Rays Agree to Arbitration with 7 Players, 7 Still Looming

The Rays have announced that seven of the 14 players that were eligible for arbitration have agreed to new contracts for the 2023 season. So, what exactly is arbitration?

The Rays have agreed to terms for the 2023 season with seven of their arbitration-eligible players: RH Shawn Armstrong, OF Randy Arozarena, LH Jalen Beeks, C/INF Christian Bethancourt, RH Yonny Chirinos, RH Andrew Kittredge and C Francisco Mejía.
— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) January 13, 2023

A player who has 3 to 6 years of MLB service time earns the right to negotiate what their salary would be for the upcoming season.

The player will submit what he believes his salary should be, and so will the team; if it's close, both parties usually tend to find common ground. If a salary is not agreed upon, then they will go to arbitration, where a judge will decide what the player's salary will be based on what both parties submitted, and they can only choose one of those salaries as there is no more negotiating once you get into a hearing.

Tampa Bay Rays v Washington Nationals / Mitchell Layton/GettyImages

The Rays will be going to arbitration with Yandy Diaz, OF/1B Harold Rameriz, RHP Pete Fairbanks, Ryan Thompson, Jason Adam, LHP Jeffery Springs, and Colin Poche

Hearings this year will take place between January 30th until February 17th. If the Rays hope to avoid getting to a hearing, they still have time to negotiate on a contract before the hearing starts.

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