Greetings,

Three questions about arbitration...

1. If a guy is arb-eligible, but you don't want him, can you release him before the arb hearing and not owe him anything?

2. My understanding is if you go to arbitration in the Year 5 season, the player will, for sure, test free agency next season. When a new season rolls, if the Player Card says 4 years of ML time, then this year is Year 4 and you're safe doing arbitration instead of a long-term deal, correct? Or does it mean he already has 4 years, this is Year 5, and you better do a long-term deal now if you want to keep him?

3. Is it correct that there is no downside to doing arbitration in Years 3 and 4...that the player doesn't hold a grudge or have a performance dip, correct?

Thanks, as always, for the help and advice!

1) Yes
2) Instead of looking at ML years, I look at the transaction history, and if you're about to go to arbitration for a 3rd time, he's not signing a long term deal with you next season. So sign him long term instead of going to arbitration if it's his 3rd time.
3) Correct, I've never seen one NOT sign a long term deal after going to arbitration twice, and certainly no programmed affect on performance.

ok...thanks...the tip about looking at transaction history rather than ML years is great.

I've had players re-sign after arbing 3 times but their Patience ratings were 99 and 100. I had a 98 Patience guy walk.

Interesting, I’ve never had one stay after 3.

I've traded for players that were arb'd 3x and refusing to sign with the team but then sign once traded

OK, one more weird point almost no one would ever utilize, but it is possible:

Yes, it's easier to look at the transaction history than the player service time - no calculation required. But if you screw with the player's service time he can go to arbitration more than three times. The actual rule is that players with more than three years service time but less than six are eligible for arbitration. Most of the time when a player has been in the majors for three years, he's up to stay.

In the case of my player with 100 Patience, I demoted him after first arb and he spent about a season and a half in AAA before coming back up. It was purely unintentional but he ended up going through arbitration five times - and he still would have taken a long term deal after the fifth arb.

I have seen some players like this mostly marginal ml types like rp's or utility, def ss or def c's.