Dodgers, Tony Gonsolin avoided arbitration on a two-year deal

Dodgers and right Tony Jonsulin The team announced the signing of a two-year, $6.65 million contract to avoid arbitration. The deal does not affect the club’s window of control over the team, as it can still be controlled during the 2026 season.

The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reported on the financial collapse of a Beverly Hills Sports Council client (on Twitter). Gonsolin will make $3.25 million over the next season, just north of the midpoint between his record of $3.4 million and the team’s bid of $3 million. The deal has a fairly modest base salary of $3.4 million for 2024, but it will allow the right holders to get a decent amount if he stays healthy this year. Gonsolin’s 2024 salary could increase by $500,000 each if he starts 14, 16, 18, 20, 24 and 28 this season — potentially adding $3 million to his salary of 24. The contract also contains bonuses based on his endings in a vote Cy Young.

the News agency Reports indicate that Gonsolin’s 2024 salary will be escalated by $1.125 million if he wins Cy Young next season, with $625K available for the top three finishers and $500K if he finishes fourth in the fifth. According to the AP, any relief profile of at least 3 1/3 would be equivalent to a starter for escalator purposes—presumably as a way to protect the Gonsolin track for an escalator opening should it be deployed behind an opening.

It’s a relatively inconsequential transaction in the bigger picture, but it does lock in some confidence in the cost to club and player over the next couple of years. Gonsolin, who qualified for arbitration early this winter as a Super Two player, will still have two additional seasons of arbitration eligibility covering 2025-26. The deal concludes the Dodgers’ arbitration business for this offseason, as they agreed to terms with the other nine ARB-eligible players before the Jan. 14 deadline for the parties to exchange numbers.

Gonsolin debuted in 2019 and served as the starting depth for his first two seasons. While Saint Mary’s product has been consistently effective, he didn’t carve out a permanent spot in the Dodgers’ powerhouse rotation until last year. Through the 2022 campaign, Gonsolin has solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the sport. He posted an amazing 2.14 ERA in 130 1/3 innings pitched spanning 24 starts. 207 batting average on balls in action makes it unlikely that he would maintain ace-level run blocking, but the 28-year-old hit above average 23.9% of opponents with a solid 7% walk rate. Even if his ERA takes a step back, he looks like a quality mid-rotational pitcher.

The Dodgers’ payroll is just under $222 million, according to a calculation list resource. The team’s competitive balance tax number is a few million dollars more than the base limit of $233 million, with Gonsolin’s average annual value of $3.325 million counting against the ledger. It’s about $238 million in estimated CBT obligations.