LI’s Marcus Stroman loses arbitration case with Toronto
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees during an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Toronto’s Marcus Stroman and Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson lost their salary arbitration cases Thursday, and Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer, Houston’s Collin McHugh and Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi won.
Decisions for all five pitchers had been held for simultaneous announcement to prevent any of the cases from being affected by the rulings.
Players have an 11-8 advantage over teams with three more cases possible. The 22 decisions would be the most since players went 14-10 in 1990.
Long Island’s Stroman received a lift from $3.4 million to $6.5 million instead of his $6.9 million request. Edna Francis, Elizabeth Neumeier and Gary Kendellan heard the case Monday.
Stroman went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 2017. The 26-year-old righthander struck out 164, two shy of his career high, and walked a career-worst 62 in 201 innings.
Gibson made $2.9 million last year and will get $4.2 million, $350,000 below his request, in a case argued Wednesday before arbitrators Robert Herzog, Neumeier and Kendellen. The 30-year-old righthander was 12-10 with a 5.07 ERA last year, when he earned $2.9 million.
McHugh and Odorizzi became the first players to win hearings in consecutive years since Minnesota pitcher Kyle Lohse in 2005 and ’06. Stroman lost after winning last winter.
Pitcher Dan Straily and Miami argued their case Thursday, and Cincinnati second baseman Scooter Gennett and Kansas City pitcher Brandon Maurer await hearings. Twenty-seven players swapped proposed salaries with their teams last month.
Bauer received a raise from $3.55 million to $6,525,000 from arbitrators Andrew Strongin, Steven Wolf and Herzog, who heard the case on Feb. 8. The Indians offered $5.3 million.
A 27-year-old righthander, Bauer was 17-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 31 starts and one relief appearance for the AL Central champions last season, when he made $3.55 million. He was just the third Cleveland player to go to a hearing since 1991. The Indians defeated pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin four years ago.
McHugh was given a hike from $3.85 million to $5 million by Mark Burstein, Jeanne Wood and Allen Ponak, who listened to arguments Tuesday. The World Series champion Astros offered $4.55 million.
McHugh heads to spring training projected as a sixth starter behind a rotation of Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers Jr. and Charlie Morton. The Astros could decide to trade McHugh.
The 30-year-old righthander was 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 12 starts last season. He was on the disabled list with tendinitis in his pitching shoulder until July 22.
Odorizzi got a raise from $4.1 million to $6.3 million instead of the Rays’ $6.05 million offer. A righthander who turns 28 next month, Odorizzi was 10-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 28 starts last year. He struck out 127, his lowest total in four full major- league seasons, and walked a career-high 61.
Around the bases
A person familiar with the negotiations says pitcher Andrew Cashner and the Orioles have agreed to a two-year, $16-million contract . . . Lefthander Jaime Garcia and the Blue Jays have agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract that includes a 2019 team option . . . Mariners first baseman Ryon Healy had surgery to remove a bone spur in his right hand and is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks.
