Chacon and Small exchange salary numbers with Yankees

[38Special]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASAp...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

NEW YORK -- The Yankees traded arbitration figures with pitchers Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small, their two eligible players, on Tuesday.

Chacon, who earned $2.35 million in 2005, asked for $4.15 million for the 2006 season. The Yankees countered with an offer of $3.1 million.

Small, who made $350,000 last season, asked for a raise to $1.45 million. The Yankees countered with $1.025 million.

I can see the Yankees paying 4 mil for Chacon (which isnt bad at all), but I cant see an arbitrator ruling in favor of Small given the fact that 15 games doesnt change his career

[38Special]

For a comparison of other players:

Bronson Arroyo ($4.9 million requested, $3.75 million proposed)
Josh Beckett ($4.2 million requested, $2.95 million proposed)
Alfonso Soriano ($12 million requested, $10 million proposed)

[hellonewman]

Chacon will probably win with those 2 figures. You would think Small would lose, but arbitrators can be nutsy.

[shroud]

Chacon making as much as Beckett? No offense but no way. Small would probably lose too.

[hellonewman]

Maybe Beckett should have asked for more.

[38Special]

It's Beckett's first year of arbitration. Willis made the most of any first year arbitration-eligible pitcher ever, with a 1 year 4.31 mil contract. Obviously you'd take Beckett or Willis before Chacon for the same salary. However i'm not sure why Arroyo is asking for that much. Although this may be his 2nd year of salary arbitration

[surge511]

Chacon making as much as Beckett? No offense but no way. Small would probably lose too.

How about Arroyo making more than Beckett??? HAHAHA

Really, I wouldn't be too upset if the two guys win their arbitrations. Especially Chacon - he is expected to contribute greatly to this year's team.

[DiMaggio5CF]

They can still negotiate, no?

I would assume the Yankees will work out a deal with both of those guys before the hearing, especially Small. Is $425K worth arbitrating?

$3.625 for Chacon, $1.237 for Small.

[BJG]

For the most part, the quality of player has a lot less to do with how much you get payed in arbritration then basic service time. You can't compare 1st year guys to 2nd year or 3rd year guys.

[shroud]

For the most part, the quality of player has a lot less to do with how much you get payed in arbritration then basic service time. You can't compare 1st year guys to 2nd year or 3rd year guys.

True, I didn't know this was Beckett's first time in arbitration.I retract my previous statement and wish Chacon the best of luck.

[keithf1]

Reasonable offers by the Yankees IMO.

[Stick Michael]

Is $425K worth arbitrating (in Small's case)?

Small isn't someone who has made his millions. He's a career journeyman who has spent a lot of time in the minors, where players usually make much less. I suspect $425K would be too much money for him just to leave on the table. I know if I was in his position, I'd want it. Regardless, both he and Chacon will get considerable (and well-deserved) raises this year.

James

[JeffWeaverFan]

Small doesn't have a chance of winning. I'm actually a little surprised we offered him as much as we did.

[nnysiny]

i wouldnt be surprised if the Yankees won both

[GrouchoNYY]

My guess is that in both caes, the team and players will find a middle.

BTW, this from AP...
Small is eligible for arbitration for the first time and will make more this year than he has previously in his entire professional career, which began in 1989.

It's a Small world after all.
JJ

[Prickly Pete]

It's Beckett's first year of arbitration. Willis made the most of any first year arbitration-eligible pitcher ever, with a 1 year 4.31 mil contract. Obviously you'd take Beckett or Willis before Chacon for the same salary. However i'm not sure why Arroyo is asking for that much. Although this may be his 2nd year of salary arbitration

It is Arroyo's second year of arb (he was a Super Two last year), but you mixed up the Beckett/Arroyo requests. It's also Beckett's second year of arb.

Beckett is asking for $4.9 and Arroyo for $4.2.

[YankeePride1967]

My guess is that in both caes, the team and players will find a middle.

BTW, this from AP...
Small is eligible for arbitration for the first time and will make more this year than he has previously in his entire professional career, which began in 1989.

It's a Small world after all.
JJ

I'd be shocked if either went to the hearings. Historically, unless they are too far apart, the Yanks avoid arb.

[DiMaggio5CF]

Small isn't someone who has made his millions. He's a career journeyman who has spent a lot of time in the minors, where players usually make much less. I suspect $425K would be too much money for him just to leave on the table. I know if I was in his position, I'd want it. Regardless, both he and Chacon will get considerable (and well-deserved) raises this year.

James

I'm saying, though, doesn't every penny matter to Small? Wouldn't he rather take an extra guaranteed $200K.

And for the Yankees, is it worth going through the whole arbitration process to save that much. I know that money is money and there's no reason to give it up unnecessarily, but going to arbitration takes a lot of time and effort. It's probably worth the money for the Yankees to sort of buy back that time and use it toward other things.

Basically, when you're discussing millions, go to arbitration (like the Soriano situation). When you're $1 million or less away, it would make sense, IMO, to settle.

[longtimeyankeefan]

Small doesn't have a chance of winning. I'm actually a little surprised we offered him as much as we did.

With his stats from last year, I think that Small has a very good chance of winning.

Still, I see he and the Yankees agreeing to a deal in the neighborhood of $1.25M.

Only three cases made it to arbitration last year.

[38Special]

It is Arroyo's second year of arb (he was a Super Two last year), but you mixed up the Beckett/Arroyo requests. It's also Beckett's second year of arb.

Beckett is asking for $4.9 and Arroyo for $4.2.

