jon greenberg retweeted Jeff Passan

Jeff Passan @JeffPassan

Hearing Jose Abreu is switching agencies to Relativity Sports, with Diego Bentz/Fern Cuza. Abreu should be arb-eligible after 2016 season.

 

jon greenberg added,

Former Sox PR guy extraordinaire Lou Hernandez is Director of Marketing there.

 

I got to imagine this is for better access to marketing deals.

If he is arb-eligible after the 2016 season, does that mean the White Sox can lose him to another team? Does anybody know?

If he is arb-eligible after the 2016 season, does that mean the White Sox can lose him to another team? Does anybody know?

 

No. It means he can go to arbitration if he wants to opt out of his current deal. We still have control of him for six years.

No. It means he can go to arbitration if he wants to opt out of his current deal. We still have control of him for six years.

 

The Sox win either way really. If he's opting into arb, it's because he's really good. In hindsight, his deal is a coup for Chicago given his production so far.

No. It means he can go to arbitration if he wants to opt out of his current deal. We still have control of him for six years.

Arbitration has always been odd to me.

 

So, the basic idea is, Jose says 'Hey, I am playing above my contract, I want to make X dollars next year'

Then the team comes back and says 'Hey, we are willing to pay you Y dollars next year'

 

then the arbitrator says 'Hey, I've decided you will receive Z dollars next year' where Z is between X and Y.

 

Is that correct?

Arbitration has always been odd to me.

 

So, the basic idea is, Jose says 'Hey, I am playing above my contract, I want to make X dollars next year'

Then the team comes back and says 'Hey, we are willing to pay you Y dollars next year'

 

then the arbitrator says 'Hey, I've decided you will receive Z dollars next year' where Z is between X and Y.

 

Is that correct?

 

yes but jose is a unique case as an int FA. all drafted players are subject to arb unless they are good enough to get a long term deal eg Sale, Q, etc. Jose negotiated it into his contract, which was smart for them.

Edited May 15, 201510 yr by chitownsportsfan

Arbitration has always been odd to me.

 

So, the basic idea is, Jose says 'Hey, I am playing above my contract, I want to make X dollars next year'

Then the team comes back and says 'Hey, we are willing to pay you Y dollars next year'

 

then the arbitrator says 'Hey, I've decided you will receive Z dollars next year' where Z is between X and Y.

 

Is that correct?

No, the Arbitrator does not pick a number in-between, the player submits value X they think they're worth, the team submits value Y, and the arbitrator must pick one of those 2 numbers, not anything else.

 

Generally the team and the player will come to an agreement for a number in-between to avoid the acrimonious debate in front of the arbitrator and to avoid the chances of losing the case. That can happen between the 2 sides any time before there's a decision made IIRC. That's how they come to an agreement in the middle.

Yea I don't think the Sox have actually gone to arb in years. Jose would be a very interesting test of that.

Edited May 15, 201510 yr by chitownsportsfan

No, the Arbitrator does not pick a number in-between, the player submits value X they think they're worth, the team submits value Y, and the arbitrator must pick one of those 2 numbers, not anything else.

 

Generally the team and the player will come to an agreement for a number in-between to avoid the acrimonious debate in front of the arbitrator and to avoid the chances of losing the case. That can happen between the 2 sides any time before there's a decision made IIRC. That's how they come to an agreement in the middle.

 

Ah ha, thanks. I didn't know that part of it.

yes but jose is a unique case as an int FA. all drafted players are subject to arb unless they are good enough to get a long term deal eg Sale, Q, etc. Jose negotiated it into his contract, which was smart for them.

 

Most Cubans try to get a free agency out before the six year period written into their deal. My guess is that an arb option was a compromise so that Abreu wasn't leaving money on the table in case he ended up being a superstar.

Arbitration has always been odd to me.

 

So, the basic idea is, Jose says 'Hey, I am playing above my contract, I want to make X dollars next year'

Then the team comes back and says 'Hey, we are willing to pay you Y dollars next year'

 

then the arbitrator says 'Hey, I've decided you will receive Z dollars next year' where Z is between X and Y.

 

Is that correct?

 

Yeah, the baseball system kind of screws over young players with their service clock. But it does help poorer teams keep young talent for longer.

I wonder at what point Abreu decides to opt out of the contract and into arbitration. He is currently scheduled to make $10.5, $11.5 and $12 million in ’17, ’18 and ’19. The current record awarded to a first year eligible position player is $10 million to Ryan Howard after his MVP season. Last year Rosenthal guessed that Mike Trout’s arbitration years would along the lines of $12, $16 and $20 million. Abreu is not as valuable as Trout, but let’s just say he gets something along the same line. That would give him a chance at $48 million vs a guaranteed $34 million in those three years. Is it worth risking those guaranteed years for a chance to make a few extra million? My guess would be that he waits until after 2017 to opt out.

Edited May 15, 201510 yr by lasttriptotulsa

I wonder at what point Abreu decides to opt out of the contract and into arbitration. He is currently scheduled to make $10.5, $11.5 and $12 million in ’17, ’18 and ’19. The current record awarded to a first year eligible position player is $10 million to Ryan Howard after his MVP season. Last year Rosenthal guessed that Mike Trout’s arbitration years would along the lines of $12, $16 and $20 million. Abreu is not as valuable as Trout, but let’s just say he gets something along the same line. That would give him a chance at $48 million vs a guaranteed $34 million in those three years. Is it worth risking those guaranteed years for a chance to make a few extra million? My guess would be that he waits until after 2017 to opt out.

 

My guess is he opts out in 2017 and gets a new 6 to 7 year deal with a huge nine figure number behind it.

Sox never go to arb. It's a part of their internal philosophy. They will give Abreu a pay raise (via arbitration process) and he will deserve it. Everyone wins.

 

I don't even think they went to arb with Viciedo, who obviously they didn't care too much about pissing off.