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The Royals have eleven players eligible for arbitration this off-season, and MLB Trade Rumors has released their estimates on what those players are projected to make through the arbitration process.
Players are eligible for arbitration once they accrue at least three or more years of service time (plus “Super Two” players) but are not yet eligible for free agency. Clubs have to decide whether or not to “tender” the player a contract, and the two sides negotiate on a salary, and if they are unable to come to an agreement by February, each side submits a figure to an independent arbitrator. The arbitrator will pick a side to win, and cannot split the difference. Players rarely, if ever, receive a pay cut.
Royals arbitration-eligible players
| Player | Arb year | 2022 salary | 2023 estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Arb year | 2022 salary | 2023 estimate |
| Brad Keller | Arb 3 | $4,825,000 | $7,000,000 |
| Scott Barlow | Arb 2 | $2,400,000 | $4,900,000 |
| Nicky Lopez | Arb 2 | $2,550,000 | $3,400,000 |
| Luke Weaver | Arb 3 | $2,875,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Adalberto Mondesi | Arb 3 | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Brady Singer | Arb 1 | $726,250 | $2,900,000 |
| Amir Garrett | Arb 3 | $2,025,000 | $2,600,000 |
| Kris Bubic | Arb 1 | $713,750 | $1,800,000 |
| Ryan O'Hearn | Arb 2 | $1,300,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Taylor Clarke | Arb 2 | $975,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Josh Staumont | Arb 1 | $728,000 | $1,000,000 |
Barlow, Lopez, Staumont, Singer, and Bubic are guaranteed to be tendered a contract, but the rest could become non-tender candidates. Keller struggled this year and was demoted to the bullpen late in the year where he did not fare much better. Weaver has battled injuries and looked unimpressive in a short stint with the Royals after they acquired him from Arizona. Adalberto Mondesi missed nearly the entire season and has had trouble staying on the field. Amir Garrett had mixed results and a high ERA and walk rate, but didn’t give up many hits. Ryan O’Hearn has not hit at the big league level and will likely be pushed out of a job by younger players. Taylor Clarke pitched reasonably well, but perhaps not enough to justify a larger salary.
The Royals have just $32 million in contractual obligations for next year with just three players on a deal - Salvador Perez, Hunter Dozier, and Michael A. Taylor. Tendering contracts to these 11 players would add another $32 million, plus the Royals would have to play pre-arbitration players, some of which may be entitled to money under the new pre-arbitration bonus pool.
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