MLB Rookie of the Year winners Randy Arozarena and Yordan Alvarez and All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette were among 16 players whose contracts were renewed by their teams rather than reach negotiated agreements.
Arozarena, the outfielder voted the 2021 American League ROY, was given a $716,600 salary for 2022 while in the major leagues by the Tampa Bay Rays, according to contract information obtained by The Associated Press. That is up from $581,200 last season. He batted .274 with 20 homers, 69 RBIs and an .815 OPS.
Álvarez, the Houston Astros‘ designated hitter and outfielder voted a unanimous winner of the 2019 AL rookie award, was given a $764,600 salary, up from $609,000 last year. He hit .277 last year with 33 homers, 104 RBIs and an .877 OPS.
Bichette was given a $723,550 salary, an increase from $587,800 last year, when he also earned a $10,000 bonus for making the All-Star team. He hit .298 with 29 homers, 102 RBIs, an AL-leading 191 hits and an .828 OPS.
Atlanta right-hander Ian Anderson was renewed at $710,000 after pitching five hitless, scoreless innings to win World Series Game 3 over Houston. He had been renewed at $575,500 last year.
Others whose contracts were renewed before the Wednesday deadline were Washington catcher Tres Barrera ($700,000), Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Matt Beaty ($730,000), St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson ($703,000), Texas outfielder Adolis García ($714,000), Colorado left-hander Austin Gomber ($710,000), Boston right-hander Tanner Houck ($716,000), Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah ($706,200), Oakland left-hander A.J. Puk ($705,000), Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles ($700,000), San Francisco right-hander Logan Webb ($730,000), Baltimore right-hander Tyler Wells ($704,500) and Milwaukee right-hander Devin Williams ($714,500).
The renewals were up from eight last year, which was among the lower annual totals.
Toles was placed on the restricted list in March 2019 and was briefly at extended during spring training that year but did not play. He was arrested in June 2020 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge in Key West, Florida.
All would have lower rates of pay if assigned to the minor leagues, ranging from $114,100 for Barrera to $340,550 for Williams.
Players have the right to go to salary arbitration once they have three years of major league service or are in the top 17% by service time of those with at least two years and less than three. They can become free agents once they have six seasons.
After having their contracts renewed for 2021 and becoming eligible for arbitration this year, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso agreed to a $7.4 million salary, up from $676,775 under a renewal last season after winning National League Rookie of the Year. Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber reached a $6 million deal after he was renewed at $679,700 last year as the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.
The minimum salary was raised from $570,500 to $700,000 under the new collective bargaining agreement.
A new $50 million annual bonus pool is established in the deal for players not yet eligible for arbitration, and winning Rookie of the Year will be worth $750,000. Winning MVP or Cy Young would be worth $2.5 million.
Álvarez was on last year’s all-MLB second team, which would earn a $500,000 bonus starting this year. All-MLB first team would be worth $1 million. Last year’s all-MLB team vote was determined 50% by fan balloting and 50% by voting by a media panel whose members were not publicly identified.