Only 13 arbitration eligible players are still unsigned for 2011 and that number figures to keep on shrinking this week. As our Arb Tracker shows, most of the 150-plus arbitration eligible players have agreed to terms with their clubs. Here's the list of players who have yet to sign, sorted by the midpoint of the submissions. As you can see below, the players often submitted significantly higher figures than their teams did:
- Josh Hamilton, $12MM vs. Rangers, $8.7MM
- Jose Bautista, $10.5MM vs. Blue Jays, $7.6MM
- Jered Weaver, $8.8MM vs. Angels, $7.37MM
- Luke Scott, $6.85MM vs. Orioles, $5.7MM
- Hunter Pence, $6.9MM vs. Astros, $5.15MM
- Rickie Weeks, $7.2MM vs. Brewers, $4.85MM
- Jeremy Guthrie, $6.5MM vs. Orioles, $5MM
- Kelly Johnson, $6.5MM vs. Diamondbacks, $4.7MM
- Delmon Young, $6.25MM vs. Twins, $4.65MM
- James Loney, $5.25MM vs. Dodgers, $4.7MM
- Carlos Marmol, $5.65MM vs. Cubs, $4.1MM – the sides are close to a long-term deal.
- Shaun Marcum, $5MM vs. Brewers, $3MM
- Ross Ohlendorf, $2.02MM vs. Pirates, $1.4MM
I’m really scratching my head as to why the rangers are trying to low ball Hamilton….
The reigning AL MVP and baseballs ultimate feel good, comeback story of the decade is going to get his money. I’m not sure as to why that organization is trying alienate it’s players…if they aren’t careful he will be begging for a trade just like Young is.
Are they low-balling him? They are offering him a 267% raise. You have to keep in mind the fact that this is not a free agent signing we are talking about here. What is and is not a fair contract offer in the arbitration process is a completely different thing. There are a ton of numbers that are looked at by both sides, and at the end of the day they have a difference of opinion.
I don’t see that it becomes adversarial unless the player or the club make it so. As long as the lines of communication stay open, and both parties are respectful, then there’s no reason for it to cause problems. It’s just business.
Right, and it will be just business when Hamilton decides he would rather hit free agency than sign an extension with the Rangers after arbitration.
That’s certainly his right. I’m not sure why he would feel that way. It seems a little petulant and immature to base your decision solely on a contract arbitration, which is what I assume you are suggesting. I’ve not seen any indication that Hamilton is that kind of person, so if Hamilton decides to test free agency, it won’t be because of this.
It also seems very possible that the Rangers will sign him to a multi-year deal before he hits free agency, in which case this whole discussion is moot.
Right, and it is just business when the Rangers trade Michael Young now and Josh Hamilton later–if they can’t sign a contract–and try to improve their team. A lot of homer baseball fans just can’t get it that a team has no obligation to keep any particular player on their roster just for laughs and Auld Lang Syne.
Also very true. And if they trade him, it won’t be because they have some sort of problem with him, it will be to make the team better. Just like any organization. The only time fans should truly object to a trade is if it doesn’t really help the team.
they already said that they won’t use his history of drug abuse against him. so i don’t anticipate it getting too nasty. at least i hope it doesn’t get messy. he is a great player, a great teammate, and a feel good story as Pawsdeep said. having said that, they are over 4mil apart, which is pretty hefty!
You’d hope they would learn from the Phillies’ mistakes with Ryan Howard. If you have a player who emerges at a later age than his peers, you can either a) take advantage of the arbitration system to enjoy his prime at a much lower rate than he would have gotten through free agency and much lower than he likely appreciates; or b) go ahead and give him an extension early, before you’re faced with the prospect of a franchise player about to cross over into the wrong side of his career arc looking for his first big contract as a gesture of respect.
Or you could be like the Phillies: fight him tooth and nail in arbitration, then pay for it later by giving him a stupidly large deal for his risky mid-to-late 30s as a sign of “respect” and “appreciation.”
