A lot of MLB players agreed to contracts on Thursday to avoid the need to go to an arbitration hearing.
Not William Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported the lack of a deal on Thursday evening:
The Brewers have agreed to deals with all of their arbitration-eligible players, except for William Contreras, who is likely headed for an arbitration hearing, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 8, 2026
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Arbitration hearings aren't inherently terrible. Contreras will get a salary for 2026 and he'll play the season, no problem.
They just have the potential to be more contentious than a pre-arbitration negotiation.
The team has to present a case essentially against their player to try and win and get the lower salary number.
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Hard feelings have come out of these hearings before. Not always, but occasionally.
It wouldn't have been a bad thing if the Brewers and Contreras just got their deal done now.
But instead, one of the best catchers in baseball is heading to arbitration, and that's where he and the Brewers will learn his salary for the 2026 season.
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