ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In a notable salary arbitration outcome on Wednesday, pitcher Jovan Oviedo received a ruling that awarded him $850,000 for the upcoming season, falling short of his request for $1.15 million. This marks the first arbitration decision of the year. Oviedo, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on March 2, finished the previous season with a record of 9 wins and 14 losses alongside a 4.32 ERA across 32 starts. Last year, he earned $765,000.
During his four seasons in Major League Baseball, which have included stints with both St. Louis and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oviedo has compiled an overall record of 13 wins against 25 losses, with an ERA consistently holding at 4.32. The decision by the arbitration panel, which consisted of Allen Ponak, Robert Herman, and Jasbir Parmar, came just one day following the hearing where both parties presented their cases.
Additionally, fellow pitcher Dennis Santana also underwent arbitration with the Pirates on Wednesday. Santana is seeking to increase his salary from $1 million to $2.1 million but has a counteroffer on the table of $1.4 million. The arbitrators for this case, Brian Keller, Richard Bloch, and Margaret Brogan, will deliver their decision after other pending cases are resolved. At 28 years old, Santana had a solid performance last season with a record of 3-1 and a 3.89 ERA across 62 relief appearances, after joining the Pirates via waiver claim on June 11 from the New York Yankees.
The arbitration period will see ten additional players scheduled for hearings that are set to continue through February 14. Among these, some of the most lucrative requests involve Washington’s first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who requested $11.1 million versus the team’s offer of $10.3 million, and San Diego right-hander Michael King, seeking $8.8 million compared to a $7,325,000 offer. Milwaukee catcher William Contreras is also notable, asking for $6.5 million against an offer of $5.6 million.
Other players in line for arbitration include St. Louis athlete Brendan Donovan, who is negotiating for $3.3 million versus an offer of $2.85 million, New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. asking for $2.5 million against a $2.05 million offer, and Los Angeles Angels player Mickey Moniak seeking $2 million compared to the team’s proposed $1.5 million. Additional players under review include Luis Rengifo, with a request for $5.95 million against an offer of $5.8 million; St. Louis outfielder Lars Nootbaar, asking for $2.95 million versus $2.45 million; right-hander Andre Pallante at $2.1 million against $1,925,000; and left-hander Alex Vesia of the Los Angeles Dodgers, seeking $2.35 million against a counter of $2.05 million.
