I just acquired this guy in trade: Armando Marquez. His numbers are a bit skewed but I want him to be my CF of the future. He's got great DUR, good defense, and passable offense. I play in Madison, which is super hitter-friendly, and I've got an inkling he can rob some of those hits away.

Thing is, we just started the season, and I already have a workable platoon going on. They're not as good defensively, but they're ok. Fritz ThomasBobby Lawrence

The thing is, I'd like to keep Marquez for awhile. But I don't want to pay him a lot. I acquired him from a team that had him at AAA at the beginning of the year, but he already had 2 yrs of ML service. As far as contracts/arbitration are concerned, does it matter whether he spends the year in AAA or ML?

If he is in the minors his arb clock should stay at 2 ML service years I believe.

Right. As long as you keep him in the minors for 20+ simdays this year, he won't arb you next year. A bigger problem would be if he became a 6-yr FA, so make sure he's on your 40 before rollover. He looks like a solid defensive replacement, pinch runner, and injury insurance, but his overall ratings might cause him to ask $3mil+ as a 6yr FA.