Arizona Diamondbacks – Arbitration and Super-Two Considerations
By Joseph Jacquez
MLB Trade Rumors released their salary arbitration projections for all teams including the Arizona Diamondbacks
In 2015, salaries for arbitration-eligible players reached $1 billion. As a result, the process effects a team’s roster construction. Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to one-year contracts with six arbitration-eligibles. In addition, Arizona avoided arbitration with A.J. Pollock when the two parties agreed to a two-year extension.
After recording three years of MLB service time, players become eligible for salary increases above the major-league minimum. This off-season, nine Diamondbacks qualified.
Based on performance, some players are rewarded with large contracts, and others realze minimal increases. Last October, MLB Trade Rumors identified some general guidelines.
"“A player’s first arbitration salary is based primarily on his most recent season, but on overall career statistics are considered as well. Beyond the first year, players receive raises based more heavily on the most recent season’s performance.”"
Projecting Arbitration Salaries
Currently, the Diamondbacks active payroll sits at $59,250,000. Here are MLB Trade Rumors projections. The years of service for each player is in parenthesis.
Welington Castillo (5.009) – $5.9MM
Patrick Corbin (4.105) – $4.2MM
Randall Delgado (4.100) – $1.9MM
Rubby De La Rosa (4.097) – $3.0MM
Jean Segura (4.065) – $7.3MM
Shelby Miller (3.166) – $4.9MM
Chris Owings (3.027) – $2.1MM
Chris Herrmann (3.001) – $1.0MM
Tuffy Gosewisch (2.143) – $600K
MLB Trade Rumors model, developed in 2011, is known for its accuracy. If these projections come true, add $30,900,000 to the payroll.
Next season, Zack Greinke will make around $24 million with the other $10 million deferred.
This would put the active payroll somewhere around $83 million, and allow the front office to explore upgrades in the bullpen.
They could also move committed salary, and Yasmany Tomas could be a prime example.
Super Two Status
Outfielder David Peralta also does not have a contract for next season.
Yet, he happens to fall into a special group of players. He is a part of the top 22 percent of players with service time between two to three years, also known as super two.
During this coming off-season, the super two cutoff is projected to fall between two years, 127 days (2.127) and two years, 131 days (2.131).
Currently, Peralta sits at two years, 120 days (2.120) of MLB service. This means he would fall just short of the projected amount needed to negotiate a two-fold salary increase. In certain cases, players salaries can quadruple, but the Diamondbacks do need to worry about this.
Contrary to Peralta, catcher Tuffy Gosewisch (2.143) falls inside the top 22 percent. This means he will go through the arbitration process four times instead of three.
Next: Former Diamondbacks Have Success in 2016
Despite playing in just 33 games with the Diamondbacks in 2016, Gosewisch will see his salary increase. This makes him an obvious non-tender candidate.