MLB Player News
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Jose Caballero 2B | NYY
Yankees' Jose Caballero: Set to earn $2 million
Caballero agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Yankees to avoid arbitration Thursday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Caballero was dealt to the Yankees at the trade deadline, and he enjoyed a strong second half of the season. Across 95 regular-season plate appearances for New York, he managed to hit .266/.372/.456 with 15 stolen bases and three home runs. Caballero projects to be in a bench role when the Yankees' lineup is healthy, though he's likely to get regular at-bats to begin the year with Anthony Volpe (shoulder) sidelined.
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Jacob Bird RP | NYY
Yankees' Jake Bird: Agrees to deal with Yankees
Bird signed a one-year contract with the Yankees to avoid arbitration Thursday.
The official terms of the deal haven't been announced, but this was Bird's first year of arbitration eligibility. The Yankees acquired him from the Rockies at the summer deadline, but he was dispatched to Triple-A after giving up six earned runs in his first three outings for New York, and he spent the rest of the season in the minors.
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Freddy Fermin C | SD
Padres' Freddy Fermin: Avoids arbitration with San Diego
Fermin signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract with the Padres on Thursday to avoid arbitration.
Fermin was traded by the Royals to the Padres in late July, and across both clubs he posted a .636 OPS with one steal, 32 runs, 13 doubles, five home runs and 26 RBI over 347 plate appearances during the 2025 regular season. The 30-year-old projects to be the Padres' No. 1 catcher to begin 2026 while Luis Campusano serves as the backup.
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JP Sears SP | SD
Padres' JP Sears: Gets deal with San Diego
Sears signed a one-year contract with the Padres on Thursday to avoid arbitration.
Sears was a regular part of the Athletics' rotation before being shipped to the Padres in late July, after which point he was sent back and forth between Triple-A and the majors. He ended the 2025 regular season with a 5.04 ERA and 1.32 WHIP -- both career worsts -- across 135.2 innings, and his spot in the Padres' rotation could be shaky if he gets off to a slow start in 2026.
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Gabe Speier RP | SEA
Mariners' Gabe Speier: Reaches deal
Speier signed a one-year contract with the Mariners to avoid arbitration Thursday,Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The terms of the deal aren't yet known, though Speier is likely getting a decent raise after making $845,000 during his first year of arbitration eligibility in 2025. He's coming off of an excellent campaign, maintaining a 2.61 ERA and 0.87 WHIP across 62 frames while also earning 24 holds during the 2025 regular season.
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Luke Raley RF | SEA
Mariners' Luke Raley: Agrees to terms with Mariners
Raley signed a one-year contract with the Mariners on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
This marked Raley's first year of arbitration eligibility. He took a significant step back in 2025, logging only a .630 OPS across 219 plate appearances while also dealing with oblique and back injuries. Raley projects to begin 2026 in a reserve role for Seattle.
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Mason Miller SP | SD
Padres' Mason Miller: Avoids arbitration with Padres
Miller signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Padres on Thursday to avoid arbitration.
It's a nice raise for Miller in his first season of arbitration eligibility. The right-hander opened 2025 with the Athletics before being traded to the Padres in July, and between both teams he posted a 2.63 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 10 holds, 22 saves (out of 26 opportunities) and a 104:28 K:BB across 61.2 regular-season innings. Miller served as more of a setup man for the Padres after being the Athletics' top closer. However, with Robert Suarez signing with Atlanta during the offseason, Miller figures to step in as San Diego's closer for the 2026 campaign.
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Logan Gilbert SP | SEA
Mariners' Logan Gilbert: Gets nearly $11 million
Gilbert and the Mariners agreed to a one-year, $10.9 million contract to avoid arbitration Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
This marked Gilbert's third year of arbitration eligibility, and he's secured a raise of about $3.4 million for 2026. He turned in another very strong season last year, maintaining a 3.44 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 131 frames during the regular season.
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David Bednar RP | NYY
Yankees' David Bednar: Gets $9 million with Bronx Bombers
Bednar agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Bednar had a rocky start to the 2025 season with Pittsburgh, which resulted in a brief demotion to Triple-A. His trip to the minors did the trick, as he reclaimed his closer role in the Pirates' bullpen and pitched well before being traded to the Yankees in late July. Bednar served as the preferred closer for the Bronx Bombers toward the tail end of the regular season, and in 22 outings with the Yankees, he logged a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 10 saves (on 13 opportunities) and a 35:9 K:BB across 24.2 innings. Bednar figures to reprise his role as the Yankees' top closer for the 2026 season.
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Matt Brash RP | SEA
Mariners' Matt Brash: Signs deal with Seattle
Brash and the Mariners agreed to a one-year contract to avoid arbitration on Thursday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Brash has been a key high-leverage reliever for the Mariners across the last two seasons, racking up a combined eight saves and 46 holds. He should serve in a similar capacity in 2026, working as the primary setup man to Andres Munoz. This was Brash's first year of arbitration eligibility.