Feel free to point me to places I might find this information if it already exists...I did a quick search to no avail. Joined a league that just merged and I am trying to understand a couple things.

1. Arbitration, if history is wiped out does that mean guys eligible to arb will start over or do you have make assumptions of what a guy may have done previously?
2. Budget, no way keep the option of previous budget or start new, correct?
3. Development, I assume but want to confirm that without the history you don't get to see how the prospects have improved until a couple years into the newly merged league, correct?

Thanks all.

1) Whatever his BL service time is still dictates arb (3 years = 1st arb; 4 years = 2nd arb; 5 years = last arb)
2) Not 100% on this, but I believe budgets carry over.
3) No history means no previous seasons to look at for reference, so yeah, you are correct.

To follow up on this, post merger I have a handful of Arb guys to consider. Specifically four I am concerned about losing the following season if I screw up. Two guys say 3 years Big League experience, the next 4 and last 5. I'm thinking that arbitration for the two 3s and the 4 will be fine, I then sign the 4 to a LT contract next season. The 5 I would assume pre merger to have been arb'd twice already so he's at risk of leaving next season if I do it again. Now he does have a 96 PAT so maybe he will be fine. The real oddity is that I can arb this guy for $373k but a long term contract will cost my $7.65mm per season...

So 1. there simply is no way to know how many arb years specifically pre merger or is the 5 years of ML service a guarantee he was arb'd for the prior two seasons? and 2. anyone ever see such a discrepancy in arb vs LT contract? Frankly I am thinking I may with that PAT rating arb him and roll the dice I save the $7.3mm this season...

1) That's correct. If he has 5 ML service years he was most likely arbed twice already. I'd sign him LT if I wanted to keep him around. If he is someone that you are not sure is worth spending that kind of money on, then sure arb him. You might get him to sign LT next season, but his asking price will likely be the same or more. Just a matter of how big of a loss he will be if he decides not to sign with you. If you can live with him walking then by all means arb him for the $373K

2) Arb is typically based on previous season's playing time and performance, while LT demands are ratings based.

Posted by Vitamin_C on 1/12/2018 5:11:00 PM (view original):
1) That's correct. If he has 5 ML service years he was most likely arbed twice already. I'd sign him LT if I wanted to keep him around. If he is someone that you are not sure is worth spending that kind of money on, then sure arb him. You might get him to sign LT next season, but his asking price will likely be the same or more. Just a matter of how big of a loss he will be if he decides not to sign with you. If you can live with him walking then by all means arb him for the $373K

2) Arb is typically based on previous season's playing time and performance, while LT demands are ratings based.

You can arbitrate with him, and then offer the long-term contract, but you have to click on the long-term contract link in the arbitration award to do so. If you close the window, you won't be able to do the long-term deal. You get the lower arbitration salary, and up to a 5 year long-term contract for a total of 6 years.