LOS ANGELES (AP) - All-Star pitcher Alex Wood agreed to a $6 million deal with the Dodgers and catcher Yasmani Grandal settled at $7.9 million, among seven Los Angeles players agreeing to one-year contracts that avoiding arbitration.
The deals Friday added $24.1 million to the Dodgers luxury tax payroll and raised it to $149,069,286 for 18 players with agreements. The Dodgers’ tax payroll projects to $183 million, including $10 million for the rest of their 40-man roster, a $10 million charge for cash transactions in trades, plus benefits totaling $14,044,600. That puts Los Angeles on track to drop below this year’s $197 million tax threshold.
Also agreeing to deals were outfielder Joc Pederson ($2.6 million), utilityman Enrique Hernandez ($1.6 million), and pitchers Tony Cingrani ($2.3 million), Josh Fields ($2.2 million) and Pedro Baez ($1.5 million).
Wood was 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 25 starts and two relief appearances last season, when he made his first All-Star team. He had 151 strikeouts and 38 walks in 152 1/3 innings. The left-hander made $2.8 million
Grandal slumped offensively late last season while leading the majors with 16 passed balls. He started just two of the Dodgers’ 15 playoff games and can become a free agent after next season. Grandal made $5.5 million last year. He can become a free agent next offseason.
Hernandez, Pederson and Baez each earned $555,000 last year, while Cingrani made $1,825,000 and Fields earned $1.05 million.
Like Grandal, Baez fell off in the second half last year and was left off the team’s playoff roster for all three series.
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