All-Star Jonah Heim, 6 others avoid arbitration with Rangers, but no deal yet for Adolis García

FILE – Texas Rangers’ Jonah Heim bats against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 in an AL wild-card baseball playoff series, Oct. 4, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Heim and six other players agreed to one-year contracts with the Texas Rangers on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, avoiding salary arbitration. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All-Star catcher Jonah Heim and six other players agreed to one-year contracts with the Texas Rangers on Thursday, avoiding salary arbitration.

But the World Series champions didn’t reach a deal with right fielder Adolis García, a two-time All-Star and the MVP of last year’s AL Championship Series. García and the Rangers formally exchanged 2024 salary proposals, with the slugger requesting $6.9 million and Texas offering $5 million.

FILE – Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia hits a home run during the third inning of Game 7 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Houston Astros, Oct. 23, 2023, in Houston. All-Star catcher Jonah Heim and six other players have agreed to one-year contracts with the Rangers, but the World Series champions didn’t reach a deal with García. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

That was the widest gap among the 23 players around the majors who swapped figures with their teams.

Texas also signed free-agent catcher Andrew Knizner to a $1,825,000, one-year contract.

Heim will make $3.05 million next season. First baseman Nathaniel Lowe ($7.5 million) got the biggest deal among Texas’ arbitration-eligible players who signed.

Right-hander Dane Dunning followed Lowe at $3,325,000. He made 35 appearances and 26 starts last season, most of those after two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was sidelined by season-ending Tommy John surgery. Dunning was 12-7 with a 3.70 ERA.

Center fielder Leody Taveras ($2.55 million) agreed along with right-handed reliever Josh Sborz ($1,025,000), who got the final seven outs in the clinching victory over Arizona in Game 5 of the World Series for his first career postseason save.

García will get a large raise one way or another after making $747,760 in 2023 while setting career highs with 39 homers and 107 RBIs.

The 30-year-old Cuban outfielder won ALCS MVP after hitting .357 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in a seven-game victory over 2022 World Series champion Houston.

Heim hit .258 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs as a first-time All-Star who also won his first Gold Glove.

Lowe won his first Gold Glove as well, but he hit .262 with 17 homers and 82 RBIs after winning a Silver Slugger award in 2022 with a .302 average, 27 homers and 76 RBIs.

The other one-year deals were with right-handed reliever Jonathan Hernández ($1,245,000) and lefty reliever Brock Burke ($1,035,000).

Knizner batted .241 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in 70 games for St. Louis last year. He spent his first five big league seasons with the Cardinals.

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