After tendering contracts to Luis Avilan, Yasmani Grandal, Chris Hatcher, Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Scott Van Slyke in December, the Los Angeles Dodgers saw all six players file for salary arbitration on Tuesday.
The first domino to fall was Hatcher, as the power right-handed reliever agreed to a one-year contract that reportedly will pay him $1.065 million next season.
Next to settle was Van Slyke, who also agreed to a one-year pact. Avilan followed suit on Friday, so too did Grandal and Turner.
That left Jansen as the Dodgers’ final arbitration-eligible player standing.
Jansen missed all of April as he recovered from offseason foot surgery but was his usual self upon returning.
He finished the year with 36 saves, 2.41 ERA, averaged 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and led all relievers who threw 40 innings or more with a 0.78 WHIP.
Like the aforementioned group of players, the right-handed closer avoided arbitration by agreeing to a contract, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:
Kenley Jansen and the #Dodgers have avoided arbitration. The #Dodgers have signed all of their arbitration-eligible players.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) January 15, 2016
According to Jon Heyman, Jansen and the Dodgers settled on a salary just under $11 million:
kenley jansen, dodgers settle at $10,65M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 15, 2016
Jansen signed a one-year, $7.425 million deal last January to avoid arbitration. He was projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $11.4 million in 2016.
Jansen converted 25 saves in 2012, then 28 the following year, which coincided with him replacing Brandon League as the Dodgers’ closer in July 2013.
The Curacao native then recorded a career-best 44 saves in 2014, and currently ranks second on the Dodgers’ all-time leaders list with 142 saves; trailing only Eric Gagne’s 161.
As for arbitration cases, the Dodgers’ last hearing was in 2007 with reliever Joe Beimel.
