It's not that type of arbitration. It's pre-FA arbitration. So does that mean that if the Cubs offer it there's no accepting it, and if they don't offer it then he becomes a FA? There's no accepting/declining to be done by Hill. You either offer arbitration to your arb-eligible players or you release them. If the Cubs can't work out a deal before the arbitration hearing (they always do), then they'll go to arbitration and the arbiter will pick either the Cubs submitted # or Hill's.