Blue Jays avoid arbitration with Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez: report

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to one-year contracts and avoided arbitration with several players, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez, according to multiple reports.

Guerrero Jr. settled for $7.9 million while Hernandez signed for $10.65 million.

MLB Trade Rumors projected Guerrero Jr. would earn $7.9 million with Hernandez estimated at $10 million — both in line with what the Blue Jays sluggers ultimately agreed to.

Vlad is coming off an MVP calibre season that saw the 23-year-old hit a league-leading 48 home runs and 111 RBIs. He finished slashing .311/.401/.601 across 161 games.

This was Guerrero’s first year in arbitration, while Hernandez has one more year before potentially hitting free agency in 2024.

Hernandez, 29, batted .296 with 32 home runs and 116 RBIs last season — the best campaign of his six-year career.

So Vlad Guerrero Jr. is now set to make $7.9 million in ‘22. And he’ll earn raises — likely big ones — each of next 3 yrs. That $$$ isn’t technically guaranteed, but it’s not like the Jays are going to non-tender him. Is it $60/4? Or $70/4? More? Would inform any extension talks.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 22, 2022

Biggio, Stripling, Chapman sign new deals

Cavan Biggio, Ross Stripling and newcomer Matt Chapman all avoided arbitration, signing new pacts with the club.

Biggio, 26, signed a one-year, $2.12 million deal — the infielder was estimated to make $1.7 million in 2022, per MLB Trade Rumors.

Biggio finished with a .224/.322/.356 slash in 79 games. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2025 season.

Stripling and the Blue Jays avoided arbitration after agreeing to a $3.79 million deal for 2022. The 32-year-old is in his second season with the Blue Jays after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

The Blue Jays and new third baseman Matt Chapman have also agreed to a new two-year contract, the team confirmed on Tuesday.

The new deal will reportedly pay Chapman $12 million in 2022 and 2023 and includes a $1 million signing bonus. The new deal still leaves Chapman in line to become a free agent after the 2023 season.

Chapman was in line to earn a projected $9.5-million salary this season through the arbitration process, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. He joined the Blue Jays in a blockbuster trade with the Oakland Athletics last week.

That leaves a handful of other arbitration-eligible Blue Jays players, including catcher Danny Jansen and pitchers Trevor Richards, Adam Cimber, Tim Mayza, Ryan Borucki and Trent Thornton.