Bauer inks $17.5M pact; Reds settle arb cases

CINCINNATI -- At Friday’s deadline to exchange salary figures with those eligible for arbitration, the Reds reached agreements on one-year contracts with all five of their remaining players.

None received a larger salary than starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, who will make $17.5 million in 2020 after he earned $13 million in '19. It marked the second-largest salary for an arbitration-eligible pitcher, passing reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom’s $17 million salary last winter. David Price’s $19.75 million agreement with the Tigers in '15 remains the top figure.

Avoiding arbitration is significant for Bauer, who went to a hearing against the Indians in each of the previous two offseasons and won both times. He can be a free agent after the 2020 season, but he has long maintained publicly that he has no interest in signing a multiyear deal with any club.

Also reaching deals to avoid arbitration were starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani ($5.975 million), reliever/outfielder Michael Lorenzen ($3.725 million), catcher Curt Casali ($1.4625 million) and reliever Matt Bowman ($865,000). Last month, Cincinnati and arbitration-eligible outfielder Travis Jankowski settled on a one-year, $1.05 million contract.

Like Bauer, DeSclafani can become a free agent after this season.

Bauer joined the Reds in a July 31 three-team blockbuster trade from the Indians. In 34 starts combined with Cincinnati and Cleveland, he went 11-13 with a 4.48 ERA and pitched 213 innings.

Following three injury-plagued seasons, DeSclafani rebounded in 2019 with a full healthy year, posting a 9-9 record and 3.89 ERA in 31 starts across 166 2/3 innings.

In a career-high 73 relief appearances last season, Lorenzen had a 2.92 ERA and seven saves over 83 1/3 innings. He also recorded 53 plate appearances, batting .208/.283/.313 with one home run and six RBIs while logging 89 innings over 29 games as an outfielder.

Casali missed time with injuries last season and hit .251/.331/.411 in 84 games with eight homers and 32 RBIs.

In his 27 relief appearances over multiple big league stints, Bowman went 2-0 with a 3.66 ERA.

NRIs announced
The Reds announced plans to invite 16 players to Spring Training next month as non-roster players. Headlining the group is their 2019 first-round Draft pick and second-ranked prospect, left-handed starting pitcher Nick Lodolo.

Also announced were four big league veterans: relievers Tyler Thornburg and David Carpenter and infielders Matt Davidson and Christian Colón.

Other invites were pitchers Adrian Alaniz, Vladimir Gutierrez, Alex Powers and Brooks Raley; catchers Chris Okey and Francisco Peña; infielders Jose Garcia, Jonathan India and Alfredo Rodriguez; and outfielders Stuart Fairchild and Boog Powell.