WASHINGTON — Right-hander Cade Cavalli and the Washington Nationals avoided salary arbitration Sunday when they agreed to a one-year contract worth $870,000, a deal that includes a 2027 team option.
When the sides exchanged proposed arbitration salaries Jan. 8, Cavalli asked for $900,000 and the Nationals offered $825,000. The $75,000 gap was the smallest among the 18 players who failed to reach agreements with their clubs on the swap day.
His agreement calls for an $862,500 salary this year, the midpoint between the filing numbers. The team option is for $4 million with a $7,500 buyout.
Cavalli, 27, was eligible for arbitration for the first time after going 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA in 10 starts in his first regular-season big league action since 2022. He had a $760,200 salary while in the major leagues and $370,100 while in the minors, earning $579,832.
Selected by Washington with the 22nd pick in the 2020 amateur draft, he made his big league debut Aug. 26, 2022, his lone appearance that year. He hurt his pitching arm during a spring training game against the Mets on March 14, 2023, and had Tommy John surgery a week later.
He began a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment May 20, 2024, but made just three outings totaling 8⅓ innings.
Cavalli started 2025 at Class A Fredericksburg and was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg on April 24 and Triple-A Rochester five days later. He returned to the major leagues Aug. 6 after going 4-17 with a 5.47 ERA in 17 minor league starts last year. Cavalli pitched 4⅓ scoreless innings against the Athletics in his return and got his first big league win Aug. 16 against Philadelphia.
Seventeen players remain scheduled for hearings to be held from Jan. 26 to Feb. 13 in Scottdale, Arizona.
In the most prominent case, two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal asked for a record $32 million while the Detroit Tigers offered the left-hander $19 million.
