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Arbitration Eligibles

Arbitration Eligibles: Atlanta Braves

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The Braves are next in our arbitration-eligibles series.

A hamstring injury cut into Jurrjens' season, and that gets part of the blame for his worst season.  The Scott Boras client still heads to arbitration with 37 wins and a 3.52 ERA, putting Jered Weaver's $4.265MM reward in sight at the least.  Prado is coming off his best year and owns a .307 career average, so he'll top a million bucks.  Relievers O'Flaherty and Moylan also figure to be tendered contracts.

Outfielders Cabrera and Diaz were unexpectedly bad this year.  The Braves could save $6MM by non-tendering both, and that money could go toward a new left fielder.  Proctor spent most of his season at Triple A after May 2009 Tommy John surgery; he didn't fare well and will probably be cut.

Arbitration Eligibles: Texas Rangers

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Let's round out the American League side of our arbitration eligibles series with a look at the Rangers.

Locks to be tendered contracts: Cruz, Murphy, O'Day, Hamilton, Lowe, and Wilson.  There will be sizeable raises in this bunch.  Cruz has 55 home runs over the last two seasons, Hamilton had an MVP season, O'Day has been quietly dominant, and Wilson and Murphy are also coming off their best years.  Lowe had back surgery in June and might not pitch for the Rangers this year, but they acquired him with that knowledge and clearly want him for 2011.

Nippert has slipped since last year, but the raise he gets on this year's $665K could be small.  McCarthy tossed 56.3 minor league innings this year, dealing with shoulder issues.  He's a non-tender candidate given his $1.3MM salary.  Likewise for Jeff Francoeur at $5MM, even with 42 stellar Rangers plate appearances added to his resume.  German, a role player, will probably be cut.

Arbitration Eligibles: Seattle Mariners

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The Mariners are next in our arbitration eligibles series.

Vargas, Aardsma, and League are locks to be tendered contracts for 2011.  Aardsma's second-consecutive 30-save season should result in a nice raise, and the Mariners might feel compelled to trade him.

Kotchman will be cut, as will Lopez after his option is declined.  Langerhans also figures to be non-tendered, but like last year he could be re-signed to a minor league deal.

First timers Wilson and Rowland-Smith have statistics ugly enough to keep their arbitration rewards low.  Wilson might be retained for his defensive skills, Rowland-Smith for his previous promise.  White might still be in jeopardy.

Arbitration Eligibles: Oakland Athletics

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The Athletics are next in our arbitration-eligible series.  Their candidates:

Hermida and Jackson, once top prospects, are now locks to be non-tendered.  In a poll earlier this month, 71% of you predicted that Jackson will be cut.  MLBTR readers also voted on Kouzmanoff, with 38% expecting a non-tender.  Mark me down for a non-tender vote on the third baseman.  It appears that Buck received the service time needed for Super Two status.  He had a decent year at Triple A, but he's still a likely non-tender.  I imagine Bonser will be non-tendered for the flexibility, even if the A's want him around for next year.  Gross should round up the team's sizeable list of December cuts.

Breslow and Braden are locks to be tendered contracts.  Sweeney had season-ending knee surgery in July, but I expect the A's to retain him.  Davis has been disappointing, but he wouldn't get much of a raise.  Devine missed the entire season with lingering elbow concerns, but he could be kept again for less than $1MM.

Due in part to a career-best .271 batting average, Cust has an OBP near .400 this year.  Last time around the A's non-tendered Cust, re-signed him, and designated him for assignment in April.  I'll guess he's non-tendered again.

The A's have to decide on a dozen arbitration-eligible players, but the salaries of those tendered contracts will be modest.

Arbitration Eligibles: Los Angeles Angels

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The arbitration eligibles series is back with a vengeance.  Today we look at the Angels players who will be eligible for arbitration after the season…

Frandsen played well in his first 100 or so Angels plate appearances, but his work since then could get him non-tendered.  Callaspo could be cut loose if the Angels prefer not to bump him up to $1MM.  It might be a similar story for Willits.  Mathis could be non-tendered after another abysmal offensive showing, though the Angels would have a case for keeping his salary at $1.3MM or even cutting his pay.

Weaver, a Scott Boras client, is primed for big bucks – he leads all pitchers this year with 229 strikeouts.  You won't find too many cases like Weaver, as most young pitchers this good are locked up.  He could jump past $7MM.  Morales has bad timing – he had his huge year in '09 but broke his leg in May of this year.  He should still find a $3MM salary.

Aybar will get a raise on this year's $2.05MM, but his poor offensive 2010 should limit the increase.  Kendrick, already at $1.75MM, set career highs in runs, RBIs, and steals.  It's not a perfect comparable, but maybe he'll fall around Clint Barmes' $3.3MM.

