MLB's salary arbitration deadline passed on January 8 and the Boston Red Sox agreed to contracts with all four of their remaining arbitration-eligible players for 2026.
MLB contract structures are unique — once a player reaches three years of service time, they're entitled to salary arbitration until they reach six years of service, after which they become a free agent. Players and teams submit their ideal salary figures for the upcoming year, and if they can't reach an agreement before the deadline, the two sides will go to an arbitration hearing.
The Red Sox will avoid any hearings this year, as they've agreed to one-year deals with Tanner Houck ($4.1 million), Johan Oviedo ($1.55 million), Romy Gonzalez ($1.6 million) and Triston Casas ($1.61 million). The last time Boston went to an arbitration hearing was in 2020 when the Sox got their way over Eduardo Rodriguez. The team neared another hearing with Jarren Duran last winter, but settled before the scheduled date.
Oviedo, Gonzalez and Casas' salaries all came in slightly lower than MLB Trade Rumors projected for the upcoming season. Houck will make $150 thousand more than predicted — MLBTR foresaw him making the exact same salary as 2025, as he struggled severely on the mound and underwent UCL surgery late in the year.
Red Sox avoid arbitration with four eligible players as Triston Casas and Tanner Houck's futures remain murky
Casas and Houck are the two most interesting cases among the last four players to settle with Boston. Casas' salary increased by almost $1 million despite spending almost the entire season on the injured list. Houck will make more as well, despite being out of commission for most, if not all of the upcoming season.
Both of their fates with the Red Sox are hard to predict. Boston traded for Willson Contreras to take over at first base given Casas' frequent injuries. Casas' low salary could help find a trade suitor for him, but the cost of his contract was never the issue on the trade market — his injuries and offensive inconsistencies still exist. If he can stay healthy and find his way at the plate in 2026, his salary will be a steal.
Houck is expected to spend 2026, his second year of arbitration, on the injured list. When he returns to action in 2027, he'll be one year removed from free agency. It will be interesting to see where he stands in the Sox's pitching staff given Craig Breslow's addition of Oviedo and all of the top pitching prospects approaching MLB readiness. Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and David Sandlin could be rotation staples by then.
Now that the arbitration deadline has passed and the Red Sox have all their current players paid, they can focus on their final offseason moves to finish off their roster.