MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker is the place to go to see the arbitration contracts agreed upon thus far, as well as the figures exchanged between teams and players that were not able to reach agreement before today's noon deadline to swap salary positions. Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available here.
As MLBTR has previously explained, 146 players officially filed for arbitration (after some eligible and tendered players had alread reached agreement). Of those, 40 players will exchange figures with their clubs. Of course, those players can still reach agreements before their hearings (which will take place betwee February 1st and 21st). If the case goes to a hearing, the arbitrator must choose one side's figures, rather than settling on a midpoint.
For the Braves players listed below, however, Atlanta says it will cease negotiations and take all cases to a hearing. Two other teams that have swapped figures with some players — the Nationals and Indians — also have employed variations of the "file and trial" approach with their arbitration cases.
Though a tweet from FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal indicates that the Reds have joined the list of teams employing "file and trial," GM Walt Jocketty did not seem to echo that position in comments today to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. It turns out that the team has only taken that position with respect to players whose deals were valued under the $2MM level, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
We will use this post to keep tabs on the the highest-stakes arbitration situations remaining — those where the player files for at least $4.5MM:
- A.J. Ellis filed at $4.6MM while the Dodgers countered at $3MM, tweets Passan.
- Gerardo Parra filed at $5.2MM while the Diamondbacks countered at $4.3MM, tweets Passan.
- Tyler Clippard filed at $6.35MM while the Nationals countered at $4.45MM, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
- Alex Avila filed at $5.35MM while the Tigers countered at $3.75MM, tweets Jason Beck of MLB.com.
- David Freese filed at $6MM while the Angels countered at $4.1MM, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- Mark Trumbo filed at $5.85MM while the Diamondbacks countered at $3.4MM, tweets Heyman.
- Kenley Jansen filed at $5.05MM while the Dodgers countered at $3.5MM, tweets Heyman.
- Craig Kimbrel filed at $9MM while the Braves countered at $6.55MM, tweets Bowman.
- Jason Heyward filed at $5.5MM while the Braves countered at $5.2MM, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
- Doug Fister filed at $8.5MM while the Nationals countered at $5.75MM, tweets Heyman.
- Aroldis Chapman filed at $5.4MM while the Reds countered at $4.6MM, tweets Heyman.
- Greg Holland filed at $5.2MM while the Royals countered at $4.1MM, tweets Heyman.
- Justin Masterson filed at $11.8MM while the Indians countered at $8.05MM, tweets Heyman.
- Freddie Freeman filed for $5.75MM while the Braves countered at $4.5MM, tweets Heyman.
- Matt Wieters filed for $8.75MM while the Orioles countered at $6.5MM, tweets Heyman.
- Homer Bailey filed for $11.6MM while the Reds countered at $8.7MM, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- Jeff Samardzija filed for $6.2MM while the Cubs countered at $4.4MM, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Wieters is asking for a bit much. I am hoping the O’s can settle this amicably!
Seven Million sounds good to me, I mean Showalter uses him almost for every game and even if he gets an off day here and there, he was usually brought in as a pinch hitter or to catch if there were extra innings to play.
I hope Wieters wins. Better he pockets that extra $2.25 mil than Peter Angelos.
I agree somewhat but the guy did have a terrible year offensively with career lows in almost every way and if you want to go by the “war” stat his war dropped by over 3 to only a 0.4 this season
couldn’t sign Heyward over $300K? okay…
Seriously, how do you let that go to arbitration hearings when you are dealing with Freeman and Kimbrel for much bigger gaps. You’d think they’d want to limit the amoubt of players going to hearings as much as possible.
You limit hearings by winning everyone of them and frightening off future attempts. That’s why reputation as tough in arb is even more important than the 300K, but the money isn’t nothing either .
You also burn bridges by taking two of the rising star players you need for future success running them down in arbitration hearings. Sometimes you have no choice, The Braves and Heyward however are 300K apart, that should never have made it to this point.
Braves FO love going to arbitration. There’s a Panera Bread right next door, as opposed to anything being around Turner Field.
2017 can’t come soon enough.
