Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero, Astros' Framber Valdez reach deals - ESPN

NEW YORK — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing when the first baseman agreed Thursday to a $28.5 million, one-year contract on the day players and teams were to exchange proposed figures.

Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez also agreed to a one-year contract for $18 million.

Guerrero and Valdez can become free agents after the World Series.

Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, received $10.15 million from the Detroit Tigers two years before he's eligible for free agency, more than three times what he earned the prior season.

Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, won a $19.9 million salary last year in a record high for an arbitration decision when a panel picked his figure rather than the Blue Jays' $18.05 million offer.

Juan Soto set a record for an arbitration-eligible player when he agreed last year to a $31 million deal with the New York Yankees, topping Shohei Ohtani's $30 million 2023 contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto became a free agent in November and signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets.

Guerrero wasn't the only player to agree with the Blue Jays, as outfielder Daulton Varsho $8.2 million) and catcher Alejandro Kirk ($4.6 million) also reached one-year deals. The Astros, meanwhile, also reached deals with new third baseman Isaac Paredes ($6.625 million) and shortstop Jeremy Pena ($4.1 million).

There were 155 players eligible for arbitration at the start of the day and a majority were expected to agree to deals.

Among them:

Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez agreed to a $14 million salary and right-hander Dylan Cease agreed to $13.75 million for the 2025 season with the