Brewers arbitration thread (2/12: Hart wins case)

[Captain Erv]

Arbitration day is coming

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 18, 2010 9:38 a.m.

Tuesday is the day that arbitration-eligible players and their clubs exchange salary figures if they haven't come to terms already.

The Brewers have seven arbitration-eligible players (2009 salaries in parentheses):

RHP Dave Bush ($4 million)
RHP Todd Coffey ($800,002)
OF Jody Gerut ($1,775,000)
OF Corey Hart ($3.25 million)
OF Carlos Gomez ($437,500)
RHP Carlos Villanueva ($447,000)
2B Rickie Weeks ($2.45 million)

Gomez and Villanueva are first-time eligibles and therefore can expect significant jumps in salary. And look for some of these players to sign before figures are exchanged tomorrow. GM Doug Melvin told me over the weekend that the club was close to deals with some of that group.

Once figures are exchanged, the sides continue to negotiate. If they can't work out an agreement, the cases are heard by arbitration panels in February, which pick one figure or the other. Melvin has not had a case go to a hearing with the Brewers.

Look for these seven players to account for $17-18 million of the Brewers' payroll.

As for any outside personnel moves, I've learned in the last couple of days that Melvin remains in touch with the agents for free-agent lefties Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn. The Brewers have an opening on their 40-man roster and it would be no surprise if Melvin signed one of those pitchers. He hasn't seemed too motivated to do so in recent talks but he could be laying in the weeds until the price is right.

[Captain Erv]

Not sure how I feel about paying Jody Gerut $2 million, but it is better than getting stuck with Chris Duffy and Brad Nelson I guess.

Gerut avoids arbitration (updated)

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 18, 2010 1:57 p.m.

Reserve OF Jody Gerut is the first of the Brewers' seven arbitration-eligible players to avoid that process by agreeing to a one-year deal.

I haven't seen the contract figure yet. Gerut made $1.775 million last year.

After coming from San Diego in the Tony Gwynn trade, Gerut played in 85 games, batting .236 with five homers and 21 RBI. He was awful in the months after the trade, batting .172 in May, .100 in June and .222 in July.

Gerut was better after that, batting .279 with five homers and 19 RBI after the all-star break.

The six remaining arbitration players are right-hander Dave Bush, relievers Todd Coffey and Carlos Villanueva, outfielders Corey Hart and Carlos Gomez and second baseman Rickie Weeks.

UPDATE: GERUT'S DEAL IS FOR $2 MILLION, A RAISE OF $225,000.

[Captain Erv]

Weeks, Gomez avoid arbitration

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 19, 2010 11:04 a.m.

Second baseman Rickie Weeks and centerfielder Carlos Gomez have agreed to one-year contracts for 2010, avoiding salary arbitration.

With OF Jody Gerut coming to terms on Monday, the Brewers have four players remaining in arbitration: RF Corey Hart, RHP Dave Bush and relievers Todd Coffey and Carlos Villanueva.

I haven't seen the salaries that Weeks and Gomez received yet. Weeks made $2.45 million last year and was arbitration-eligible for the second time. Gomez, acquired after the '09 season from Minnesota in a trade for J.J. Hardy, made $437,500 last year and was arbitration-eligible for the first time.

[chuckleslove]

Damn you are fast, was just coming to post that

[MajorDad]

I won't say gerut is not worth the $2 mil. he started hitting in the second half of the year, and he has been around awhile.

my problem is I don't believe a 4th outfielder is worth spending $2 million on. You can always find somebody named Reed to be your 4th outfielder A 4th outfielder should also be able to play mutliple positions and be a fielding wizard. Gerut is more of a hitter than a great fielder. i would rather have T Gwynn or some other AAAA outfielder or a young outfielder making $300-500 k than spending that much on a bench player. I would have rather found somebody else at half the price and spent the money on an area of need. Or you could say, I believe the Brewers already have a 4th outfielder and don't need another one. the brewers' 4th outfielder should be Gomez.

That extra Million could have been used towards making a trade for a more expensive starting pitcher via a trade like Vazquez, or applied to signing a more expensive catcher like Molina. i realize many here are down on Molina, but he's a lot better than Zaun. Zaun is a dh who can also catch. Molina is a catcher who can hit. i've got some really bad feelings about Zaun catching in the National League.

[trwi7]

Coffey filed for $2.45 million; the Brewers offered $1.7 million.
Hart filed for $4.8 million; the Brewers offered $4.15 million.
Bush filed for $4.45 million; the Brewers offered $4.125 million.
Villanueva filed for $1.075 million; the Brewers offered $800,000.

Gomez ended up getting $1.1 million.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/82094917.html

[trwi7]

Zaun is far better than Molina.

[chuckleslove]

Coffey filed for $2.45 million; the Brewers offered $1.7 million.
Hart filed for $4.8 million; the Brewers offered $4.15 million.
Bush filed for $4.45 million; the Brewers offered $4.125 million.
Villanueva filed for $1.075 million; the Brewers offered $800,000.

