CASH GRAB
Utilityman Mauricio Dubón goes to salary arbitration with Houston Astros
Feb 6, 2024, 9:01 am
CASH GRAB
Houston utilityman Mauricio Dubón and New York Mets right-hander Phil Bickford went to salary arbitration hearings Monday.
Dubón asked for a raise from $1.4 million to $3.5 million and the Astros argued for $3 million in a case heard by John Woods, Jeanne Charles and Janice Johnston.
Bickford requested an increase from $740,000 to $900,000, and the Mets said he should be paid $815,000 in a case heard by Robert Herzog, Margaret Brogan and Stephen Raymond.
Decisions are expected Tuesday in those cases along with those of Baltimore outfielder Austin Hays and right-hander Jacob Webb and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, which were argued last week.
The 29-year-old Dubón hit .278 with 10 homers and 46 RBIs in his first full season with Houston, which acquired him from San Francisco in May 2022.
Bickford, a 28-year-old reliever, was 5-5 with a 4.95 ERA in 61 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Mets, who acquired him on Aug. 1.
Teams won the first two decisions of the year, beating Miami outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. ($2,625,000 vs. $2.9 million) and Angels left-hander José Suarez ($925,000 instead of $1.35 million).
Eleven more players are scheduled for hearings, which run through Feb. 16.
Toronto star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the most high-profile case, asking for $19.9 million as the Blue Jays offered $18.05 million. If the case doesn’t settle, it would be the highest salary awarded in arbitration win or lose, topping the $14 million Seattle outfielder Teoscar Hernández received after he lost his hearing last year.
Kyle Tucker launched a three-run homer and matched a season high with four hits against the team that traded him in December, and the Chicago Cubs routed Houston 12-3 on Saturday night to stop the Astros' five-game winning streak.
Tucker also scored four times to pace a Cubs lineup that pounded out 15 hits, including three by Dansby Swanson. Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner also went deep.
Chicago hit three homers in an inning for the second time this season during a seven-run fourth. Busch and Hoerner had back-to-back solo shots to put the Cubs on top 3-2, and Tucker’s drive made it 7-2.
The offensive outburst came in support of Colin Rea (5-3), who allowed two runs and five hits over five innings. The only blemish on his line was rookie Cam Smith’s two-run homer in the third, which briefly gave the Astros a 2-1 lead.
Smith, part of the package Houston received for Tucker, finished with two hits and has homered in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Lance McCullers Jr. (1-3) came off the injured list and allowed eight runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Isaac Paredes, also part of the Astros' trade return for Tucker, hit his 17th home run.
Tucker’s three-run homer in the fourth that put the Cubs ahead 7-2.
McCullers has a 10.89 ERA in five home starts this season, but hasn’t allowed an earned run in three road starts.
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (8-4, 2.88 ERA) opposes RHP Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.77 ERA) when the series concludes Sunday.