Monday, December 1, 2008

Why Is This Even A Question?

This seems like a no-brainer to me, but scribes, including Ken Rosenthal and Tom Haudricourt, are wondering whether the Brewers will offer salary arbitration to Ben Sheets today.

Reasons why I think you offer him arbitration:
  • He probably won't accept arbitration.
  • If they don't offer arbitration, the Brewers give up two high draft picks.
  • If he accepts, they have Sheets on a 1-year deal at an estimated $13 or $14 million. I'm down with a 1-year deal for Sheets.
  • If he accepts and the Brewers don't want him, they could always trade him - I'm sure there are teams that would want Sheets on a 1-year deal for a reasonable (pitching-wise, anyway) salary.

If they don't offer him arbitration, the only rational explanation is that there is something major going on with his elbow.

Disagree?

UPDATE:

Haudricourt is reporting that the Brewers offered arbitration to Sabathia, Sheets and Shouse. This makes sense to me.

6 comments:

Charlie Marlow said...

I am with you on this. I really think the only FA that won't be offered is Gagne.

-Sabathia, for obvious reasons
-Shouse, because even if his salary doubles, its only $4MM for a guy who had a 2.81 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, and 153 ERA+ last season...and has been VERY good almost his entire career. And the Brewers don't want to go 2 years on a 40 year old, so 1 year would be fine.
-Sheets will be offered arbitration for the reasons you stated. I mean, if he accepts, its a win--we all know how dominant he can be...when healthy. If he declines, its a win, because we get a compensatory 1st round and a compensatory sandwich for him.

So...I am really having difficulty understanding why Tom Haudricourt AND Ken Rosenthal don't think the Brewers will offer Sheets arb. I'm simply not buying the weak-ass argument that the Brewers will 'send a message about Sheets' health' by not offering him arb. Totally ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

I would offer Sheets arb. I mean CC is not coming back so if you can get Sheets for 1 year and have the chance that he is healthy and motivated, it is a better option than anyone out there they could sign or trade for.

woziszeus said...

Doug Melvin is a big fan of sandwiches.

Clown said...

I doubt there are any good offers to Sheets at this point. With the economy in the shitter no team wants to pay 10's of millions to a player that WILL get hurt; however, I doubt Sheets will take a one year deal with the Brewers. I'm sure he wants a big contract before his glass body shatters and he's not worth anything. With every injury plagged year his worth goes down the toilet.

And no, there is no question that the Brewers offer arb.

Anonymous said...

agree

Charlie Marlow said...

Doug Melvin is a big fan of sandwiches.

Is he the bread or the meat in a Ned Yost/Doug Melvin/Jeff Suppan sandwich?