No Arbitration for Andy Pettitte?
By Joseph Delgrippo ~ December 1st, 2008. Filed under: Digest Contributors.
By 9 PM tonight, teams must offer arbitration to their own free agents in order to receive compensation if the player signs elsewhere. A report today by Ken Davidoff of Newsday revealed the Yankees are NOT going to offer arbitration to starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, and if Pettitte signs to pitch elsewhere (like the LA Dodgers), the Yankees will not receive two draft picks. As a type A free agent, the Yankees would receive two draft picks if Pettitte signs with another team, but only if he is offered arbitration.
The Yankees would like to have Pettitte back, but at a significantly lower salary than his $16 million he made last season. As I wrote last week, the Yankees feel that Pettitte is talking to the Dodgers to get the Yankees to offer arbitration, then will accept it, committing the Yankees to at least his $16 million contract for 2009. By the Yankees not offering arbitration, they are telling Pettitte, that they are not interested at the 2008 price and are willing to fore go the picks.
Arbitration is not a good thing for teams to offer their older free agents, those guys who are 35 or older. Many teams looking to give multi-year deals to players prefer younger, in their prime guys, who are more likely to fill out their contracts with similar production as in the past. Older players like Pettitte are more likely to accept arbitration if offered, as their are fewer teams willing to give multi year deals to older players. And with Pettitte’s case, especially coming off a disappointing 2008 season, including a terrible second half.
In addition to Pettitte, the Yankees are not going to offer arbitration to Jason Giambi a no brainer considering their is no compensation, Carl Pavano and Ivan Rodriguez. IROD, who is a type B free agent, is isn the same situation as Pettitte, an aging player on downside. He is unlikely to get a multi year deal somewhere else, and the Yankees don’t want to risk having Rodriguez accept arbitration as the reward is only a supplemental pick if he signs somewhere else.
