The Red Sox have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with their five remaining arbitration-eligible players ahead of Friday’s deadline to exchange figures.
Boston came to terms with right-handers Nick Pivetta and Ryan Brasier, catcher Reese McGuire, infielder Christian Arroyo, and outfielder Alex Verdugo on Friday after previously agreeing to deals with left-hander Josh Taylor, outfielder Rob Refsnyder, and third baseman Rafael Devers.
According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox will pay Pivetta $6.3 million, Brasier $2 million, McGuire $1.225 million, Arroyo $2 million, and Verdugo $6.3 million. As has already been reported, Taylor will receive a salary of $1.025 million, Refsnyder a salary of $1.2 million, and Devers a salary of $17.5 million in 2023.
The Red Sox came into the offseason with 11 arbitration-eligible players in total, but they whittled that number down to eight by cutting ties with Abraham Almonte in October and non-tendering Franchy Cordero and Yu Chang in December.
Devers earned a 56.3 percent raise after taking home $11.2 million in 2022. The 26-year-old, of course, has since signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension that begins in 2024 and runs through the end of the 2033 season.
Verdugo’s pay was bumped by 75.5 percent after he made $3.55 million last year while Pivetta’s increased by 101.9 percent after he earned $2.65 million. Both Verdugo and Pivetta are currently slated to become free agents for the first time at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.
Brasier will receive a 42.9 percent raise after earning $1.4 million in 2022. The veteran reliever is entering his final year of club control and will be eligible for free agency next winter. Arroyo will see his salary increase by 66.7 percent as he, like Verdugo and Pivetta, is two years away from hitting the open market.
McGuire, who was acquired from the White Sox last August, will make $1.225 million in 2023. That represents a 69.6 percent raise from the $722,000 salary he received as a pre-arbitration-eligible player in 2022. McGuire and Taylor are both controllable through 2025 while Refsnyder is controllable through 2024.
All told, the Red Sox ended up committing $36.6 million to their eight arbitration-eligible players for this coming season. This marks the second straight year in which they avoided having to take anyone to an arbitration hearing as well.
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