Grabow in the future

[Cubswin11]

The Cubs could offer Gregg arbitration and, if he accepts, release him before his entire salary for the year becomes guaranteed (as the Padres did a few years ago with Todd Walker). They could even tell him that's what will happen to make it less likely that he'd accept.

I personally think this is a great idea! Way to go NC. I'm not sure why more teams don't do that. Can someone find out what percentage the Cubs would have to pay if they released him by the first deadline? I looked but couldn't find it.

 

I assume Gregg would get around $4,000,000 in arbitration. A first round pick and a compensation pick seem to be worth a million dollar risk to me. (Of course, it's not my money!) It also could end up a 2nd or 3rd rounder depending on how many FA's that team signs.

 

Gregg's getting 4.2M this year, he'll make at least 5 in arbitration.

Agreed Gregg will probably be looking for somewhere around 5.5-7M.

[NCCubFan]

Can someone find out what percentage the Cubs would have to pay if they released him by the first deadline? I looked but couldn't find it.

According to this article the Padres saved about 75% of Walker's salary by releasing him, so the Cubs would probably save about the same with Gregg. Until the situation with Walker I didn't even realize you could do that. I just always assumed that salaries awarded by an arbitrator were guaranteed since most major league salaries are.

[Wrigley Rat]

Can someone find out what percentage the Cubs would have to pay if they released him by the first deadline? I looked but couldn't find it.

According to this article the Padres saved about 75% of Walker's salary by releasing him, so the Cubs would probably save about the same with Gregg. Until the situation with Walker I didn't even realize you could do that. I just always assumed that salaries awarded by an arbitrator were guaranteed since most major league salaries are.

Thanks - that's around what I thought it was. Like I said, $1,000,000 or $1,250,000 seems like a gamble worth taking. Worse possible scenario is we pay a player or two $1,000,000 or $1,250,000 to try out for us in spring training. If they kick butt in spring training we might even keep them. If someone else signs them - we get some draft picks!

[biittner77]

Jim Hendry prides himself on being a stand up guy- to a fault when necessary. He's not going to try any dirty tricks with Gregg. If he offered him arby it would be with the idea that they want him back which might be the case.

 

A better idea would be to put Gregg through waivers (if he hasn't already) and try to trade him to a contender for a PTBNL. Surely there's at least 1 contender that needs another BP arm for the stretch run. Texas, for example. Maybe the Tigers.

[Wrigley Rat]

Jim Hendry prides himself on being a stand up guy- to a fault when necessary. He's not going to try any dirty tricks with Gregg. If he offered him arby it would be with the idea that they want him back which might be the case.

 

A better idea would be to put Gregg through waivers (if he hasn't already) and try to trade him to a contender for a PTBNL. Surely there's at least 1 contender that needs another BP arm for the stretch run. Texas, for example. Maybe the Tigers.

So here's my problem with that. (Your statement above is true & accurate, but unfortunate.) The players' union negotiates free agency dates, arbitration dates, no cap on draft picks, etc. The market dictates the number of years on contracts, the salary, and no-trade clauses. But when ownership finds a loophole in the system that works to their advantage, they can't use it because they need to remain "stand-up guys"? Alfonso Soriano is still a stand-up guy even though he isn't giving back any of his $160 million that we continue to pay him despite his lack of production (and apparent lack of drive). (I know the union won't allow players to give it back, but that's part of my point.) I don't think it's a "dirty trick" to offer arbitration in the hopes of earning a draft pick or two. His consolation prize is $1,250,000 or more in the spring and the opportunity to earn a heck of a lot more from the next team who signs him. If the players' union thought that was unfair, they would have negotiated it out. But instead, they agreed to allow teams to do that, but teams have to pay a player 25% of their contract for the right to do that.

 

I tell Hendry to do it if he has the money to do it.

[davearm2]

The reason why more teams don't do what NCCubsFan is suggesting is simple. Because it's not allowed by the CBA. A team can't just walk out on an arbitration commitment for pennies on the dollar because they feel like it, or because they were hoping the player would decline the arb offer.

 

There is a clause in there that allows a team an out in the case where the player demonstrates a significant decline in ability during spring training (or somesuch language). But you've got to have a pretty good argument there, otherwise the Union would grieve the case and the team would lose.

 

The Padres got away with it on an over-the-hill, 35-ish Todd Walker, but even then there was talk that the Union would file a grievance.

 

Good luck trying it with a healthy, late-20s guy who shows up at camp pitching the same as he always has.

[Wrigley Rat]

The reason why more teams don't do what NCCubsFan is suggesting is simple. Because it's not allowed by the CBA. A team can't just walk out on an arbitration commitment for pennies on the dollar because they feel like it, or because they were hoping the player would decline the arb offer.

 

There is a clause in there that allows a team an out in the case where the player demonstrates a significant decline in ability during spring training (or somesuch language). But you've got to have a pretty good argument there, otherwise the Union would grieve the case and the team would lose.

 

The Padres got away with it on an over-the-hill, 35-ish Todd Walker, but even then there was talk that the Union would file a grievance.

 

Good luck trying it with a healthy, late-20s guy who shows up at camp pitching the same as he always has.

Well good - then that means it was negotiated into the CBA. It no longer falls under the category of "loophole". That also explains why teams don't do it more often.