Rotoworld says

Red Sox agreed to terms with RHP Guillermo Mota on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Mota, who made $2.6 million last season, is entering his final year before free agency. The Red Sox couldn't settle with Bronson Arroyo ($4.9 million requested, $3.75 million proposed) or Josh Beckett ($4.2 million requested, $2.95 million proposed) before arbitration figures were exchanged today. Jan. 17 - 6:53 pm et

[Prickly Pete]

Rotoworld says

Red Sox agreed to terms with RHP Guillermo Mota on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Mota, who made $2.6 million last season, is entering his final year before free agency. The Red Sox couldn't settle with Bronson Arroyo ($4.9 million requested, $3.75 million proposed) or Josh Beckett ($4.2 million requested, $2.95 million proposed) before arbitration figures were exchanged today. Jan. 17 - 6:53 pm et

Rotoworld has it backwards.

Beckett, who made $2,425,000 last year, asked for $4.9 million while the team offered $3.75 million. Arroyo made $1,925,000 last season and asked for $4.2 million. The team offered $2.95 million.

Boston Globe

[38Special]

How the hell did Beckett make that much last year

[pedromartinezfan]

He signed a 1 year deal worth $2.4 million last January. They avoided arbitration on January 18, 2005. Before that, he had a Major League contract from 1999-2003, 4 years and $7 million. He signed a deal before the 2004 season which paid him $1.5 million.

[aeromac76]

The Yankees historically avoid arbitration with players. They will likely find common ground. From the numbers I have seen, both sides are close with both pitchers and common ground is findable I think..

[freebubba]

Chacon deserves what he gets and Aaron Small will be a millionaire - I have no problem with either case.

This Beckett thing is interesting. Did anyone else hear the rumor that Boston scrambled to get out of the trade with the Marlins because Beckett's MRI was not very "clean"? Because if he is 100% healthy (I am not sure I consider blisters a serious risk), I am not sure I low ball him at this point. The guy can pitch, end of discussion. He is a FA after 2007, no? I am guessing the MRI must not have been great, or the Sox would be giving him what he wants (and he may have asked for more) and they should have been discussing extension already. They have to negotiate sometime, and apparently are waiting until after this season to do it. I am just thinking the extra 1 million now may have paid greater dividends in the future.

A couple questions on arbitration: 1) is there a limit to the raise (i.e. max % increase) a player can get in the arbitration process?; and, 2) has an arbitrator ever given a player MORE than the figure the player requested? I am just wondering if they Red Sox could get poked with a ruling that says based on the market, Beckett should be making $8 mil.

[gdn]

They can still negotiate, no?

I would assume the Yankees will work out a deal with both of those guys before the hearing, especially Small. Is $425K worth arbitrating?

$3.625 for Chacon, $1.237 for Small.

I agree that they'll probably end up settling for somewhere around those numbers. They're not that far apart.

[yanksrule69]

I'm surprised that Small wants his salary quadrupled. I think the Yankees offer is more than fair.

[38Special]

This Beckett thing is interesting. Did anyone else hear the rumor that Boston scrambled to get out of the trade with the Marlins because Beckett's MRI was not very "clean"? Because if he is 100% healthy (I am not sure I consider blisters a serious risk), I am not sure I low ball him at this point. The guy can pitch, end of discussion. He is a FA after 2007, no? I am guessing the MRI must not have been great, or the Sox would be giving him what he wants (and he may have asked for more) and they should have been discussing extension already. They have to negotiate sometime, and apparently are waiting until after this season to do it. I am just thinking the extra 1 million now may have paid greater dividends in the future.

Your conspiracy theory doesnt have much merit im afraid. As a first time arbitration eligible player (AFAIK), he couldnt ask for THAT MUCH. Whether or not his MRI was wonderful or not, the team is always going to offer less than the player wants.

[BJG]

A couple questions on arbitration: 1) is there a limit to the raise (i.e. max % increase) a player can get in the arbitration process?; and, 2) has an arbitrator ever given a player MORE than the figure the player requested? I am just wondering if they Red Sox could get poked with a ruling that says based on the market, Beckett should be making $8 mil.

Again, salaries are limited by service time, specifically salaries in the first 2 years of arbitration, and the base salary of the year before. Beckett can't get $8M because no one else with his service time makes $8M. Obviously, salaries go up incrementally, but the market for post-free agency players is always going to be relatively higher than what arb players make.

As for the second question, the arbitrator must chose either the player's number or the team's number. They can't choose any other number, be it in betweeen the two or outside the two. This is why the player and the team often come to an agreement in the middle before the arbitration hearing.

[bibigon]

A couple questions on arbitration: 1) is there a limit to the raise (i.e. max % increase) a player can get in the arbitration process?; and, 2) has an arbitrator ever given a player MORE than the figure the player requested? I am just wondering if they Red Sox could get poked with a ruling that says based on the market, Beckett should be making $8 mil.

It doesn't work that way. The only two choices are either the team's number, or the player's number.

The result of a system like this is that everybody asks for reasonable amounts, because if they didn't, then the arbitrator would have an easy choice to go with the other figure. If Small asked for 1.45, then there's likely a pretty good shot he can win at 1.45.

[YankClipper5]

Small doesn't have a chance of winning. I'm actually a little surprised we offered him as much as we did.

I am as well, I was shocked to see Small apparently about to command over a mil. Chacon's figure I am not to upset with, given the market for pitchers 3.5-4 seems somewhat fair. Small better just come out and pitch his tail off...