Juan Soto, Josh Bell avoid arbitration with Nationals - The Washington Post

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By early Tuesday evening, the Washington Nationals had agreed to a 2022 salary with seven of their eight arbitration-eligible players, most importantly Juan Soto and Josh Bell.

Soto, their 23-year-old superstar outfielder in his second year of arbitration eligibility, agreed to a one-year contract worth $17.1 million, a person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Washington Post. First baseman Bell, in his final year of arbitration eligibility at 29, accepted a one-year, $10 million deal, a person familiar with it confirmed. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported both agreements.

That left only outfielder Victor Robles without an agreed-upon salary for the coming season. Robles filed for $2.1 million and the Nationals countered at $1.6 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The difference of $500,000 could lead to an arbitration hearing during the season, when an arbiter would choose between the two numbers.

Robles, a 24-year-old outfielder, is in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Any hearing would be during the season because the lockout moved the entire process back from mid-January. That provided even more of an incentive for teams to avoid it, but Washington couldn’t come to terms with a former top prospect. Robles, a starter on the World Series squad in 2019, struggled mightily last year and finished it with Class AAA Rochester. He is fighting with Lane Thomas for the everyday job in center.

In theory, Robles and the Nationals can keep negotiating and avoid a hearing altogether. The deadline to file figures with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association was 1 p.m. Tuesday, but one- or multiyear deals can be struck at any time. Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo is a “file and trial” executive, though, meaning he typically takes players to arbitration hearings if salary figures have to be exchanged.

MLB Trade Rumors projected Robles to make $1.7 million in 2022. The website has a good track record with predictions, but it relies more on algorithms than inside information from teams, players and agents. It nailed Bell’s salary at $10 million. With Soto, it predicted $16.2 million, which was $900,000 less than he will make.

It was critical for the Nationals to avoid a hearing with Soto, whom they want to lock up with a long-term contract. Soto turned down a 13-year, $350 million contract offer before the lockout, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. This month, Rizzo called Soto’s future the club’s “number one priority” this spring and moving forward.

Washington also made its first round of spring training cuts Tuesday. Left-handers Seth Romero and Evan Lee, right-hander Gabe Klobosits and outfielder Yasel Antuna — all on the 40-man roster — were optioned to Rochester. Right-handers Jackson Rutledge and Jefry Rodriguez, left-hander Alberto Baldonado, catcher Israel Pineda and infielders Jackson Cluff and Andrew Young — none of whom are on the 40-man — were reassigned to minor league camp.

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Juan Soto, Josh Bell avoid arbitration with Nationals - The Washington Post
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