NEW YORK -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing when the first baseman agreed Thursday to a $28.5 million, one-year contract on the day players and teams were to exchange proposed figures.
Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez also agreed to an $18 million, one-year contract.
Guerrero and Valdez can become free agents after the World Series.
Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, won a $19.9 million salary last year in a record high for an arbitration decision when a panel picked his figure rather than the Blue Jays' $18.