Phils avoid arb with Hoskins, three others

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies on Friday avoided salary arbitration with four of six eligible players, most notably Rhys Hoskins.

Hoskins agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal, according to sources. The Phillies also agreed to one-year deals with Gregory Soto ($3.925 million), Ranger Suárez ($2.95 million) and Edmundo Sosa ($950,000).

The Phillies, however, did not reach agreements with José Alvarado and Seranthony Domínguez. The team had until 1 p.m. ET to reach agreements before they exchanged figures. Domínguez wants $2.9 million. The Phillies offered $2.1 million. Alvarado wants $3.7 million. The Phillies offered $3.2 million. The Phils could meet Alvarado and Domínguez in arbitration hearings during Spring Training, or they could come to terms at any time beforehand.

Here is a look at the six players who are or were eligible for salary arbitration entering Friday.

Hoskins: Hoskins slashed .246/.332/.462 with 30 home runs, 79 RBIs, a .794 OPS and a 122 OPS+ in 2022. Since his MLB debut on Aug. 10, 2017, he ranks 12th in baseball in home runs (148) and 16th in RBIs (405). Out of 527 qualified hitters in that span, he is tied for 53rd (90th percentile) in on-base percentage (.353), tied for 43rd (91st percentile) in slugging percentage (.492) and tied for 38th (93rd percentile) in OPS (.846).

Hoskins is eligible to become a free agent following the 2023 season.

Suárez: Suárez went 10-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 regular-season starts, and 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and one save in five postseason appearances (three starts). This was his first year of salary-arbitration eligibility.

Alvarado: Alvarado recorded a 7.62 ERA in his first 17 appearances before the Phillies optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in May. He returned in June, and he became one of the best relievers in baseball. In his final 42 regular-season appearances, he posted a 1.66 ERA, struck out 64 and walked 14 in 38 innings. Batters whiffed at his cutter 55.7 percent of the time, the ninth-highest whiff rate of any pitch by any reliever in the Majors (minimum 50 swings).

Alvarado, like Hoskins, is eligible to become a free agent following the 2023 season.

Domínguez: Domínguez was having one of the best seasons of any reliever in Phillies history when a right triceps injury cost him almost a month late in the season. He struggled upon his return, then found his groove again in the postseason. Domínguez went 6-5 with a 3.00 ERA and nine saves in 54 regular-season appearances, striking out 61 and walking 22 in 51 innings. He posted a 1.69 ERA in nine postseason appearances, striking out 18 and walking one in 10 2/3 innings.

He will be arbitration-eligible one more time before he can become a free agent following the 2024 season.

Sosa: The Phillies acquired Sosa from the Cardinals just before the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline for left-hander JoJo Romero. They love Sosa's glove, and they think there is more in the tank offensively. He will bounce around the infield again in 2023.

This is his first year of salary arbitration.

Soto: The recently acquired reliever went 2-11 with a 3.28 ERA and 30 saves with the Tigers. He struck out 60, but walked 34 in 60 1/3 innings. This is his first year of salary arbitration.