Arbitration Update
By Joseph Delgrippo ~ December 1st, 2008. Filed under: Digest Contributors.
The Yankees have announced that they have not offered arbitration to any of their free agents, including Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu and the recently retired Mike Mussina.
As I mentioned in a previous piece today on NY Baseball Digest, the Yankees had been expected to refuse arbitration to Pettitte, but were expected to offer it to Abreu. Both players made $16 million last season, and it appears the team was not going to allow either the chance to accept arbitration and have the Yanks stuck with another big contract – albeit for only one season. This also negates the opportunity for the Yankees to receive draft pick compensation if either Type A player signs with another team.
What these decisions tell me is that the Yankees would like to have both back, but at the Yankees price, not the price determined by a third party. The Yankees would like to have Petttte over Abreu, but not at the $16 million paid last season. If the Yankees sign two free agents, I believe the Yankees should let Pettitte walk and let Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy or Alfredo Aceves have that spot in the rotation. It would be better for the long term if those younger guys received those starts instead of an aging Pettitte.
Not offering arbitration to Abreu was a shock, but the Yankees again are saying, “Not at your price, but at out price.” What is important is that unlike in the past, the Yankees could still negotiate with Pettitte and Abreu, and maybe will.
By not offering arbitration to either guy, basically for cost control, it tells me that the Yankees will up their ante to secure CC Sabathia (who was offered arbitration today by Milwaukee, as was Ben Sheets). They will also likely fully go after one of the other top free agent pitchers in AJ Burnett, Derek Lowe or even Sheets. Signing any of the above would cost the Yankees their 2009 first round pick, leaving them with only one first round pick next year for not signing Gerrit Cole, their 2008 first rounder. That pick for Cole can not be lost via signing a free agent.
With first round picks commanding large up front bonuses and seeking to be included on the 40 man roster from the start (a la Andrew Brackman in 2007), the Yankees are going to save money on initial investments to the potential first rounders they would have received from Pettitte and Abreu signing elsewhere. The Yankees pretty much have their entire Triple A and Double A rotations set for 2009, depending on where Hughes, Kennedy and Aceves land, and don’t appear too worried about losing out on the extra draft picks.
By not “giving” Pettitte and Abreu $16 million deals, it appears (for the time being) the Yankees are playing “small market baseball” by being cost conscious to the luxuries they have usually provided themselves in recent years. With a glut of outfielder/DH types for 2009 in Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher and Hideki Matsui plus C/1B/DH Jorge Posada, the Yankees might feel that in offering Abreu arbitration, he might accept, further gumming the works. As I said in a previous piece how would the Yankees get at bats for all those guys, plus CF’s Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera? With that many guys for too few positions, Joe Girardi’s “fun loving” attitude might wear on some of the veterans.
Small market baseball for the Yankees? That is until the free agent contracts start flying across the table, then its business as usual in Yankeeland.
