OAKLAND — The A’s reached agreements on one-year deals with all three of their remaining arbitration-eligible players before Friday’s deadline, including All-Star right-hander Paul Blackburn.
In his first year of arbitration eligibility, Blackburn received a bump in salary to $1.9 million, a source told MLB.com. Ramón Laureano ($3.550 million) and Tony Kemp ($3.725 million) also reached agreements on contracts for the 2023 season. Contract figures, which were not announced by the club, were confirmed by sources to MLB.com.
Blackburn more than doubled his $710,000 salary from last season, which saw him undergo a remarkable turnaround from being designated for assignment in 2021 to earning his first career All-Star nod. A right middle finger injury that hindered Blackburn for most of the second half led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season on Aug. 16, and he finished the year with a 4.28 ERA in 21 starts.
Kemp’s increase from his $2.25 million contract last season comes after a strong finish to his 2022 campaign in which he hit .278 in the 62 games after the All-Star break. Kemp, 31, was in his final year of arbitration eligibility and can become a free agent after the ’23 season.
Laureano, who is going through his second year of arbitration, gets a pay bump after making $2.45 million last season, which was a down year for the outfielder. Returning in May after serving the remainder of a 60-game suspension from testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Laureano battled injuries to hit .211 with 13 homers, 18 doubles, 11 stolen bases and 34 RBIs in 94 games.
Friday marked the deadline for arbitration-eligible players and their respective club to exchange salary figures. Players who have three or more years of Major League service but less than six years of Major League service become eligible for salary arbitration if they do not already have a contract for the next season.
The A’s have not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 2019, when Blake Treinen won a judgment of $6.4 million.
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