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.
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.