The Opener: Arbitration, Angels, Twins

"The biggest news in baseball yesterday was southpaw Tarik Skubal's record-shattering victory over the Tigers in his arbitration hearing, where a panel of judges awarded him $32MM rather than the $19MM figure Detroit had submitted. It's the third consecutive victory (joining Kyle Bradish and Yainer Diaz) for the players in arbitration hearings this year, while teams have yet to win a single case."

"Reporting yesterday indicated that southpaw Brent Suter and the Angels were nearing an agreement on a major league deal. Any final details and a physical could be hammered out this weekend. Anaheim has already made several veteran additions to the bullpen this winter, as Suter will join Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Kirby Yates as a potential setup option for Robert Stephenson in rookie manager Kurt Suzuki's bullpen."

"Tampa Bay right-hander Edwin Uceta and Atlanta southpaw have both already gone to hearings against their clubs, though decisions aren't expected until next week on those cases. (Results on cases that could be direct comps for other arb hearings in the same year are often withheld until those other hearings have taken place.) Reid Detmers, Graham Ashcraft, Tyler Stephenson, and are among the players who exchanged figures with their teams but have yet to go to a hearing."

Players have achieved consecutive arbitration hearing victories, including Tarik Skubal receiving $32MM instead of Detroit's $19MM figure. Kyle Bradish and Yainer Diaz also won hearings, while teams have yet to prevail in any case this year. Several pitchers, including Edwin Uceta and an unnamed Atlanta southpaw, have already gone to hearings, and other players such as Reid Detmers, Graham Ashcraft, and Tyler Stephenson have exchanged figures but not yet received hearings. Brent Suter and the Angels are nearing a major-league deal that would add another veteran arm to a bullpen already featuring Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Kirby Yates. The Twins added three minority owners and elevated Tom Pohlad to a leadership role.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors