Chapman, Guerrero Jr. among 11 Blue Jays to sign ahead of arbitration deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration Tuesday, handing out new contracts to 11 players, including star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero Jr. has agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $7.9 million US.

The 23-year-old infielder led the majors in home runs last season with 48 and boasted a .311 batting average.

The arbitration deadline was Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET for players with three to six years of service time to negotiate their salaries based on a system that scales upward each season.

Recently acquired all-star third baseman Matt Chapman struck a two-year, $25-million US contract extension on Tuesday.

Acquired in a March 16 trade with the Oakland Athletics, the three-time Gold Glove winner is due to become a free agent after the 2023 season. This deal would cover his final two years of arbitration.

Chapman earned $623,500 in 2020 and $6.925 million last season in his first year of arbitration. Before Tuesday, his projected salary for the 2022 campaign was $9.5 million US, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.

The 28-year-old hit 27 home runs with 72 RBI last season but compiled a .210 batting average, the worst of his five-year career. He struck out a career-high 202 times in 529 at-bats.

The Blue Jays' other signings Tuesday:

• Infielder Cavan Biggio ($2.113 million)
• Left-handed pitcher Ryan Borucki ($825,000)
• Right-hander Adam Cimber ($1.575 million)
• Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez ($10.65 million)
• Catcher Danny Jansen ($1.95 million)
• Lefty Tim Mayza ($1.25 million)
• Right-handers Trevor Richards ($1 million), Ross Stripling ($3.79 million) and Trent Thornton ($850,000).