Yes, but Ryan Howard didn’t mess up his body doing drugs like Josh did. His body is older than it seems. Take a glance at Charlie Sheen and Whitney Houston to see how drugs can wither a body and make it old before its time. Josh is injury-prone. The Rangers have to take that into account before they offer a 7yr/105 mil contract to him…though I think everybody except Josh would accept a 5 yr/75-90 mil contract instead
I think much of the “Hamilton damaged his body through drugs”/injuries thing can be countered with “yes, but Howard has ‘old man’ skills that are unlikely to age well.” I’m not saying they are dollar for dollar comparable, but their impact on their teams, their late emergence, and them both being lined up to have their first big deal be their last… all of that stuff is pretty analogous.
The Rangers are offering Josh fair value and he is asking for top dollar. Who’s trying to bend over whom here?
Nobody in the Rangers organization is trying to alienate anybody. The Michael Young situation is about trying to improve the team (which they have) and right now, MY only could be an IF backup and DH. He apparently decided he didn’t like that and wants to move on. That isn’t the Rangers fault unless you are saying that a team should be forced to make a position available to fan favorite players, even if they aren’t outstanding at the position and there is somebody else better available? Since when can’t a team improve themselves? Apparently there is one rule for teams like the Red Sox and Yankees and other teams and another rule just for the Rangers?
I understand trying to better your team with the MY situation, but here is Hamilton who is in the prime of his career–it should have never went to a hearing. If you don’t want to lol him up for a long term deal, then you know you are going to have to overpay for a one year deal.
8 million is what maglio got. He is about an equal hittter, but can’t run or field like Hamilton, and is about done in his career. Hamilton is going to get his 12 million I am sure. IMO, 8 million for a one year deal is a serious lowball especially if they aren’t using his past against him. I’m just dumbfounded as to why they havnt worked out a long term deal or atleast sign him closer to their terms because 12 million for an MVP is by no means high on this markets value. It’s just silly to me that you let the MVP go to arbitration when he probably would have settled for 10-11 million and that is much less than Werth got on the market and it’s a no brainer as to who I’d rather have in my lineup.
Free Beardista!
Brewers are going on the cheap with Marcum and Weeks and will lose both of those battles if they don’t agree to terms.
Marcum got 850,000 this year, so even the 3 million figure is a pretty substantial pay raise
I think the offer to Marcum is perfectly valid, but I’m not sure why they can’t find somewhere in the middle to settle. Seems like one side or the other must be sitting firm on their offer.
Cheap on Weeks? he made 2.75MM last year, and I don’t see him getting 7.2MM after having only one healthy season in his entire career. It was a very good season, but arby will also take into account his ’09 year where he played in only 37 games. He’s also never led in any major offensive catagories, never made an all-star team or anything of that nature. While he has the potential to really break out and do those things, he hasn’t yet and that’s the difference between arbitration and negotiating a future contract. I hope they settle in the middle, 6-6.5MM would be okay. If he had submitted a number in this range, I think he would win easily, 7.2MM is outragous.
i wonder if luke scott becomes a trade candidate. he is primarily a DH that is being forced into starting LF by guerrero, where there happens to already be two cheaper, younger and defensively superior players in reimold and pie.
Who would take him though? The Market for Vlad was next to nothing, Manny signed for $2 million…
I doubt any teams give up anything for a primary Dh
he could go to a contender at the trade deadline. if the league has the same power drought, his power numbers can look attractive. he can also play 1B and LF occasionally (though it’s not like you want him starting there).
I thought of that too, but I’d think they’d prefer to trade off Vlad and keep Scott. All else being equal Vlad’s name alone might bring in more.
Well if they trade Young the Rangers make some sense. But as you say, I doubt they would offer up anything substantial.
I believe that Josh will sign his new contract before the hearing. Anything else and that means that the Rangers are prepared to let him go in free agency or use him as trade bait before he moves on. I think the Rangers are going to be very fair in their offer to him, but if he wants a 7-10 year deal, then I would be willing to let him move on as I am sure the Rangers would. Anything over 5-6 years is too much risk given his health history.
For what he’s getting paid now, texas would be able to get some serious prospects back for him. If they are nervous about giving out that long of a deal to him, they are in the driver’s seat to get back full value on him
Right???? Either sign him long term or trade him. Waiting in the arbitration case make absolutely no sense to me