The Tigers and right-hander Casey Mize avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with a club option for 2025 on Friday.
Mize will make an $830,000 base salary this season. The Tigers at season’s end will either exercise their $3.1 million option for 2025 or buy it out for $10,000, at which point Mize would again be eligible for arbitration.
The agreement bridges what had been a $25,000 gap between the two sides when they exchanged figures last week. The Tigers filed at $815,000, while Mize filed at $840,000. The buyout would effectively put Mize’s salary at $840,000 for the year. The $3.1 million club option factors in the potential jump for a second-time arbitration-eligible player. Arbitration hearings for players are scheduled to begin around the end of the month.
Mize, the top overall pick in the 2018 Draft, was eligible for arbitration for the first time after spending last year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He’s on a normal offseason program and is expected to be ready to compete for a rotation spot when Spring Training opens next month and pitch in games for the first time since April 14, 2022. The 26-year-old has a 7-13 record with a 4.29 ERA and 148 strikeouts over 188 2/3 career Major League innings, covering 39 starts.
The Tigers have faced one arbitration ruling in the last 22 years, winning their case against Michael Fulmer in 2019.