Pirates Avoid Arbitration With Right-Handed Reliever
One of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top relievers from 2024 now has a deal for the 2025 season.
MLB.com's Alex Stumpf reported that the Pirates have agreed to a one-year $1.5 million deal with right-handed relief pitcher Colin Holderman to avoid arbitration. Holderman, 29, was in eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career.
Holderman went 3-6 last season with a 3.16 ERA across 55 appearances, In his 51.1 innings pitched, Holderman struck out 56 batters and walked 25. His 0.7 Wins Above Replacement matched his career high from 2023 and his 3.16 ERA was the lowest of his three-year career.
Holderman was one of four deals the Pirates agreed to before the arbitration deadline at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. Pittsburgh agreed to deals with catcher Joey Bart, left-handed starting pitcher Bailey Falter and right-handed reliever David Bednar on Thursday to avoid arbitration.
Pittsburgh agreed to a one-year $2.22 million deal with Bailey Falter and a one-year $5.9 million deal with Bednar. Bart, who was the lone arbitration-eligible position player for Pittsburgh, agreed to a one-year $1.75 million deal.
Right-handed pitchers Johan Oviedo and Dennis Santana were the lone players Pittsburgh couldn't agree on a deal with ahead of the arbitration deadline. The Pirates will exchange salary figures with Oviedo and Santana for the 2025 season and have a hearing set for either late January or February. 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.
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.
Oviedo missed all of last season due to Tommy John Surgery. Santana went 1-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 39 appearances for the Pirates last season.
