 65 runs scored in 148 games.
Taylor wasn’t quite able to replicate his 2017 breakout campaign in 2018, but was still solid at times. In 155 games, he slashed .254/.331/.444 with 17 home runs, 63 RBI and 85 runs scored. However, Taylor did lead the National League with 178 strikeouts.
In 145 games, Hernandez hit .256/.336/.470 with career-highs across in home runs (21), RBI (52), runs scored (67) and walks (50).
Baez is coming off perhaps his best big league season with the Dodgers. In 55 games, he posted a 2.88 ERA, 3.16 FIP and 1.23 WHIP while striking out 62 and walking 23 in 56.1 innings.
Fields had his season cut short due to arm injuries. He had a strong showing when healthy though, yielding a 2.20 ERA, 3.62 FIP and 0.95 WHIP in 45 games. Fields struck out 33 and walked 11 in 41 innings.
The 2018 season was Garcia’s first coming off Tommy John surgery, so not much was expected of him going into the year. He was not quite able to return to his previous form, pitching to a 5.64 ERA, 6.34 FIP and 1.48 WHIP with 19 punch outs and four walks in 22.1 innings across 25 games.
With the arbitration salaries and the signings of Joe Kelly and A.J. Pollock, the Dodgers’ CBT payroll is at roughly $202 million while the luxury tax threshold is $206 million.
