MLB Player News

Bieber signed a one-year, $10.01 million contract with the Guardians on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Coming off the heels of a 2.88 ERA, 1.04 WHIP season, the 27-year-old ace was in line for a pay increase from his $6 million salary last year. With a 2.91 ERA since 2019, Bieber remains one of the best and most reliable pitchers in all of baseball, and he shows no sign of slowing down heading into 2023.

Chirinos signed a one-year, $1.275 million contract with Tampa Bay on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Chirinos only made two appearances for the Rays last season, throwing seven scoreless innings and recording a 1.14 WHIP. While that's certainly a good sign, it's still hard to tell how well he's bounced back from Tommy John surgery in August 2020, so there's a good chance he begins the year in Triple-A until the organization can get a better feel for where he is in the recovery process.

Blackburn (finger) agreed to a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the A's on Friday to avoid arbitration, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Blackburn enjoyed a breakout early in 2022 with a 2.26 ERA through his first 13 starts, but he struggled after he suffered a finger injury in July before being shut down for the season. The 29-year-old should be healthy for the start of spring training and will open 2023 as a key piece in Oakland's rotation.

Quantrill and the Guardians agreed on a one-year, $5.55 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander is coming off a strong season in 2022, posting a 3.38 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 128 punchouts over 186.1 innings in 32 starts with Cleveland. Quantrill seems locked into a mid-rotation role for the Guardians.

Civale agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Guardians on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Civale had a 4.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 98:22 K:BB across 97 innings during 2022, and he missed significant time due to glute, wrist and forearm injuries. He had a 3.86 FIP and could be a rebound candidate if he can stay healthy in 2023.

Urquidy agreed to a one-year, $3.025 million contract with the Astros on Friday to avoid arbitration, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It's the first year of arbitration eligibility for Urquidy, and he's coming off a 2022 campaign during which he had a 3.94 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 134:38 K:BB over 164.1 innings. The 27-year-old will open 2023 with a firm spot at the back end of Houston's starting rotation following the departure of Justin Verlander in free agency.

Bubic and the Royals agreed on a one-year, $2.2 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old struggled in 2022, producing an inflated 5.58 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with 110 punchouts over 129 innings while starting 27 out of the 28 games he appeared in. The Royals added some rotation depth this offseason, so Bubic could be headed for a long relief or swingman role in 2023.

Sandoval and the Angels agreed on a one-year, $2.75 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The 26-year-old started 27 games with Los Angeles in 2022, compiling a 2.91 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 151 strikeouts over 148.2 innings. Sandoval will head into spring training locked into a mid-rotation role for the Halos.

Kopech (knee) signed a one-year contract with the White Sox on Friday to avoid arbitration, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Kopech offered a mixed bag in 2022, holding a 3.54 ERA but with a 105:57 K:BB over 119.1 innings before shoulder and knee injuries prematurely ended his season. The hope is that he will be ready for spring training, but he won't be a good bet for a full workload in 2023.

Cease signed a one-year, $5.7 million contract with the White Sox on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

It's a massive raise for Cease, who was in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The bump in pay was earned after the right-hander held a 2.20 ERA and 227:78 K:BB across 184 innings in 2022 to finish runner-up to Justin Verlander in American League Cy Young Award voting.