There are still free agents who need a home, but MLB’s 2023 regular season is fast approaching. We’re only about a month away from pitchers and catchers beginning to report. Before we get there, though, another important offseason deadline is on the horizon.
The Mets, Yankees, and every other MLB team have until Friday to reach agreements with their arbitration-eligible players. If the deadline passes without an agreement, both sides (the team and player) will submit the number they feel is deserving to an arbitrator, who will then decide which is more appropriate.
Both New York squads have several players who are arbitration-eligible for 2023. MLB Trade Rumors does a terrific job of projecting these salaries each year. They released the most recent version in October, but it’s worthwhile to revisit them to remind us approximately what kind of money these guys could be making this year.
Mets arbitration salary projections
The Mets have both shed and added arbitration-eligible players this winter. The most obvious non-tender candidate was Dominic Smith. He was let go and will now be playing for the Washington Nationals.
Instead of going through arbitration, New York exercised Daniel Vogelbach’s $1.5 million team option. Southpaw Joey Lucchesi and the Mets have already agreed upon his $1.15 million salary for 2023, as well. The following players are still in need of an official contract for the upcoming year. The MLBTR salary projections are also included:
- Pete Alonso: $15.9 million
- Jeff McNeil: $6.2 million
- Tomas Nido: $1.6 million
- Luis Guillorme: $1.5 million
- Drew Smith: $1.2 million
- Elieser Hernandez: $1.8 million
- Jeff Brigham: $800K
I’ve been banging this drum for the last month or two (as have many others), but let’s hope the Mets approach Alonso and McNeil about extensions this spring. They’re both set to hit free agency following the 2024 season. It’d be nice if they joined Brandon Nimmo as the next lifelong Mets.
Yankees arbitration salary projections
On the other side of town, the Yankees have plenty of arbitration situations they’ll try settling before the exchange deadline. Unlike the Mets, the Bronx Bombers non-tendered nobody ahead of the deadline in November.
Tom Locastro is now on the Mets, though, and Lucas Luetge was designated for assignment before getting sent to the Atlanta Braves. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also already agreed to a $6 million salary in his last year prior to hitting free agency. The same could be said about Lou Trivino, who is set to make $4.1 million.
After taking those four away, New York still has 10 arbitration-eligible players on the roster. Here they are with MLBTR’s salary projections:
- Wandy Peralta: $3.1 million
- Frankie Montas: $7.7 million
- Gleyber Torres: $9.8 million
- Clay Holmes: $2.9 million
- Jonathan Loaisiga: $2.1 million
- Domingo German: $2.6 million
- Kyle Higashioka: $1.7 million
- Nestor Cortes: $3.5 million
- Jose Trevino: $2 million
- Michael King: $1.2 million
We’ll see how many of these players for both the Mets and Yankees come to agreements before Friday’s deadline. And, in the Yankees’ case, how many remain on the roster come Opening Day (*cough* Gleyber *cough*).
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
