Is arbitration bad for contract negotiations?

sox9418 · 03-18-2008, 10:42 PM

Does allowing a player to go to arbitration impact their willingness to negotiate down the road?

The reason I ask is that I have a player who's now becoming eligible for his first arbitration contract, so I've been getting him for $100,000. He's only hit .377 and .391 the last two seasons, so I'm not unhappy with that kind of return on my dollar. I'm anticipating he'll get a huge payday, which he deserves, but trying to be frugal, if I can get away with letting him get his arbitration contract instead of the $20M per year he'll get when he's a free agent for a few years, I'd like to do it. But, I don't want to take any chance of losing this guy, so I'll break the bank now if I have to. I only have about $10M wiggle room right now in my budget.

Thoughts?

tysok · 03-18-2008, 10:50 PM

I've never had a problem with letting them go all 3 arb years. It doesn't seem to matter to them.

On a side note, a lot of times you can buy out 2+ years of their free agency for quite cheap. Personally I believe it to be a cheat. I got a superstar pitcher signed for 6 years before his 2nd arb contract for average 6 million a year... he was 26. By the time he was ready to be signed again he was 32 and beginning to decline. Nobody agreed that was a "bug".

ctorg · 03-19-2008, 07:38 AM

Unlike real baseball, in OOTP arbitration is what is expected. Really, OOTP's version of arbitration is kind of a shorthand of the real thing. The real arbitration process is more complicated and strategic, and teams usually get the player to agree to a contract. For that matter, I don't think teams normally pay players the league minimum for their first three years.

johnnybourbon · 03-19-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctorg

Unlike real baseball, in OOTP arbitration is what is expected. Really, OOTP's version of arbitration is kind of a shorthand of the real thing. The real arbitration process is more complicated and strategic, and teams usually get the player to agree to a contract. For that matter, I don't think teams normally pay players the league minimum for their first three years.

They don't normally pay out the minimum...
Bobby Jenks (2 time allstar)
2005-$300k
2006-$340k
2007-$400k
2008-$550k
...he's elibigle for arbitration next year and will get a BIG payday.

conception · 03-19-2008, 11:05 PM

I would let your player go through 2 years and sign him sometime during the last year. Until he has full service time he will not ask for FA money.

03-18-2008, 10:42 PM	#1
sox9418 Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 323	Is arbitration bad for contract negotiations? Does allowing a player to go to arbitration impact their willingness to negotiate down the road? The reason I ask is that I have a player who's now becoming eligible for his first arbitration contract, so I've been getting him for $100,000. He's only hit .377 and .391 the last two seasons, so I'm not unhappy with that kind of return on my dollar. I'm anticipating he'll get a huge payday, which he deserves, but trying to be frugal, if I can get away with letting him get his arbitration contract instead of the $20M per year he'll get when he's a free agent for a few years, I'd like to do it. But, I don't want to take any chance of losing this guy, so I'll break the bank now if I have to. I only have about $10M wiggle room right now in my budget. Thoughts?

03-18-2008, 10:50 PM	#2
tysok Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 4,925	I've never had a problem with letting them go all 3 arb years. It doesn't seem to matter to them. On a side note, a lot of times you can buy out 2+ years of their free agency for quite cheap. Personally I believe it to be a cheat. I got a superstar pitcher signed for 6 years before his 2nd arb contract for average 6 million a year... he was 26. By the time he was ready to be signed again he was 32 and beginning to decline. Nobody agreed that was a "bug". __________________ I don't know about you, but as for me, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? Yes! Jack Buck, September 17, 2001 It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. I firmly believe that any man's finest hour... is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious. (Vince Lombardi) I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom. (George S. Patton)

03-19-2008, 07:38 AM	#3
ctorg Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 9,848	Unlike real baseball, in OOTP arbitration is what is expected. Really, OOTP's version of arbitration is kind of a shorthand of the real thing. The real arbitration process is more complicated and strategic, and teams usually get the player to agree to a contract. For that matter, I don't think teams normally pay players the league minimum for their first three years. __________________ My music "When the trees blow back and forth, that's what makes the wind." - Steven Wright Fjord emena pancreas thorax fornicate marmalade morpheme proteolysis smaxa cabana offal srue vitriol grope hallelujah lentils

03-19-2008, 11:05 PM	#5
conception All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,150	I would let your player go through 2 years and sign him sometime during the last year. Until he has full service time he will not ask for FA money.