Thursday is the deadline for Major League Baseball teams to exchange salary figures with their arbitration-eligible players. The Miami Marlins avoided arbitration hearings in 2025, agreeing to one-year deals with each member of their class. That is once again the likely outcome for them heading into 2026.
It is customary for arb-eligible players to receive salary increases from the previous year, even if they struggled. Left-hander Braxton Garrett is an exception—after missing the entire 2025 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, he has settled for an identical salary this season.
These negotiations can sometimes culminate in multi-year contract extensions. Marlins fans shouldn’t get their hopes up, though, as the club has not extended a single player since March 2022 (Richard Bleier).
Edward Cabrera would’ve been the highest earner in Miami’s 2026 arbitration class—MLB Trade Rumors projected him for $3.7 million. Following Wednesday’s trade sending Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs, this is poised to be one of the cheapest classes in MLB.
Hearings for players who don’t reach deals will take place in Arizona between January 26 and February 13.