Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson won his arbitration hearing against the team, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He'll earn the $6.8MM figure submitted by his reps at ACES rather than the $6.55MM figure submitted by the team.
On February 7, 1987, Orel Hershiser signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $800,000, taking a pay cut of 20% from his previous season's salary. It was only the second time since MLB implemented the rule that a player takes less pay due to salary arbitration. During the first Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the Players Association in 1968, the max salary reduction allowed was set at 20%.
The Reds and right-hander Brady Singer are in agreement on a $12.75MM salary for the 2026 campaign, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. It's the final year of arbitration for Singer, who is set to hit free agency next offseason. The contract is slightly above MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz's projection of $11.9MM. Singer is represented by Excel Sports Management. Cincinnati acquired Singer in a November 2024 trade that sent Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer to Kansas City.
Arbitration filing deadline: Today is a big day on MLB's offseason calendar, as Thursday marks the deadline for teams and players to exchange figures ahead of salary arbitration. Most of those cases will end in the two parties settling on a salary to avoid arbitration, but any team that still has unsigned players after today will be scheduled for a hearing in front of a three-person arbitration panel.
Brusdar Graterol was among the nine Los Angeles Dodgers players who went into the offseason eligible for salary arbitration in 2026, but that group had been whittled down come the deadline to tender contracts in late November. Ben Rortvedt reportedly avoided arbitration with the Dodgers before going on waivers and being claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, the Dodgers non-tendered Evan Phillips, who was projected to receive $6.1 million in salary arbitration,
It is believed that the Dodgers are looking to add an outfielder this offseason, and while Donovan has primarily appeared at second base in his career, he can play either of the corner spots. The Dodgers want to get more athletic in the outfield, and with rumors swirling of a possible Teoscar Hernández trade, Donovan would help the team accomplish that goal.
