Arbitration Eligibles: New York Yankees

The Yankees are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series. Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.

• First time: Jayson Nix ($900K), David Herndon ($600K)
• Second time: Brett Gardner ($2.8MM), David Robertson ($2.7MM), Eli Whiteside ($600K)
• Third time: Phil Hughes ($5.7MM), Joba Chamberlain ($1.8MM)
• Fourth time: Boone Logan ($2.8MM)

The Yankees’ class of arbitration eligible players doesn’t feature any prohibitively expensive players, but it’ll still be a relatively expensive group to retain for 2013.

Hughes leads the way with a projected salary of $5.7MM. He won 16 games and completed more than 200 innings (counting postseason play), which helps his case as he goes to arbitration for the third and final time. Two more key members of the pitching staff, Logan and Robertson, project to get raises of approximately $1MM following strong seasons. Logan projects to earn $2.8MM after appearing in 80 games and striking out more than a batter per inning. Robertson won't be far behind after striking out ever more hitters, posting an ERA under 3.00, and collecting a pair of saves.

On the other hand, Gardner and Chamberlain missed too much of the 2012 season to obtain significant raises in 2013. Baseball's collective bargaining agreement prevents the Yankees from drastically cutting the players' salaries through the arbitration process, which means both Gardner and Chamberlain are expected to return on similar salaries in 2013.

Nix appears to be a non-tender candidate, as do recent waiver claims Whiteside and Herndon. Though Nix's versatility adds value, he could be cut loose if the Yankees are hesitant to commit nearly $1MM to a player who adds so little on offense. Whiteside provides depth, but he could also be non-tendered after spending most of the 2012 season in the minor leagues. And Herndon will miss the beginning of the 2013 season to recover from Tommy John surgery, which means his roster spot isn't completely secure.

Assuming the Yankees retain Gardner, Robertson, Hughes, Chamberlain and Logan, they’ll have committed $15.8MM to five eligible players in 2013.

Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts.