The system for determining contract sizes for MLB players with 1-3 years of experience is pretty cold and straightforward … almost clinical. Subject to the mandated league minimum salary ($555,000 this season), the Atlanta Braves and their 29 other rivals are permitted to set those salaries to whatever number they see fit to assign.
Players with 4-6 years of experience (I’m going to intentionally skip the exception clauses today) get to argue the point, and this happens in 2 phases: actual negotiation and then via a ‘trial’ in front of an arbiter if no agreement is reached.