CASEY Mize and the Tigers evade arbitration.
Per Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, the Tigers and right-handed pitcher did not enter arbitration with right-hander Casey Mize. This year, the righty will earn $840,000, and a $3.1,000,000 club option is available for 2025.
Despite the possibility of that option being declined, he would remain subject to club control through arbitration. The terms are a $830,000 salary and a $10,000 buyout on the option, as reported by Mark Feinsand for MLB.com.
Mize, who turned 27 in May, was sidelined with an injury for the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John and back operations in the latter part of 2022.
Since service time continues to accrue for players on the main baseball injured list, Mize qualified for arbitration during the offseason.
According to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, Mize is expected to receive a modest salary increase of $1.2MM for the upcoming season, which is not too far off from the $740,000 minimum salary, given his extensive absences.
The arbitration application deadline was last week, and Mize and the Tigers failed to reach an agreement with a ridiculously small margin of error. The club filed at $815K, while the righty filed at $840K.
After filing, clubs and players are permitted to negotiate and potentially reach a settlement; however, numerous clubs opt for a “file and trial” approach.
This means that they will not negotiate with players following the filing deadline, except for multi-year contracts.
Mize will retain arbitration eligibility while getting a $10,000 buyout in the absence of an exercise of the club option. A minimum of $840,000 is assured to him as a result of his newly signed contract for the Tigers.
Mize, age 26, is anticipated to be in good health to participate in spring training after his recovery from elbow and back surgeries. Because of this, he has not pitched against the Tigers since April 14, 2022.
The No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 selection remains under franchise control through the 2026 season and is projected to reach two more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming an independent player in the 2026-27 offseason, assuming the club option is not exercised.
A contract for 2024 between the Tigers and Mize could not be reached before the January 11 deadline for exchanging salary figures as a component of the arbitration procedure. These details have since been disclosed by the Tigers.
Mize submitted a bid of $840,000, while the Tigers submitted one at $815,000. After a week passed, the disputing parties reached a resolution, which involved a $25,000 discrepancy, through an agreement to consider a multi-year agreement instead of proceeding to arbitration.
The possibility that the new contract will span multiple years maintains the “file-and-trial” status of the Detroit Tigers, which is administered by president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
The Tigers will not engage in additional negotiations regarding a one-year contract with the player if the club and the player fail to reach a consensus by the deadline for exchanging salary figures, per the “file-and-trial” strategy.
The team announced that Mize and the Tigers avoided arbitration by reaching an agreement on a one-year, $830 million deal for the 2024 season, with a club option for the 2025 season.
A contract for 2024 between the Tigers and Mize could not be reached before the January 11 deadline for exchanging salary figures as a component of the arbitration procedure. Mize submitted a bid of $840,000, while the Tigers submitted one at $815,000.
The dispute between the parties was settled amicably through the possibility of a multi-year agreement, as opposed to proceeding to arbitration for a $25,000.
Mize will continue to be under the control of the team in 2025 as an arbitration-eligible player, notwithstanding the denial of the club option. Detroit merely gains cost control throughout that season by exercising the option.
The option will be withdrawn and a reduced salary will be negotiated if Mize’s projected arbitration earnings in 2025 fall below $3.1 million. If his projected earnings surpass $3.1 million, the option will be acquired.