Today's Arbitration Decisions

The decision whether to offer your own free agent arbitration can affect your team in two ways: you may end up retaining a player you didn't want, or you may score a draft pick or two as compensation.  With that in mind let's run down the rumors regarding some Type A and B free agents.

• The Red Sox plan on offering arbitration to Type B Eric Gagne.  Worst case scenario, they hang onto him for one more year.  Best case, they get a sandwich pick.
• The Astros have to decide on Trever Miller and Mark Loretta.  Both are Type Bs, but the Astros might not want them back.  Richard Justice notes that the old Astro regime made a mistake not offering arbitration to Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.
• The Angels decided not to offer arby to Bartolo Colon, because the most they could give him would be a 20% pay cut.  So best case scenario they could get him for one year, $11.2MM.  Colon is not a Type A or B, so there's no compensation regardless.
• The Phils will offer arb to Aaron Rowand but not Freddy Garcia.  Rowand is a Type A, Garcia a Type B.  It's a no-brainer with Rowand, who will hopefully net them a first-round pick plus a supplemental depending on who he signs with.  With Garcia they risked getting burned as he might've accepted.   
• The D'Backs will offer arbitration to Livan Hernandez, who will likely decline it to pursue a three-year deal.  He's a Type B so they'll snag a sandwich pick.
• The Padres will offer arbitration to Michael Barrett, and Kevin Towers actually hopes he accepts.  No worries if he doesn't - Barrett is a Type A.  The Friars will also offer arby to Mike Cameron and Doug Brocail.  Brocail nets them a sandwich pick for sure; Cameron still has a slight chance of accepting.
• The Braves did not offer arb to Andruw Jones but did for Ron Mahay.  Both are Type Bs; I'm surprised they didn't want to risk Andruw returning on a one-year deal.

Comments

[registereduser]

The Cardinals should offer Eckstein arbitration. Even if he takes it thats no the end of the world. The can afford him and Izturis both.

[mitch4ya]

I think the Astros need to offer both players arbitration, though I don't see Loretta signing up to be a backup, it would be ok if he was. Trever Miller would also be ok if he accepts.

[SoleMaverick]

The Braves were not willing to offer arbitration to Andruw because of how likely he would be to accept. Boras did the same thing to the Braves when he told his client Greg Maddux to accept the arbitration offer from the Braves when the organization thought there was no way he would take it. Because of the unexpected salary burden they were forced to trade Kevin Millwood for a Triple A catcher from the Rangers. They do not want to have to make room for Andruw's salary by moving some other high paid veteran.

[Houstonian]

Despite the often erratic positions of Richard Justice, there has been no regime change in Houston. Uncle Drayton is still calling the shots, just as when he decided to give up the draft picks and not offer arbitration to Andy or Rocket. He's just installed a new fall guy.
Houston, we still have a problem [and it's named Drayton].

[FmrFresnan]

The Padres hope Barrett accepts? I actually hope he goes elsewhere, giving the Padres draft picks in return and they can bring up Colt Morton or Nick Hundley or possibly sign Paul Lo Duca. Barrett stunk after coming to the Padres last season.

[Devlsh]

Tim, I thought the new labor agreement allowed clubs to offer more than a 20% cut. Not sure where I read that; can you check?

Sole Maverick - The Braves received Johnny Estrada from the Phillies for Kevin Millwood.

[SoleMaverick]

I am aware that they received Estrada but it was still not a good trade and one they were forced to make because of the sudden influx of salary.

[AzStrosFan]

The Astros offered arbitration to both Loretta and Miller. I'm liking Wade more and more each day...

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071201&content_id=2315152&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

[bravesbeast]

Sole Maverick-

Devilish was telling you that estrada came from the phillies, not the rangers, and I disagree that it was not a good trade, grantit we could have gotten more for millwood, but at the time we need a starter to replace javy lopez, and I believe that estrada was an all star in his first year as a brave.