Dodgers Avoid Arbitration With Corey Knebel, Settle on 2021 Contract

The Dodgers still have some contracts to negotiate with arbitration-eligible players before they can roll into Spring Training. MLB’s deadline for teams to negotiate a contract with players is 1 p.m Eastern Time on Friday. 

Today, they agreed on terms with one player by settling on a contract with RHP Corey Knebel. The Dodgers acquired Knebel in a trade with the Brewers this offseason and will be paying him $5.25 million for the 2021 season. That figure is right around where Knebel was projected to land in his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency. 

Corey Knebel and the Dodgers avoid arbitration with a $5.25 million deal, per source.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 14, 2021

MLB players with 3+ years of MLB service time are eligible for salary arbitration if they do not have contracts for the next season. If an arbitration-eligible player and their teams do not agree to contract figures by the MLB deadline, a hearing is scheduled for February with a panel of arbitrators who will decide what the player is paid. The Dodgers still have 6 other players that they need to negotiate contracts with by tomorrow afternoon.

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Knebel spent the last 6 years with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it’s been almost 4 years since he last had a dominant full season. In 2017, Knebel was an All-Star closer locking down 39 saves for the Brew Crew. The Dodgers scooped him up in hopes of him finding some of that success from 2017, much like they have with relievers in the past. 

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