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According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Twins have won the arbitration hearing against versatile player Nick Gordon. Gordon will now receive a salary of 0K in 2024, instead of the .25MM he had requested. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had initially predicted a MM salary for Gordon in arbitration, but the final decision is made by the arbiters and cannot be a compromise between the two requested amounts.

Gordon, at the age of 28, became eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career during this offseason as a Super Two player. This designation is given to the top 22% of players who have served between two and three years in the league, granting them an additional year of arbitration eligibility. After a fractured shin sustained from a fouled ball during a game against the Dodgers on May 17, Gordon did not play in the majors for the remainder of the 2023 season. Prior to his injury, he struggled with a .176/.185/.319 slash line in 34 games with the team. However, he had shown improvement with an .805 OPS and six extra base hits in his previous 15 games leading up to the injury.

Despite struggling in the 2023 season, Gordon had a breakout year in 2022. He was chosen as the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft and was highly regarded as a top prospect for many years. However, he hit a roadblock at the Triple-A level in 2018 and remained there until he finally received a chance to play in the major leagues in 2021. Although his performance as a bench player that year was not remarkable, he made it onto the Opening Day roster for the club in 2022. Initially only playing part-time and primarily in left and center field, Gordon eventually earned a more consistent role on the team after posting a .302 batting average, .348 on-base percentage, and .535 slugging percentage over a 31-game period from late May to early July.

After a successful period, Gordon’s performance declined slightly and he had a .266 batting average, .315 on-base percentage, and .425 slugging percentage for the rest of the season. This improvement in his numbers was also accompanied by an increase in the number of games he played. While he only started 55 out of 94 games before the All-Star break, he started 58 out of 69 games in the regular season after the break. In total, Gordon had 443 plate appearances in 2022 and played every position except for first base and catcher. As a switch-hitter, he had a decent .272 batting average, .316 on-base percentage, and .427 slugging percentage, which resulted in a 111 wRC+.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the Twins will see some temporary financial benefits with regards to Gordon’s 2024 salary. However, this may also result in a decrease in his earning potential in future arbitration hearings, as the lower starting point will be used to determine raises. He is expected to go through three more arbitration hearings before becoming a free agent in 2027. There were not many updates on Gordon’s condition during the 2023 season, following his placement on the 60-day injured list in May. However, he is expected to be fully recovered for Spring Training and will likely start the season on the team’s bench, alongside players like Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro.

Gordon’s hearing was the only one scheduled for the Twins this winter. However, there are six more cases set to be heard around the league next week. It is possible that some players and clubs may reach a deal to avoid a hearing, as was the case with Adolis Garcia and Jonathan India earlier this week with the Rangers and Reds, respectively. While most clubs follow a “file and trial” system where contract discussions are not held after the deadline to file salary figures for the 2024 season, multi-year deals, such as the two-year agreements signed by India and Garcia, are usually exempt from this moratorium. So far, players have had success in the process, winning seven out of the ten hearings that have taken place.