There is an important deadline coming later this week. This Friday is the deadline for teams and their arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures for 2019. The player files what he believes he should be paid in 2019 and the team files what they believe he should be paid in 2019. If the two sides are unable to reach a contract agreement, they’ll go to an arbitration hearing, and the panel will pick one of the two filing figures. Nothing in between.
Generally speaking, most arbitration-eligible players agree to a new contract before filing salary figures.