The Los Angeles Dodgers opened up their pocketbooks this week.
With the deadline to reach agreements with players to avoid arbitration, Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET having passed, the Dodgers made sure to give their arbitration-eligible players a significant raise in order to avoid having to deal with arbitration hearings.
The players on the list included Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner, Julio Urias, and Caleb Ferguson, who received $17 million, $21 million, $8 million, and $762,500, respectively.
All arbitration-eligible players were given contracts for 2022, thus putting any fears of having to deal with arbitration hearings to rest for Los Angeles, which would have taken place during the season as a result of the lockout.
Dodgers’ agreements with their arb-eligible players:
Cody Bellinger – $17M
Trea Turner – $21M
Julio Urías – $8M
Caleb Ferguson – $762,500— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 22, 2022
Paying Up
It’s good that the Dodgers were willing to open up their pocketbooks to avoid the hassle of having to go to arbitration with any of their players.
They won’t have that problem this year, unlike teams such as the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals.
Players such as Austin Riley, Aaron Judge, and Tyler O’Neill are headed for arbitration hearings this season.
However, that won’t be an issue for the Dodgers.
It’s a bit surprising in some ways that they were willing to open up their pocketbooks by that much, especially after signing Freddie Freeman to a six-year, $162 million contract.
But the Dodgers had plenty of room financially to pull this off, and so they did.
Arbitration is something that Los Angeles can check off its worry list for 2022.
Now, they can focus solely on winning and taking a shot at another World Series title.
They’re the overwhelming favorites on paper, and it would be a surprise if they don’t contend for a championship this year.
NEXT: Dodgers Have A Mind-Blowing Payroll In 2022