BRADENTON, Fla. — Chris Stratton avoided arbitration with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the right-handed reliever more than doubled his salary by agreeing to a one-year, $2.7 million contract for the 2022 season.
All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds is the Pirates’ only other arbitration-eligible player this season. After making $601,000 last season, Reynolds is projected to earn $4.5 million in arbitration but has been the subject of both trade rumors and a possible extension.
The Pirates avoided arbitration with shortstop Kevin Newman ($1.95 million) and outfielder Ben Gamel ($1.8 million, with $200,000 in incentives) by signing both to one-year deals last fall.
Stratton 31, led the Pirates in wins (seven) and saves (eight) last season, when he moved from a long relief role to high-leverage situations after closer Richard Rodriguez was traded to Atlanta in late July. Stratton made $1.1 million in 2021.
In three seasons with the Pirates, Stratton is 10-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 123 relief appearances. In a six-year career with the Giants, Los Angeles Angels and Pirates, Stratton is 25-19 with a 4.56 ERA.
Reynolds, 27, is coming off a season where he made his first All-Star appearance and was a finalist for the NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He slashed .302/.390/.522 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and tied for the major-league lead with eight triples in 159 games.
Since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the controversial Andrew McCutchen trade in 2018, Reynolds has batted .290/.377/.490 with 47 homers and 177 RBIs in three seasons with the Pirates.
