Dodgers go 10-for-10 in reaching arb deals

LOS ANGELES -- Like every team, the Dodgers always prefer to stay away from arbitration hearings with their players. On Thursday, they were able to do just that, coming to a 2024 salary agreement with all 10 arbitration-eligible players, avoiding any hearings this winter.

• Dodgers trade for 2 high-upside prospects

Any eligible players without a deal had until Thursday to exchange proposed salary figures with their teams. That step typically results in players heading to a hearing, in which a panel decides between the two options.

Here is a breakdown of this year’s deals:

C Will Smith
Deal: $8.55 million
Smith continued to establish himself as a star behind the plate, making his first All-Star Game appearance in 2023. The 28-year-old is one of the best offensive catchers in the game and will once again be asked to hit in the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup in ’24. Smith’s $8.55 million is a record for a catcher going through his second year of arbitration.

RHP Walker Buehler
Deal: $8.025 million
Buehler tried to make it back in September, but he ended up missing the entire ’23 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022. Buehler is expected to be fully healthy heading into this season, but the Dodgers will remain cautious with the talented pitcher. This was Buehler’s last year of arbitration and he can become a free agent at the end of the season.

RHP Evan Phillips
Deal: $4 million
Phillips has been the Dodgers’ best reliever over the past two seasons and will be slotted in as the team’s closer barring any late additions this offseason. The 29-year-old has a 1.74 ERA in 133 appearances since joining the Dodgers late in 2021.

LHP Ryan Yarbrough
Deal: $3.9 million
Yarbrough was a nice addition to the Dodgers at the Trade Deadline. The veteran will serve as a valuable swingman in 2024. He can start, come in behind an opener or pitch three innings late in games, making him an important piece.

RHP Brusdar Graterol
Deal: $2.7 million
Everyone has waited for Graterol to take the next jump in his development, and the 2023 season showed what he’s capable of. The flamethrower had a 1.20 ERA in ’23 and was one of the bright spots of an otherwise disappointing postseason run. Graterol will be in the mix for more saves in ’24.

LHP Caleb Ferguson
Deal: $2.4 million
Ferguson had an up-and-down 2023 season, but he’s expected to be the Dodgers’ top left-hander out of the bullpen heading into ’24.

RHP Dustin May
Deal: $2.135 million
After a strong start to the season, May underwent his second Tommy John surgery. While there’s a chance he could make it back at some point in 2024, it’s more likely that he’ll be sidelined until ’25.

SS Gavin Lux
Deal: $1.25 million
Lux missed the entire 2023 season after a devastating right knee injury that resulted in a torn ACL, LCL and damage to his hamstring. He was slated to be the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, and that will once again be the case going into the ’24 season. This was Lux’s first year of arbitration.

LHP Alex Vesia
Deal: $1 million
For a few seasons, Vesia was the Dodgers’ top left-hander out of the bullpen. But he took a significant step backward last season, getting sent down to the Minors a few times. Vesia struggled to adjust to the pitch clock, but there’s optimism that he can get back to his old form.

RHP J.P. Feyereisen
Deal: $700,000
Feyereisen was acquired from the Rays before the 2023 season, and the expectation was always that he would be sidelined until the ’24 season as he recovered from major right shoulder surgery. The talented reliever should make his Dodgers debut at some point in ’24.