Rangers Avoid Arbitration With Gallo, Santana, Montero
The Texas Rangers were able to come to terms with their three arbitration-eligible players before Friday's 12:00 P.M. CT deadline.
Joey Gallo, Danny Santana, and Rafael Montero all agreed to one-year deals for 2020, avoiding the arbitration process. Gallo's deal is worth $4.4 million, Santana's is worth $3.6 million, and Rafael Montero signed for $785,000.
The Rangers have avoided arbitration with all eligible players under Jon Daniels' tenure. The last time the Rangers went before an arbitration panel was with Lee Stevens in 2000.
Every year, MLB Trade Rumors projects what players will make in arbitration. Between the Rangers' trio of arbitration-eligible players, they were projected to make $8.8 million. Texas ended up spending $8.785 million to get the three deals done.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, Gallo was projected to make $4 million, while Santana was projected $3.9 million and Montero was projected to make $900,000.
The Rangers traded away two other arbitration-eligible players earlier this winter. Nomar Mazara was traded to the White Sox to help loosen the log jam in the corner outfield spots. Delino DeShields was part of the package that brought Corey Kluber to Arlington.
Gallo now is slated to be the Rangers' right fielder with Mazara gone. Danny Santana, following a breakout season as the Rangers' utility man, is the leading candidate to man center field every day. Montero had a strong bid for a crucial spot in the bullpen after a strong performance in 2019.
Nothing's a foregone conclusion, but it doesn't come to much of a surprise that the Rangers agreed to terms with these three players. Now the players and the front office can continue with business as usual for the next 32 days until pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Arizona.
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