Thursday’s 8 p.m. ET hard deadline (1 p.m. ET formal deadline) for arbitration-eligible players to reach agreements on their 2026 salaries passed with 18 players still unsigned, one more than last off-season’s total of 17.

Those 18 players, who are now headed to arbitration hearings, exchanged salary figures with their respective teams shortly after the ’26 deadline officially closed. Those details are listed below, with Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, leading the way during his final arbitration year before entering free agency next winter.

Many teams can continue negotiating with arbitration-eligible players even after both sides failed to reach agreements prior to Thursday’s deadline. Negotiations can lead right up until both parties enter the room for an arbitration hearing, with the conclusion decided by a panel of three independent arbitrators.

For file-and-trial teams, such as the Toronto Blue Jays, negotiations are no longer permitted once the deadline passes. Some exceptions are allowed in this case, namely a multi-year agreement or a one-year deal that includes an option for a second year.

Skubal, of course, is the most notable unsigned player featured here. He’s seeking to surpass Juan Soto’s current record of $31 million as the richest contract signed by an arbitration-eligible player. For a pitcher, the biggest arbitration salary belongs to former Blue Jay David Price at $19.75 million, $750K less than the Tigers’ final offer.

Detroit’s ace made a very team-friendly $10 million through arbitration last season, and the reigning two-time AL Cy Young winner aims to break Jacob deGrom’s record for the largest arbitration raise for a starting pitcher ($9.6 million).

With both Skubal and the Tigers now heading to arbitration, it’s worth noting that first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was awarded $19.9 million after winning his 2024 case against the Blue Jays — the highest salary ever handed out in an arbitration hearing.