Headlines

  • Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez
  • Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff
  • Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Bobby Jenks Passes Away
  • Braves Release Alex Verdugo
  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Arbitration Basics

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 29, 2013 at 8:50am CDT

The arbitration process can be confusing, but it doesn't have to be. At its essence the process provides a structured way of compensating players with significant MLB experience who haven't yet earned the right to negotiate for their salaries in free agency.

When a player has between three and six years of service time or qualifies as a super two, he's arbitration eligible, assuming he’s on a team’s roster and not already under contract. Players who qualify for arbitration can negotiate for raises based on their production in comparison to that of their peers. While arbitration eligible players don’t earn as much as they could on the open market and can only negotiate with one team, it can still be a lucrative process with many agreements in excess of $5MM.

Only a small percentage of cases go to hearings each year. Players who do have hearings must defend their filing number in front of a panel of arbitrators (players might attend the hearings, but agents and MLBPA officials would argue on the player’s behalf). After hearing arguments from both sides the panel will either side with the team or the player; there’s no compromising.

Here are some links to posts and resources that will help make sense of arbitration, a fixture in baseball offseasons for four decades:

  • MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker offers a look at the many unsigned players plus those who have already agreed to terms.
  • MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz listed his projected arbitration salaries and they've been accurate, as usual. Be sure to check out Swartz’s arbitration breakdown series for detailed discussions of major cases. Last winter Swartz broke down arbitration salaries for hitters and pitchers, explaining the importance of innings pitched, home runs and RBI.
  • I have weighed in on what matters in arbitration and explained what doesn't apply.
  • Tim Dierkes recently examined the stance taken by file and trial teams.
  • Teams and players make the headlines, but agencies are an integral part of the process, so check out our Agency Database.
  • Plus, a GM discusses some arbitration details, a look at the largest remaining arbitration cases, and an explanation of how free agents were linked to arbitration under the sport's last basic agreement.
Share 0 Retweet 19 Send via email0

Uncategorized

Quick Hits: Atchison, Garcia, Vazquez, Dodgers
Main
Padres To Sign Freddy Garcia
View Comments (0)
Post a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

  • Top Stories
  • Recent

Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Bobby Jenks Passes Away

Braves Release Alex Verdugo

Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

Rangers Option Josh Jung

Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

Tucker Barnhart To Retire

Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

Dave Parker Passes Away

Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

Rays Notes: Rasmussen, Boyle, Lowe, Kim

Nationals Sign Luis Garcia

Cubs, Tigers Among Teams Interested In Ke’Bryan Hayes

AL Central Notes: Thomas, Ragans, Lynch, Cobb

Padres To Activate Yu Darvish On Monday

Rhys Hoskins Suffers Grade 2 Thumb Sprain, Headed To IL

Rays Sign Peter Strzelecki To Minor League Contract

MLB Announces 2025 All-Star Rosters

Brewers Outright Daz Cameron, Select Anthony Seigler

MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

Latest Rumors & News

Latest Rumors & News

  • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
  • Luis Robert Rumors
  • Alex Bregman Rumors

 

Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

MLBTR Features

MLBTR Features

  • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
  • Front Office Originals
  • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
  • MLBTR Podcast
  • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
  • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
  • Contract Tracker
  • Transaction Tracker
  • Extension Tracker
  • Agency Database
  • MLBTR On Twitter
  • MLBTR On Facebook
  • Team Facebook Pages
  • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

Rumors By Team

  • Angels Rumors
  • Astros Rumors
  • Athletics Rumors
  • Blue Jays Rumors
  • Braves Rumors
  • Brewers Rumors
  • Cardinals Rumors
  • Cubs Rumors
  • Diamondbacks Rumors
  • Dodgers Rumors
  • Giants Rumors
  • Guardians Rumors
  • Mariners Rumors
  • Marlins Rumors
  • Mets Rumors
  • Nationals Rumors
  • Orioles Rumors
  • Padres Rumors
  • Phillies Rumors
  • Pirates Rumors
  • Rangers Rumors
  • Rays Rumors
  • Red Sox Rumors
  • Reds Rumors
  • Rockies Rumors
  • Royals Rumors
  • Tigers Rumors
  • Twins Rumors
  • White Sox Rumors
  • Yankees Rumors

Navigation

  • Sitemap
  • Archives
  • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

MLBTR INFO

  • Advertise
  • About
  • Commenting Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top

Register

Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version