Posted by s_gammon on 9/6/2011 2:59:00 PM (view original):
With over a year of ML service time, he'll still accumulate ML service time on an Optional assigment, so that won't work.
Dead wrong. Sending him to AAA for the season will work, he will arb again next season (at which point you can sign him long term). But the first and best optino is, as stated, to see if he will sign a long term deal right now. Arbing a guy 3 times does not automatically mean he will not sign long term. In fact, if the guy won the arb hearing, it wont have any negative impact at all (though he may still choose free agency due to his overall rating).