SportCon

The Toronto Blue Jays and Josh Donaldson set a new record for a one-year deal in Donaldson’s final year of arbitration eligibility when they settled for a $23,000,000 figure beating three previous marks of importance: The $21,650,000 deal signed between Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals buying out Harper’s final year of arbitration eligibility for the upcoming season, Prince Fielder’s $15,500,000 mark for a position player, and David Price’s $19,750,000 in his final season of arbitration eligibility and the top mark for a starting pitcher. Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs set a new milestone for a first-time salary arbitration-eligible player with a $10,850,000 deal topping Ryan Howard’s $10,000,000 deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010. Jose Abreau and the Chicago White Sox reached a $13,000,000 deal in Abreau’s second time through arbitration after he opted out of his original six-year, $68,000,000 deal. This presentation will discuss some of the analytics and performances behind these negotiations and other major arbitration-eligible deals reached during January 2018 plus a short discussion of the competitive balance tax implications on overall team salary structures.