Astros avoid arbitration with 7 players

Club unable to reach deals with Correa, Cole and Devenski

January 11th, 2019

HOUSTON -- The Astros agreed to one-year contracts with seven of their 10 arbitration-eligible players ahead of Friday's filing deadline with outfielder and right-handed pitchers Will Harris, , , , Brad Peacock and reaching deals for 2019.
The Astros were unable to come to terms with contracts with shortstop and right-handed pitchers and , meaning all three are headed to an arbitration hearing. Teams are allowed to negotiate contracts with the players until a hearing, but the Astros are a file-and-trial club, meaning they are content with each case going to a hearing at this point.
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Terms of the deals weren't released, but sources told MLB.com that McCullers will get $4.1 million and Harris $4.225 million for this season. McCullers will miss all of 2019 following Tommy John surgery.
"It is an arduous and time-consuming process," assistant general manager Brandon Taubman said. "I think the average club has six players going to arbitration, but we had nearly double that. It's a testament to the fact we have a really young, talented team, and it's a good thing we have a lot of maturing players that are due a bunch of money. It's a good spot to be in."
Last year, the Astros were unable to reach a deal with outfielder , pitcher and McHugh prior to the settle deadline. Giles and McHugh prevailed in their arbitration hearings. It was the second year in a row an arbitrator sided with McHugh, and Springer later signed a two-year deal that takes him through this season.
Correa, Cole and Devenski will have their 2019 salaries determined by a three-person panel of independent arbiters. Both sides will present a case, and the panel will select either the players' offer or the team's counter-offer.