As arbitration looms, Twins pitcher Taylor Rogers seeks closure to chaos

FORT MYERS, Fla. – At this point, Taylor Rogers is simply used to embracing the chaos.

The Twins relief pitcher has learned, as many have the past two years, how to roll with uncertainty. First the pandemic, then a debilitating finger injury, then the lockout necessitated that. So the fact that he still hasn't gone through salary arbitration five days into spring training and three weeks until the April 7 season opener is really just the latest bizarre situation in a long string of shenanigans.

"If right now was 2019, it'd be super weird. But everything we've been through the last few years, it's just not even really a problem to me," Rogers said at Twins training camp. "It's just another thing, like, 'Here we go!'"

Typically, players and clubs have until mid-January to agree on a salary. With the impending lockout this season, all these decisions had to happen before the collective bargaining agreement ran out Dec. 1. So Rogers has known since then his deal wouldn't be done until the lockout lifted.

And being that it lasted longer than hoped, cutting spring training to just three-and-a-half weeks, these negotiations could stretch into the season.

Rogers said the date to exchange salary numbers with the Twins is next Friday. After that, there will be a hearing before a panel of arbitrators who will hear arguments from both sides before choosing either the club's or the player's submission as the official salary for that season. Most cases never get to that point, though, as the club and player can usually come to an agreement.

The 31-year-old lefthander made $6 million last season and could be in line for $6.7 million this season, per MLBTradeRumors.com. This 2022 season will be his final one before free agency.

Utility player Luis Arraez is also eligible for arbitration, with the website projecting his salary to be $2 million. Catcher Gary Sanchez, who just arrived from the Yankees, is as well, with the site positing a $7.9 million expected salary.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said he hasn't thought about some of his players still doing the arbitration tango "for one second," and he doesn't anticipate it being a distraction or a performance detriment at all.

Rogers said the arbitration issue is "on the back burner" for him, and he's learned to just be patient in those situations.

"My first couple, I was like just antsy to get to January. I just wanted to know and have this over," Rogers said. "And these last two, I've just been like, 'Eh, it'll come.' I'm not going to try to speed time up or force it."

The Colorado native joked the sport as whole is pretty fond of procrastinating on "homework," but it's always somehow turned in right at the deadline. Plus, he's had to pay more attention to being the Twins' player representative in the CBA negotiations as well as rehabbing from a left middle finger sprain that ended last season in late July.

But he was named to the 2021 All-Star Game and managed a 3.35 ERA through 40 games in a career where he has been counted on heavily by the Twins.

Since his major league debut in 2016, Rogers has pitched in 319 games (314²⁄₃ innings) with 361 strikeouts. He was dominating in 2018 (0.951 WHIP), then became the primary closer in 2019 and had 30 saves.

"Arbitration is easy because you're kind of focusing on the season and this spring, focusing on making sure I'm good from the injury," Rogers said. "I've got more things on the forefront there than the arbitration."