They can settle at any point before or during arbitration, which they assuredly will.
They can except for “We have an organization philosophy of the filing date is our last date to negotiate prior to a hearing,” said Wren. “We’re done.”
They said they won’t – “not their policy” (short sighted)
I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I wasn’t seeing things
The Kimbrel hearing is going to be interesting, 9 MM v 6.5 MM will make a big difference in the end. If Kimbrel makes 9 MM his first year, he will be making 15-20 MM by year 3. No team should pay that much for a closer, even if hes the best around!
That’s why we need to trade him at the end of the 2014 season.
To the Yankees. 🙂
No thanks.
While I’d love to have him, I doubt they want to meet the brave’s asking price, and then pay the price he will cost.
Yeah, I can’t see that happening. That’s also providing Robertson doesn’t take the job, though Kimbrel would be an upgrade. I see SEA, ARZ, BOS, TEX having the depth and interest to do it, though that also depends on their current closers not being as successful.
There is zero chance the M’s trade for him. If there’s one thing Jack Zduriencik has been able to do as a GM, it’s find decent closers on the cheap. His most expensive closer was League at $5MM. Now they have Danny Farquhar, whose saber numbers were almost as good as Kimbrel, and he makes league minimum.
Agreed. I highly doubt SEA would be in a position to go after a star closer considering the pieces they need, but they do have the pieces and money available.
Rêminds me as a dodgers fan of the Gagne filing. $5M vs. $8M. Team won.
Right. Kimbrel is going to cash in big. Arbitrators love saves, so, and era. He is a fantastic closer, but this process is going to way overvalue him.
$3.75MM between Masterson and the Indians is the biggest gap.
Wieters asking for a $3.25MM raise after a career worst season at the plate further cements that he’s not going to be an Oriole past 2015.
They take into account the past 2 seasons. Just because he was career worst doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get raise.
Yep, and Wieters’ WAR has dropped from 4.6 to 3.9 to 2.4 from 2011 to 2013.
Didn’t say he shouldn’t get a raise. Just that he shouldn’t get a $3.25MM raise.
There’s few players there (Kimbrel, Fister, Masterson, Bailey, Samardzija) who have quite a gap between their figures and their team’s figures.
Even if Fister wins, the Nats win at that price… going to miss him in Detroit!
They will likely settle around 7 MM
I agree. That trade really didn’t make sense to me.
Braves … get real! Why create bitterness for .2 mil with a very nice young outfielder?
Because their offer was already nearly a million more than he was projected to earn in arbitration?? Seems to me like the Braves came up plenty and Heyward’s agent was unwilling to budge.
-C
If Heyward is the kind of player who is going to be ‘bitter’ over $300,00 relative to the hundred-plus million bucks he’s going to make in his career, I’d just as soon Atlanta let him walk in 2016 and take the draft pick. Of course, I might feel different if Mr. Glass hadn’t already spent 20% of his career on the disabled list…
Why did Chapman file? I thought he signed a six-year deal out of Cuba back in 2010…
It was in the contract. Per Cot’s:
“if Chapman qualifies for arbitration after 2013, $3M is converted to a bonus and he becomes arbitration-eligible”
-C
So meow he’s arbitration eligible for the next three seasons?
Pretty much. He could choose to use the $5M player option in 2015, but I think it’s a foregone conclusion he’ll best that in arbitration. He’d have to have a season-ending injury to not make more in arbitration in 2015 than he will in 2014.
-C
Did Avila ask his dad for advice on his arbitration number? Does his dad literally “put on a different hat” when talking to Alex?
Give AJ Ellis the 4.6 mil, he definitely deserves it.
The one I have been looking for last few days.. Andrew Miller, filed for 2.15m and Boston has countered at 1.55m.
Boston hasn’t had a player case heard in ages, so they probably will come to terms beforehand. Would like to see a 3/9m deal even, or 2/6m and another 3,maybe 3.5m team option.
I don’t see why everyone is blaming the Braves organization for not budging for Heyward. No one is making it aware that he wouldn’t just go down 300k and it could have easily been settled. It’s not just the Braves being stingy.