Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing when the first baseman agreed to a one-year, $28.5 million contract, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez also agreed to a one-year contract for $18 million, sources told ESPN.
Guerrero and Valdez can become free agents after the World Series.
Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, received $10.15 million from the Detroit Tigers two years before he’s eligible for free agency, more than three times what he earned the prior season.
Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, won a $19.9 million salary last year in a record high for an arbitration decision when a panel picked his figure rather than the Blue Jays’ $18.05 million offer.
Juan Soto set a record for an arbitration-eligible player when he agreed last year to a $31 million deal with the New York Yankees, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $30 million 2023 contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto became a free agent in November and signed a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
Guerrero wasn’t the only player to agree with the Blue Jays. Outfielder Daulton Varsho ($8.2 million) and catcher Alejandro Kirk ($4.6 million) also reached one-year deals with Toronto. The Astros, meanwhile, also reached deals with new third baseman Isaac Paredes ($6.625 million) and shortstop Jeremy Pena ($4.1 million).
