This year’s cutoff for players to achieve Super Two status, and thus be eligible for arbitration a year early, has been set at two years and 134 days of Major League service time (written as 2.134), tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.
In order to reach Super Two status, a player must be in the top 22 percent of players with between two and three seasons of MLB service (in terms of total service time) and must have spent 86 days of the preceding season on a Major League roster or disabled list. That designation allows those players to reach arbitration eligibility a year early and go through arbitration four times as opposed to the standard three.
Not only does this increase players’ earning power in the ensuing season, but it also has a substantial impact on their earnings years down the line, as arbitration salaries are built upon the prior year’s earnings. By getting to arbitration early, players jump-start their earning potential a full year sooner than most of their peers. It’s hardly a surprise, then, that the current single-season salary record holder for an arbitration-eligible player, Josh Donaldson, reached Super Two status early in his career ($23MM). Nor is it surprising that Nolan Arenado, who is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to break that record this offseason, was also a Super Two player. Swartz projects Arenado to take home a whopping $26.1MM salary in his final winter of arbitration eligibility.
Here’s how this year’s 2.134 cutoff compares to recent years:
- 2017: 2.123
- 2016: 2.131
- 2015: 2.130
- 2014: 2.133
- 2013: 2.122
- 2012: 2.140
- 2011: 2.146
- 2010: 2.122
- 2009: 2.139
This year’s cutoff is the highest in a half decade, leaving a handful of players ever so slightly on the outside of the bubble. Among them are the Mariners’ Edwin Diaz (2.121), the Athletics’ Andrew Triggs (2.123), the Dodgers’ Austin Barnes (2.124), the Rays’ Mallex Smith (2.125), the Nationals’ Justin Miller (2.128), the Rangers’ Matt Bush (2.132) and the Reds’ Scott Schebler (2.132).
Conversely, there are a few players who ever so narrowly squeaked into Super Two status under the wire. Chief among them is Nationals shortstop Trea Turner, who exemplifies the benefit of reaching Super Two status. Had Turner accrued even two fewer days of big league service than the 2.135 years he presently has, he’d have been in line for a six-figure salary not far north of the Major League minimum. Instead, he’s projected by Swartz to earn nearly 10 times that amount — a salary of $5.3MM. He’ll get a raise based on that starting point in 2020 and continue earning raises through the 2022 season, after which he’ll be a free agent.
Beyond Turner, Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd just barely surpassed the cutoff at 2.136 and is projected at an even $3MM. Cubs righty Carl Edwards Jr. and Braves lefty Jacob Lindgren each landed at 2.134 on the dot, making both arbitration-eligible this winter as well. Edwards is projected to earn $1.4MM, while Lindgren projects at $600K due to the fact that he missed the 2018 season recovering from surgery and did not throw a pitch.
I wish it were your first season counts as once you have 30 days of MLB service time, and your clock does not stop. So tired of seeing teams call a ayer up 3 weeks into the season so they get 7 years of control. Just not right.
I love that
I think teams should have 7 years of control
No matter where the cutoff is, teams will work around it to their advantage. Your cutoff would be more player friendly on the surface, but would probably result in fewer September call ups (or teams calling players up later).
A team would be taking a huge gamble bringing a kid up for a taste of MLB if he service clock wouldn’t stop.
The players union had a hand in this when they negotiated the CBA. They could have demanded different terms. That’s why when teams play by the rules that were agreed up, and then the players unions files a grievance, that it pisses me off.
Don’t like it, then change in during the next CBA
It’s not that simple. The owners have all the leverage.
If the union and owners don’t reach an agreement, then there’s a strike and the union feels the brunt of it. Not just from the owners but also from the players they represent. The league minimum players need to get paid to provide for their families, and the star players want to play at their peak to appreciate more value.
Owners are billionaires who save money from not having to clean the stadiums & provide food. They don’t have to give in.
TL:DR
The only way players get a service clock that never stops is if the owners get something else of equal value. Any suggestions?
I believe the league minimum is about $500,000 per year. If these players don’t have money saved to weather a strike, they are fools. Don’t make it sound like their children will starve if they strike and if they did, it would be Daddy fault.
Honestly if they didn’t count “Expanded rosters” as service time and justified it as being on the 40 man only yet playing in the major leagues, then everyone would get what they want.
Steve, according to Crasnick’s Twitter bio, he’s a “former” ESPN (base)ball writer now. He’s a free agent!
I wonder if Tim Dierkes will make him a contract offer. The new writers need a little more seasoning in the minor leagues (Baseball Blog section).
Question: Does time spent on the 10- or 60-day DL count towards service time?
Yes they do.
Yes.
m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/service-time
“Players receive Major League service time for each day spent on the 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list.”
Can anyone explain why Lindgren has 2.134 days of service? He has accrued 2 years on the DL, but he was optioned after being selected in 2015, then recalled again. The 134 days is the amount of days from his initial selection, but that doesn’t factor in his option during the season.
Thanks
he spent the entirety of the pest two seasons on the ML 60-Day DL. That could be why.
Lindgren’s camp must have argued that he was injured when he was sent down in June 2015 and thus should be credited the service time retroactively.
Something like that is all I can figure. Yankees transaction logs don’t say he was ever put on 15-day or 60-day DL, but he was put on 7-day DL the day he was optioned. I’m not sure if you’re allowed to send a player down simply to put them on DL, which could mean he was accruing because of that. Baseball Cube says he was in fact put on 60-day at some point, which would count as service. It seems there’s just some question about his time on DL which is muddying everything up.
It’s insane players get 25+ in arbitration. Doing this will always force small markets to trade before they get the best years. Why pay free agent rates
Because that’s still a deeply discounted rate. Arenado easily gets 30mil if he’s a free agent. By the way the best years are getting younger and younger. 24-25 is the new 27. 32 is the new 35.
Not true. Mike Trout finished this year with his best OPS yet and he’s 27