Elias: Kyrie Irving Enters Cavaliers’ Record Books
January 17, 2012Cavaliers Return Home to Face Golden State Warriors
January 17, 2012The Cleveland Indians are most certainly taking these arbitration cases seriously, adding starting pitcher Justin Masterson and All-Star closer Chris Perez to the list of contract-related transations.
Masterson, the emergent team ace in 2011 is set to receive $3.825 million while Perez was granted $4.5 million, providing each player with substantial raises over their 2011 salaries of $470,000 and $2.25 million, respectively. Masteron won 12 games in 2011, compiling an ERA of 3.21, striking out 158 batters in 216 innings of work. Perez, despite a record of 4-7, recorded 36 saves.
The two pitchers join Jack Hannahan, Joe Smith and Shin-Soo Choo as players receiving one-year deals from the Indians. Rafael Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera remain the only two players eligible for arbitration.
[Related: Arbitration Estimates for 2012 Cleveland Indians]
5 Comments
WHY ARE WE SIGNING ALL THESE ONE YEAR DEALS? There has to be someone big coming in
Just to avoid arbitration. The team did the same last season with Asdrubal, Choo et al.
Victor Martinez is out the year. I always liked him, but what makes our enemies weaker makes us stronger. He and Peralta (that hurts) were big factors in their middle of the order strength (with the addition of the obvious one too).
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7472150/victor-martinez-detroit-tigers-tears-acl-likely-needs-season-ending-surgery
Signing one year deals is a way to avoid “arbitration.” Essentially, Masterson and other young players are still under team control due to the rules of the draft. However, these players have enough major league time to qualify for a bigger paycheck than the league minimum, which they were making last year. Usually the first year of arbitration is a low, 7 figure paycheck. The exact amount can be determined by a highly contentious process of team and player representatives arguing worth in front of a neutral commission. This can be avoided if the player and the team can agree to a one year deal beforehand. The Indians have made it a strategy avoid arbitration and the bad will it often creates by signing deals before hand, and have not gone to arbitration since the early ’90s.
This is different than other one year deals like the ones signed last year with Austin Kearns, Orlando Cabrera, and Jack Hannahan. Those were low value veterans that the Indians were taking a chance on to fill club needs.
Baseball makes my head hurt somtimes… haha