Arbitration deadline nears for Tucker, Valdez and Co.

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Friday is the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange desired salary figures for the 2023 season, which usually leads to many contracts being settled. The Astros have eight arbitration-eligible players, led by All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker and All-Star left-hander Framber Valdez.

Tucker, who hit .257 with 30 homers, 107 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 150 games last year and won a Gold Glove in the American League, is going through the arbitration process for the first time and stands to get a substantial raise from the $764,200 he made last season. The Astros have approached Tucker about a contract extension in the past but have yet to work one out.

Valdez, meanwhile, made $3 million last year in his first year of arbitration eligibility and backed that up with a terrific 2022 season. He went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA in 31 starts and set a Major League single-season record by throwing 25 consecutive quality starts from April 25 to Sept. 18. Valdez led the AL with 26 quality starts and 201 1/3 innings pitched, made his first All-Star team and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

A pair of relievers -- Ryne Stanek and Phil Maton -- are in their final year of arbitration before becoming free agents next year. Stanek ($2.1 million in ’22) posted a 1.15 ERA in the regular season, setting a club record for the lowest ERA by a pitcher in a season. Maton ($1.55 million) posted a 3.84 ERA, but he missed the playoffs after breaking his hand when he punched a locker in the final days of the regular season.

Houston’s remaining arbitration-eligible players are going through the process for the first time: starting pitchers José Urquidy and Cristian Javier, utility player Mauricio Dubón and lefty reliever Blake Taylor, whose 2022 season was derailed by injuries.

If the two sides don’t come to a contract agreement by Friday, they can continue to negotiate before they take their cases to an arbitration panel, which will pick a side. Well, that’s what the rules say. Under former general manager James Click, whose contract expired after the 2022 season, the Astros were a “file-and-trial” team, which meant they didn’t negotiate after the filing deadline.