Arbitrary

[Centerfield]

Borrowing from Vic's post in another thread, below are the unrestricted free agents from this year's team along with their 2008 salaries.

Pedro Martinez (08=$11m)
Moises Alou (08=$7.5m)
O.Hernandez (08=$6.5m)
O.Perez (08=$6.5m)
Luis Ayala - (08=$1.7m)
Matt Wise - (08=$1.2m)
T.Armas,jr - (08=$1m)
Damien Easley - (08=$0.95m)
F.Tatis - (08=$0.56m)

Assuming none of these guys sign with another team before the deadline, who do you offer arbitration to? Keep in mind if it goes to an arbitrator, they are guaranteed to make 80% of this past year's salary despite performance.

[Willets Point]

Ollie and Fernando.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Easley, Tatis, Ayala, Perez.

Perez won't accept, of course, but you have to offer it in order to get the compensation of a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

[Frayed Knot]

Perez definitely, and probably Ayala.
Ollie is the only one likely to net you any draft compensation if he leaves so you'd offer to him for that reason alone.

Of the others, Tatis for sure and maybe Easley are worth looking into bringing back. But if they can't land them at a decent price through negotiation they probably won't go the arbi route.

[Fman99]

Willets Point wrote: Ollie and Fernando.

Yep.

[seawolf17]

I'd say Ayala as well as Ollie and Fernando.

You have to let the big three at the top go.

[Gwreck]

I wouldn't offer arbitration to Easley unless you want to keep him. Which I don't think we do.

[duan]

i could actually justify doing it with Alou too. Just as long as we build the redundancy.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Assuming I had the power to act as GM (now that would be scary). I would definitely offer arbitration to Perez.

I would likely offer it to Tatis and Easley. I would certainly do all that I could within reason to resign Tatis and Easley to short term deals. They provides decent pop to the bench and having them on board would allow me concentrate on the holes at second base and left field. And of course, the bullpen needs a major overhauling and upgrade. A starter for the rotation is yet another need that must be addressed.

[soupcan]

I'm on board with Ollie, Fernando and Ayala as well.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

duan wrote: i could actually justify doing it with Alou too. Just as long as we build the redundancy.

But what if he decides to come back? Are the Mets then on the hook? I think there are limits on how much a player's salary can be lowered.

[Guest AG/DC]

As long as the Mets build in the redundancy and don't spend the year hoping for more from him.

Obviously, you'd like to pay him less. I'd've loved having a pinch-hitter of Alou's skills on the team last year.

[MFS62]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I think there are limits on how much a player's salary can be lowered.

Yes. The least they can offer is 80% of the previous year's salary.

Later

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

MFS62 wrote: ="metsguyinmichigan"] I think there are limits on how much a player's salary can be lowered. Yes. The least they can offer is 80% of the previous year's salary. Later

That would make Alou a pretty expensive pinch-hitter, no?

What a shame this guy couldn't stay even a little healthy.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Without a doubt, Alou is a very good hitter and would be an asset to the team if he could actually be healthy enough to play. However, $6 mil. for a pinch hitter that generally spends more time on the DL than on the active roster seems ludicrous to me. That money could be put to far better use in my opinion.

[Frayed Knot]

Unless there's FA compensation involved: Perez, and possibly Ayala
or for players not yet at FA-gency: none of this list
there's not a lot to gain for the team in offering Arb, nor to the player in accepting it.

If you want a vet back arbitration just locks you into a price you might not want -- certainly the case with Alou.
And for the players accepting it would lock them into one team and a price w/o the benefit of testing the open market.

For veteren bench players you generally either negotiate a deal with them or you don't. Arbitration rarely enters the process.

[smg58]

You have to offer to Perez. I'd offer to Tatis and Easley, but I would intend to re-sign at least Tatis.

Ayala's a tougher call. He might have gotten enough saves to justify a Type B designation, in which case there might be some benefit to offering arbitration. On the other hand, if he takes our offer he could probably get $2M, and I don't think he's worth that.

I'm not sure Moises is worth more than a minor-league deal at this point.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I'd like to keep Ayala for 2009. (But I can also see the argument for letting him go.)

