Arbitration Numbers Revealed For Pirates Pitchers
With the arbitration deadline coming to pass, the Pittsburgh Pirates still have two pitchers they haven't agreed to a contract with for the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh couldn't reach a deal with right-handed pitchers Dennis Santana and Johan Oviedo. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that the Pirates filed at $850,000, while Oviedo filed at $1.15 million. Pittsburgh was further apart with Santana, as the right-handed relief pitched filed at $2.1 million, as opposed to $1.4 million by the Pirates, per Feinsand.
With Pittsburgh unable to agree to deals with Oviedo and Santana, they'll have a hearing set for either late January or February. The Pirates and Oviedo and Santana can still negotiate a deal to avoid arbitration for the upcoming season and potentially beyond rather than going through with the hearing in front of a panel.
If neither side can agree to a deal to avoid arbitration, the hearing will proceed and a panel will hear from both sides before deciding whether the player will get the salary figure they or the team wanted.
Oviedo missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John Surgery and Pirates manager Derek Shelton said at the MLB's Winter Meetings that they plan to take a careful approach with the veteran right-hander as he works his way back. Oviedo, 26, went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA in 32 starts in 2023. In his 177.2 innings pitched, Oviedo struck out 158 batters, walked 83 and led baseball with 13 hit batsmen.
Oviedo began his career with the National League Central rival St. Louis Cardinals before he was traded to Pittsburgh ahead of the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline.
Santana was acquired off of waivers from the New York Yankees on June 11 and he became one of the Pirates' more reliable relievers down the stretch, going 1-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 39 appearances. Santana has also pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-2021), Texas Rangers (2021-2022) and New York Mets (2023) before beginning last season with the Yankees.
Pittsburgh was able to avoid arbitration with four players ahead of the arbitration deadline on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. The Pirates agreed to a one-year $2.22 million deal with left-handed starting pitcher Bailey Falter and a one-year $1.5 million deal with right-handed relief pitcher Colin Holderman for the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh also agreed to a one-year $1.75 million deal with right-handed hitting catcher Joey Bart and a one-year $5.9 million deal with right-handed reliever David Bednar.
