New York Yankees Face Arbitration Decisions

(Zell's Pinstripe Blog)

The Yankees have until tomorrow night to decide which players will be offered arbitration. If you don’t understand arbitration, then read this: Arbitration 101.

Andy Pettitte & Bobby Abreu are the big names the Yankees need to decide on.

Bobby Abreu- Type A Free Agent

Pettitte- Type A Free Agent

Ivan Rodriguez- Type B Free Agent

Jason Giambi

Carl Pavano

Offering arbitration to these players, guarantees them draft picks. If you lose a Type A free agent, then you get two draft picks. If you lose a Type B free agent, then you get one draft pick.

If the Yanks don’t offer arbitration to some of the players, that means that they won’t receive compensation for anyone who leaves. The Yankees are likely to offer arbitration to outfielder Bobby Abreu. The Yankees would consider a one-year deal with Abreu, but he is seeking multiple years.

It seems like he is on his way out of NY at the moment. Jason Giambi won’t be returning, as they found a replacement for him already in Nick Swisher. Giambi won’t be given compensation if he signs elsewhere.

The odds that Carl Pavano returns is very unlikely, but Cashman won’t rule him out. Ivan Rodriguez isn’t expected to return either as Posada is expected to be the full time starter, and Molina will be his backup.

• Players receiving arbitration offers have until Dec. 7 to formally accept or reject.
• If the Yankees offer Pettitte arbitration and he accepts, he would become a signed player under control for the ‘09 season, and his salary—$16 million in each of the past two seasons—would be determined by the arbitration process.

River Ave Blues talks about Donnie Baseball and the HOF / Yanks spreading Bronx Cheer

Looming arbitration may force everybody’s hands—In most cases, little has changed. The Brewers, for example, are certain to offer arbitration to left-hander CC Sabathia, knowing they have nothing to lose and high draft picks to gain. The Yankees, on the other hand, do not figure to extend such an offer to lefty Andy Pettitte. If they wanted to give Pettitte a one-year contract with an increase from his $16 million salary, they would have done it by now.

Here is a list of all the statistics of Yankees in Winter League Baseball .