The New York Yankees' win in the Dellin Betances arbitration case was the biggest for any team this offseason and the industry’s most significant this winter, because no matter which way the decision fell, it promised to impact all other teams and other players. As the sport has become more specialized in how pitching is used, the role of relievers has increased, and Betances’s case had the potential to raise the salaries of middle men and set-up men -- non-closers -- in years to come.
An arbitrator decided in the Yankees' favor, awarding Betances $3 million for 2017 instead of the $5 million he sought.