Gomez ended up getting $1.1 million.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/82094917.html

Most of those numbers are so close that I see no reason that they won't work out a deal and probably avoid arbitration again this year. The only one I could see being an issue would be Hart, the rest of those guys deserve some sort of raise, Hart based on last year doesn't really deserve the raise he is about to get.

[trwi7]

Bush doesn't deserve a raise either.

Midpoint for each player.

Coffey - $2.075M
Hart - $4.475M
Bush - $4.2875M
Villanueva - $.9375M

[MajorDad]

not sure why you are so down on molina and so up on Zaun.

molina at least used to be a good catcher and also a good hitter. when was the last time Zaun was known for being either?

What is it about Molina that you don't like besides his age? being old isn't always a bad thing. and being young isn't always a great thing either. Las t time I looked , Zaun wasn't the youngest player around. I have difficulty believing Zaun will adapt to the National League and the national league umpiring. NL umps call games differently than AL umps. At least Molina is more familier with what an NL strike zone is and would be a better catcher at calling pitchers. I haven't seen any team claiming Zaun made ther pitching staff better.

[chuckleslove]

Bush doesn't deserve a raise either.

Midpoint for each player.

Coffey - $2.075M
Hart - $4.475M
Bush - $4.2875M
Villanueva - $.9375M

Yeah, you are right Bush probably doesn't deserve a raise after last year but at least he has the excuse of not playing the entire season whereas Hart was just bad last year.

[MajorDad]

hart also missed a chunk of last year due to injury. how often we tend to forget when it's a player we no longer like. i have to believe hart's injury probably affected the way he swung a bat when he returned much like washburn's leg injury affected his pitching. I' m actually expecting big things from hart this year.

as middle relievers go and comparing what they are asking for against how much we paid Riske and what Whethers was making from Cincy, both Coffey and CV seem like bargains. The amount of money we paid Riske is kind of mind boggling considering he wasn't projected to be our closer when we signed him. Good middle relievers used to command $3-5 million. I guess the market has changed.

[WEFFPIM]

How does Rickie Weeks get a raise?

[Captain Erv]

I'm pretty sure he has been terrible since the midpoint of the 2008 season.

hart also missed a chunk of last year due to injury. how often we tend to forget when it's a player we no longer like. i have to believe hart's injury probably affected the way he swung a bat when he returned much like washburn's leg injury affected his pitching. I' m actually expecting big things from hart this year.

as middle relievers go and comparing what they are asking for against how much we paid Riske and what Whethers was making from Cincy, both Coffey and CV seem like bargains. The amount of money we paid Riske is kind of mind boggling considering he wasn't projected to be our closer when we signed him. Good middle relievers used to command $3-5 million. I guess the market has changed.

[trwi7]

How does Rickie Weeks get a raise?

All players get a raise. Just depends how much. Does anyone think Carlos Gomez should've gotten a raise? No. It's just how the system works.

[Captain Erv]

How does Rickie Weeks get a raise?

He scores a lot of runs. [/Doug Melvin]

[chuckleslove]

hart also missed a chunk of last year due to injury. how often we tend to forget when it's a player we no longer like. i have to believe hart's injury probably affected the way he swung a bat when he returned much like washburn's leg injury affected his pitching. I' m actually expecting big things from hart this year.

as middle relievers go and comparing what they are asking for against how much we paid Riske and what Whethers was making from Cincy, both Coffey and CV seem like bargains. The amount of money we paid Riske is kind of mind boggling considering he wasn't projected to be our closer when we signed him. Good middle relievers used to command $3-5 million. I guess the market has changed.

Yes but Hart dropped off after he went to the All-star game. He had a bad second half of 2008 and then last year. I never said I didn't like the guy or no longer did. He was one of my favorite Brewers a couple years ago and I was really high on him. I still really like the guy and if he can return to 2007/1st half of 2008 form he will be one of my favorite again because I just love how much hustle he played with and how he was a good consistent hitter. I like the guy but that doesn't mean I have to think he deserves a raise. If I start to under perform at work they are going to talk about disciplinary action or firing me, getting me a raise wouldn't be on the table.

[MajorDad]

Weeks got a raise for signing my baseball.

then again, his signing of my baseball lowered its value. maybe i should ask weeks for some monetary compensation, now that he got a raise.

[notoriousTJ11]

All players get a raise. Just depends how much. Does anyone think Carlos Gomez should've gotten a raise? No. It's just how the system works.

Baseball needs to fix this. It's just as bad as the NFL rookie contracts where Stafford gets paid more than most QBs not having played one down. I can only imagine how Johnny Estrada was able to capitalize off this system.

[trwi7]

Meh, I'm alright with it. You do get players at around $500,000 for three years.