They have to refurbish their pen next year, and I'd have them keep Stokes and Smith. But Ayala returning in a different role might be a good thing. I don't want to see him start 2009 as their "closer" especially with it being the first year at Citi Field.*



* I know, that doesn't make any sense. But sportswriters keep saying things like that and I wanted to sound more "professional."

[Valadius]

I'm with Willets.

[nymr83]

Perez, Ayala, Tatis, and Easley for me.
No way do i offer it to Martinez, Alou, Hernandez, or Armas.
I don't want 3 of those guys back at all, and I'd be happy to have Alou back only if he isn't "plan A" in the outfield.

[Gwreck]

I'm surprised by how many people would offer arbitration to Easley.

I think if the Mets offered it, he'd take it. And then we'd be stuck with him for next year, as I don't think he'd get a better offer somewhere else. Two years in a row, he's been hurt when we really needed him. I have no doubt we can find a backup middle infielder with a little pop somewhere else who's not 38 years old.

[nymr83]

i kinda disagree, he's a middle infielder and occassional corner outfielder with some power. i'm not sure where else you'll find that power off the bench.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

="Nymr83"]i kinda disagree, he's a middle infielder and occassional corner outfielder with some power. i'm not sure where else you'll find that power off the bench.

Less than 300 ABs, more than 6 HRs

Greg Dobbs
Geoff Jenkins
Matt Stairs*
Luis Gonzalez*
Greg Norton
Austin Kearns
Ron Belliard
Elijah Dukes

That's only the NL East! I know Dukes ain't really a bench player but I hope this shows how common and replaceable Easley actually is. Not to mention he had more turns at the plate than any of the above, and at his advanced age he hasn't been able to answer the bell at the crucial moment two years straight. It'd be an incredible show of hubris and lack of creativity to invite him back a third time.

*-38 or older.

[Guest AG/DC]

Problem is that, with growing bullpens, getting multiple skills out of your bench players becomes more of a demand. Being a middle infielder that can turn around a fastball like some of them guys above is what keeps him in clover.

Not arguing for him, just framing it some.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Easley was a good role player and I'd be glad to have him back but I wouldn't be upset to see him go.

A lot depends on how the rest of the team is structured. He's the kind of guy who might fit in well, or he might be a redundant part.

Guys like Easley are the ones you would ideally make decisions about in February or March, not October or November.

[Guest AG/DC]

Your point is well taken, but unitl the free agent season begins in earnest, artibration and re-signiings are what we have to talk about.

You'll still run into Mets fans out there who rail against Steve Phillips for making his first move after the 2000 World Series the re-signing of Lenny Harris. It's a play I occaasionally co-star in.

Me: Well, just because it's the first transaction he completed doesn't mean it was his top priority.

Angry Mets Fan: LENNY HARRIS!

Me: You know, I look at the failure of that offseason as not being ahead of the ball in replacing Mike Hampton. Hampton bolts for un-Godly money. They're right to let him go. But then they throw frontline starter money at Kevin Appier. I mean, admittedly....

Angry Mets Fan: LENNY! FUCKING! HARRIS!

[Frayed Knot]

An attitude which reminds me a bit of fans who act as if whoever the manager calls on as the first pinch-hitter of the game has somehow been designated as teacher's pet.
Is the best reliever the first one called on?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jose Vidro
Miguel Olivo
Jesus Flores
Jeff Baker
Jason Michaels
Ruchie Sexson
Chris Coste
Fernando Tatis
Chad Tacy
Ian Stewart
Hank Blalock
Juan Rivera
Frank Thomas
Cliff Floyd
Mike Fontenot
Matt Joyce
Brandon Moss
Ben Zobrist
Brian Anderson
Nomar Garciaparra
Craig Monroe
Travis Buck
Johnny Gomes
Ramon Castro
Joe Mather
Nelson Cruz

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

One of these things is not like the other -- and that thing is Hank Blalock.

Or did his injury pretty much ruin him?

[nymr83]

]Less than 300 ABs, more than 6 HRs

of the guys you named only Belliard is a middle infielder