Napoli could be in the position Mark Teahen, Jeremy Hermida, and Matt Lindstrom were last year – traded before the non-tender deadline.  He's got 92 home runs under his belt after five seasons and already earns $3.6MM.  Most backstops with Napoli's abilities are locked up; he could make over $5MM next year.  Granted Napoli has only 406 career games behind the dish, and more time at first base this year, but his agent Brian Grieper can probably position him as a catcher for an arbitration hearing.

Arbitration Eligibles: Minnesota Twins

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A look at the Twins players who will be eligible for arbitration after the season…

Perkins, Neshek, Condrey, Repko, and Hardy are candidates to be non-tendered due to injuries or poor performance.  Aside from Hardy, our common refrain applies: these guys could be retained cheaply even though they're arbitration-eligible, so some might stay.  In our August 17th poll, only 15.5% of you predicted Hardy will be non-tendered.  A trade is one alternative, if the Twins find a new shortstop.

Slowey, Casilla, Young, Liriano, and Capps should be tendered contracts.  Casilla should remain affordable.  Slowey and Liriano could be in the $3MM range.  Liriano's had his ups and downs, so despite the big platform year I wouldn't expect a huge payday.  Young will be in good shape since he's working off a $2.6MM salary from this year.  It's hard to find a past comparable for Capps, who was non-tendered after finishing a two-year deal, though he and Heath Bell might compare notes.  Perhaps he'll get $6-7MM.

Arbitration Eligibles: Kansas City Royals

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A look at the Royals players who will be eligible for arbitration after the season…

Pena, Fields, Bannister, and Davies are non-tender candidates by virtue of poor performance, injury, or both.  Before the non-tender deadline in December, the Royals could shop them around.  Still, the Royals could just retain any or all of them at fairly reasonable prices if they think 2011 will bring improvement. 

Hochevar and Gordon have yet to live up to their draft pedigrees, but neither is worth cutting loose.  Butler, Tejeda, and Betemit will also be tendered contracts.  Butler hasn't racked up counting stats in his career, but he's still done enough to earn the $3.1MM James Loney did.  Betemit's huge half-year presents something of a conundrum in the opinon of FanGraphs' Dave Cameron, but I think he'll be retained.  Anderson signed a $700K minor league deal as an outfielder in December but later converted to pitching.  He may have impressed enough in 17.3 innings to be tendered a contract.

Arbitration Eligibles: Detroit Tigers

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A look at the Tigers players who will be eligible for arbitration after the season…

The Tigers have a low-key arbitration class this winter, with no monster raises expected.  Miner and Zumaya could be non-tendered, as both are recovering from elbow surgery.  The Tigers still may prefer to keep them off the free agent market though.  Tendering contracts is not terribly risky, as both pitchers earned less than $1MM in 2010.

It appears that Galarraga will get in as a Super Two player, and it'll be Raburn's first time as well.

Arbitration Eligibles: Cleveland Indians

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A look at the Indians players who will be eligible for arbitration after the season:

Laffey, Marte, Smith, and Reyes have not impressed this year, so they're non-tender candidates.  They wouldn't be too expensive to retain, but the Indians still might prefer to cut them loose or try to re-sign them to minor league deals.  Rafael Perez figures to be tendered a contract, as he's building off a salary of just $795K and has excelled at least in getting groundballs.

Choo, Cabrera, and Chris Perez are the major cases for the Indians.  Choo, a Scott Boras client, should jump up past $3MM.  Josh Hamilton, who earns $3.25MM in his first arbitration year, could be a decent comparable.  If not for Boras, Choo would be a good extension candidate.  The Indians may prefer to wait a year with Cabrera, who missed two months this season with a broken left forearm.  On the other hand, Cabrera has shown no ill effects in 36 games since his return, and perhaps the appeal of multiyear security would enable the Tribe to get a big discount. 

If we're correct about the Super Two cutoff being around 2.125, Chris Perez will qualify.  There's no rush to lock him up, unless the Indians think a full year of racking up saves in 2011 would artificially inflate his future salaries. 

Arbitration Eligibles: Chicago White Sox

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A look at the small group of White Sox players who will be arbitration-eligible after the season…

Look for relievers Jenks and Pena to be non-tendered - Jenks because he's already earning $7.5MM, and Pena because he's had a rough year.  With J.J. Putz eligible for free agency, the Sox may have to revamp their bullpen again.

Danks, as well as Tampa Bay's Matt Garza, may be willing to buck the extension trend and go to arbitration a second time.  Recent compares are scarce, but both could earn $6MM or so.  That'd put Danks about $1.5MM up on teammate Gavin Floyd, who will earn $8.5MM for the same slice of his career after signing a four-year deal in March of last year.  As of November of '09, Danks hoped to sign long-term with the Sox.

Quentin's .251 career batting average will hurt his arbitration argument, but with a likely 100 home runs and 300 RBIs under his belt he'll have a case for beating the $1.65MM raise earned by Josh Willingham and Luke Scott last winter.

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