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I agree with #1 but not really with the other 2.
Front loaded contracts are good for most players as it acts like a signing bonus of sorts. It is guaranteed money quick, which most players like.
As for signing players before they get to arbitration/FA it may need to be kept to where some extreme examples are limited but this strategy has been the bread and butter of real life smaller market teams.
My Oakland A's have used it to retain many good players over the past 15 or so years under Beane. It doesn't always work but the majority of players will give a significant hometown discount in order to secure their future much earlier than usually possible. I have seen several young stud players sign for a small fraction of what they would have made a couple years later.
The choice for them is to stay at a couple hundred grand a year and risk getting seriously injured before you can cash in, or take 2-4 Million per now and secure yourself. It does work.
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