Judge among 31 players eligible for arbitration

The vast majority of Major League Baseball players eligible for arbitration have already reached deals for the new season.

But several big names are still in limbo.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds and multiple members of the World Series champion Atlanta Braves are among the 31 players who could be headed to hearings, which will be after the regular season starts.

Arbitration-eligible players who don't reach agreements will have their cases heard by three-person panels over video conference after opening day, scheduling necessitated by the 99-day lockout that pushed back the start of spring training from Feb 16 to March 13 and opening day from March 31 to April 7.

No dates have been set for hearings, which usually occur during the first three weeks of February. Teams and players can continue to negotiate and may agree on a deal at any time.

If teams and players don't agree to a salary before opening day, the player would be paid at the rate proposed by the club and salary would be adjusted retroactively, if necessary.

Bryan Shaw's back with Cleveland's bullpen.

The rubber-armed reliever, who led the majors with 81 appearances last season, agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Guardians. The deal is pending a physical, but the 34-year-old Shaw is already in camp.

Shaw went 6-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 2021 with Cleveland in the first year of his second stint with the club.

Shaw was with the Guardians from 2013-17 and appeared in at least 70 games each season.

He left as a free agent with Colorado before re-signing with Cleveland before last season.

The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year contract with infielder Hanser Alberto worth $1.6 million that has a club option for the 2023 season that's worth $2 million with a $250,000 buyout.

The Dodgers designated infielder Matt Beaty for assignment to make room for Alberto.

The 29-year-old Alberto spent last season with the Kansas City Royals where he hit.270 with 20 doubles, two homers and 24 RBIs.

Agencies Via Xinhua