TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with their two eligible players, agreeing to 2021 salaries with both Teoscar Hernández and Ross Stripling prior to Friday’s deadline.

Hernández will earn $4.325 million while Stripling will earn $3 million, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. For Hernández, this marks a significant and well-earned raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility after a breakout 2020.

The club has not confirmed either deal.

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Last season, Hernández hit .289 with 16 home runs and a .919 OPS over 50 games, finally putting together the physical gifts and raw tools that the Blue Jays have long believed in. Hernández was one of the hottest hitters in baseball for a stretch, and prior to missing almost two weeks in September with a left oblique strain, he was hovering around an OPS of 1.000. This earned Hernández his first career American League Silver Slugger Award.

Late-blooming sluggers are no stranger to the Blue Jays, either. Jose Bautista is the best example of this, as he developed into one of the game’s brightest stars after coming over from the Pirates, while Edwin Encarnación also developed into the player we know today in his late-20s with Toronto. Josh Donaldson had success with the A's prior to coming to the Blue Jays via trade, but he still took that next step with Toronto and won the AL MVP Award in 2015 at 29. Hernández remains years away from being mentioned in the same breath as that group, of course, but he’s certainly taken steps in the right direction over the past 12 months.

Many of Hernández’s past troubles came in the field, with fundamental errors all too common in 2018 and '19, but he’s worked to iron those out and possesses a very strong arm when challenged. Hernández isn’t chasing Gold Glove Awards, but a more stable foundation has allowed his offensive game to soar. Strikeouts are still an issue, but if he’s hitting for power like he did in '20, some of those can be overlooked.

The coming years will be interesting for Hernández, who has two years of club control remaining. While many focus on the young core of Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio when it comes to talks of an early extension, Hernández is making a fine case of his own. His ability to carry over his 2020 season into early '21 will determine just how likely that is.

Stripling, now in his second arbitration year with one year of club control remaining in 2022, was an underrated addition by the Blue Jays at last summer’s Trade Deadline, and he offers a great deal of flexibility going forward.

After breaking through with the Dodgers in 2016, Stripling made 59 starts and 84 relief appearances over his five seasons, including 11 postseason appearances. The ability to start or carry multiple innings out of the bullpen served him well with Los Angeles, and that versatility will be needed again with Toronto, regardless of which role he starts the season in.

Stripling pitched to a combined 5.84 ERA over 49 1/3 innings in 2020, but his four seasons prior paint a more accurate picture of his abilities, as he pitched to a 3.51 ERA with encouraging strikeout (8.8 K/9) and walk (2.1 BB/9) rates.

Blue Jays release Lockett for KBO opportunity
Toronto also announced Friday that the club has released right-hander Walker Lockett, who was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Dec. 7. This move was made to allow Lockett to sign with the KBO's Doosan Bears, who the 26-year-old will now join. By releasing Lockett, the Blue Jays' 40-man roster drops to 39 players, meaning their next addition will not require a move to create space.