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 The Biz of Baseball has been updated with new data pertaining to salary arbitration for 2010.
The MLB Players Association late yesterday released a list of 210 potential players that could file for salary arbitration. A player with more than 3 but less than 6 years of service time can file for salary arbitration.
There are two exceptions to this rule that was collectively bargained:
Clubs can offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents. That deadline is Dec. 1. The last day that those players that were offered salary arbitration can sign with their former team is Dec. 7. Last year, there were two such players: David Weathers of the Reds and Darren Oliver of the Angels.
A player declared as a “Super 2” is eligible for salary arbitration. A player with almost 3 years of Major League service time may become eligible for arbitration.
To qualify, a player must:
- have at least 2 years of service, but less than 3, and;
- have accumulated at least 86 days of service in the previous year, and;
- rank in the top 17% of all 2-year players in service time.
The cutoff point generally falls between 2 years, 128 days of service and 2 years, 140 days.
According to Ronald Blum of The Associated Press:
Chicago Cubs infielder Mike Fontenot earned the last arbitration spot for players with between two and three years of major league service, beating out Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones and Cincinnati pitcher Micah Owings on a tiebreaker.
All three had 2 years, 139 days of service time, and ties are broken by service time in each immediately preceding season. Arizona third baseman Mark Reynolds, who had 44 homers and 102 RBIs, had 2 years, 138 days.
Below is a list of the 2010 class of potential salary arbitration eligible Super 2s:
|
PLAYER
|
ST
|
TEAM
|
POSITION
|
|
Matt Albers
|
2.141
|
BA
|
RP
|
|
Jared Burton
|
2.165
|
CI
|
RP
|
|
Rajai Davis
|
2.167
|
OA
|
OF
|
|
Joe Devine
|
2.171
|
OA
|
RP
|
|
Jesus Flores
|
2.158
|
WA
|
C
|
|
Mike Fontenot
|
2.139
|
CC
|
3B
|
|
Matt Garza
|
2.149
|
TB
|
SP
|
|
Carlos Gomez
|
2.141
|
MI
|
OF
|
|
Alex Gordon
|
2.162
|
KC
|
3B
|
|
Tom Gorzelanny
|
2.160
|
CC
|
RP
|
|
Jason Hammel
|
2.153
|
CO
|
SP
|
|
Jeff Karstens
|
2.144
|
PI
|
SP
|
|
Tim Lincecum
|
2.148
|
SF
|
SP
|
|
Nick Masset
|
2.146
|
CI
|
RP
|
|
Dustin Nippert
|
2.140
|
TE
|
RP
|
|
Hunter Pence
|
2.156
|
HO
|
OF
|
|
Rafael Perez
|
2.157
|
CL
|
RP
|
|
Brian Wilson
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2.169
|
SF
|
RP
|
This list is deemed “potential” salary arbitration eligible players as they could be signed to contracts that would extend past this year, or possibly, following years of salary arbitration. Examples of such players that have signed contracts that removed them from the salary arbitration process include Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki.
Another could be that a player is non-tendered – not signed to the 40-man roster. That deadline is Dec. 12th (see this list of non-tender candidates by way of MLB Trade Rumors). This year, as it was last year, the MLBPA is keeping an eye on the actions of clubs non-tendering players. As Jerry Crasnick reports, the union is concerned about a flood of non-tendered players flooding the free agent market, thus lowering salaries for free agents already on the market.
"I don't think it's an accident that in recent weeks, management officials, without attribution, have been making predictions about what's going to happen in this year's free-agent market," [in-coming MLBPA Executive Director Michael] Weiner said. "There have been predictions about the [money] players will get, what players will be offered [salary] arbitration and what players will be non-tendered [contracts].
"If we could prove there was a plan by management to use the press to try to depress free-agent salaries, in our view that would be a violation of our contract," he said.
Details of the “potential salary arbitration” players include:
- Club with the most potential salary arb players: The Florida Marlins (11)
- Club with the least potential salary arb players: The St. Louis Cardinals (2)
- Club with the highest average ML service time: Phillies (4.399)
Below is a breakdown of potentially salary arbitration eligible players, by position:
|
# of players
|
Postiion
|
|
4
|
1B
|
|
11
|
2B
|
|
6
|
3B
|
|
17
|
C
|
|
3
|
DH
|
|
38
|
OF
|
|
86
|
RP
|
|
36
|
SP
|
|
9
|
SS
|
SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF POTENTIAL SALARY ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Use the link above to see details for salary arbitration filings for 2009, 2008, and 2007
OTHER NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
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 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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