The Padres and Juan Soto are in agreement on a $23MM contract to avoid arbitration for the upcoming season, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. It’s the penultimate season of eligibility for Soto, who is on track to reach free agency after the 2024 campaign.

Aside from Shohei Ohtani — who agreed to a $30MM deal with the Angels at the end of last season — Soto is the highest-profile profile in this year’s arbitration class. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for the highest salary of any arb-eligible player, forecasting him to land at $21.5MM. Soto comes in a bit above that.

San Diego has also avoided arbitration with star reliever Josh Hader, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. He’ll receive a $14.1MM salary for his final season before free agency.