DONE DEAL
Dollar dilemma: Mauricio Dubon's salary arbitration officially settled with Astros
Feb 6, 2024, 3:25 pm
Dubon won his arbitration case. Composite Getty Image.
Baltimore outfielder Austin Hays, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward and Houston utilityman Mauricio Dubón won their salary arbitration cases on Tuesday, giving players a 3-2 advantage with 13 cases still pending.
Hays was awarded the $6.3 million he asked for over the Orioles' proposed $5.85 million. Brian Keller, Allen Ponak and Jasbir Parmer made the Hays decision after hearing arguments on Jan. 30. The 28-year-old Hays hit .275 last year with 16 homers and 67 RBIs, earning $3.2 million. The 2023 All-Star is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Ward had asked for $4.8 million compared to the team's offer of $4.3 million. His case was decided by Jeanne Vonhof, Margaret Brogan and Parmer, who conducted the hearing Friday. The 30-year-old Ward hit .253 last year with 14 homers and 47 RBIs, down from a .281 average with 23 homers and 65 RBIs in 2022. His season ended July 29 when he was hit on the head by a 91 mph fastball from Toronto’s Alek Manoah and sustained facial fractures.
Dubón won his case for $3.5 million over the team's offer of $3 million. The Gold Glove winner's hearing was Monday before John Woods, Jeanne Charles and Janice Johnston. 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.
Relivers Jacob Webb of Baltimore and Phil Bickford of the New York Mets were also expected to have their cases decided Tuesday. Webb asked for $1 million vs. $925,000, and Bickford for $900,000 vs. $815,000.
Teams won the first two decisions of the year, beating Miami outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. ($2,625,000 vs. his $2.9 million request) and Los Angeles Angels left-hander José Suarez ($925,000 instead of $1.35 million).
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.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.