Theriot

If that happens, I would expect that 2010 will be the last year Ryan Theriot will be a Cub. He’s not free-agent eligible after this year, but I’d be almost certain he’d be non-tendered after the season.

… this is a current topic (the arb hearing) and thus (IMO) worthy of a new post.

How Baseball Arbitration Works

for those who wont click and read all the details, this is what Theriot/Cubs have to look forward to

The Arbitration Procedure and the Arbitration Hearing
Arbitration works as follows: In January, the player and the club each submit a salary figure to a three-person panel of professional arbitrators. hearings are conducted between the 1st and 20th day of February.

At the hearing, each party has one hour to present its case to the panel, and then has an additional 30 minutes for rebuttal. The player must attend the hearing, but is usually represented by his agent. A club executive or attorney usually represents the team.

The arbitration is a "high-low" proceeding, during which each side presents its case for why the player should be awarded the requested salary in the upcoming season. In deciding to award the higher or lower salary, the panel may consider the following criteria:

(1) the player’s contribution to the club in terms of performance and leadership;

(2) the club’s record and its attendance;

(3) any and all of the player’s "special accomplishments," including All-Star game appearances, awards won, and postseason performance;

(4) the salaries of comparable players in the player’s service-time class and, for players with less than five years of service, the class one year ahead of him.

The parties may not refer to team finances, previous offers made during negotiations, comments from the press or salaries in other sports or occupations.

The panel, without opinion, awards the player a one-year, non-guaranteed contract at one salary or the other. If the player is cut within 16 days before the season begins, he is entitled only to 30 days’ termination pay. If the player is cut during spring training but after the 16th day before the season begins, he is entitled only to 45 days’ termination pay.

I have also read before that arbitrators CANNOT take the current economy into consideration

based on the awards clause, shall we vote an all rookie scrub team for the AL and NL this season to force some interesting arbitration hearings in the future /sarcasm

I think he knows he is as good as he is going to get as a player. He is trying to get as much as he can, while he still can. Eventually, he will be moved to second, which the Cubs already have two players platooning.

http://cubbienation.net/blogs/nftfo/archive/2010/02/05/carlos-marmol-welcome-to-the-millionaire-s-club.aspx

was spot on. This most likely will be Theriot last year in the blue. Curious if there will be any market for him. Caberra signed with the Reds for 5 Million I think, I guess you can say Theriot is worth 3 million. The ceiling is reached on Theriot, he is what he is.
 I just hope the Cubs don’t expedite the movement of Castro in the system just to move Theriot on his way.

IMHO. Given the last years total breakdown of any consistant production due to bad years or injuries. There must be alot of wait and see going into Spring Training. Aramis is the big question. If he comes out healthy and durable then maybe we deal one of these other vets who had a good spring for a more multi dimensional BU infielder. If Aramis cant catch a liner over his head or to his left then we have a real problem.

The hate of Theriot by some here is beyond ridiculous.

People saying after this year he will only be a utility infielder prove they don’t know a thing about baseball. Anyone who thinks there are 60 better players in baseball at shortstop or 2nd base doesn’t know a thing about baseball.

It’s the whole homerun or nothing philosophy of most fans.

To say the Cubs will get rid of him after this season if he wins in arbitration is just plain goofy. It will depend on what kind of season he has.

Some have made it clear they root for Theriot to fail which means they are not Cubs fans. If you root for any player on the team to fail you are not a fan of the team.

Is he perfect? no,

Thinking a player isn’t good is one thing but all this overthetop stuff is ridiculous.

But there are fans who think that homeruns are a be all and end all and wish we had Dusty Baker still because getting on base clogs the bases.

I just wish I agreed with some here that getting rid of Theriot is the key to being a dynasty.

Theriot is not going to be the reason you win the world series but it’s highly unlikely he will be the reason you don’t.

What will happen if Theriot is kept after the 2010 season? What are people going to come up with to try and say they didn’t exaggerate at best how upset the Cubs were.

This reminds me of Bruce Levine reporting a few years ago the Cubs were hours away from announcing a major trade involving an outfielder.

First it didn’t happen because Hendry’s mother died so he couldn’t complete the trade. She did actually pass away that day. But in that case MacPhail was still here and would have finalized the deal.

Then Mark Prior broke his elbow wo supposedly the Cubs were going to wait to see how long he was out and how the team did before making a major move.

I was expecting to hear the next excuse was Mark Priors mother broke her elbow.

I want Hendry fired now if he really is that sensitive about a salary situation that he’d get rid of a player no matter how he does in 2010.

Also maybe feelings are high right now but it’s February 7th. Lots of time to make up between Hendry and Theriot.

Is that Theriot and his agent would submit a bottom-line figure to open up the bidding. That doesn’t seem to be how the pre-arbitration period works. I’d guess that nearly 90% of these cases meet roughly half-way before the hearings.

which are bringing Theriot (very close) to arbitration. The two numbers are not “that” far apart, and as a player, while not a superstar shortstop, he has had good value for the team.

.. and if so, may he make 2010 his career year .. given the roster shuffling Lou’s gonna do.

Ryan Theriot is a huge Saints fan and wants to deal with all this after the Super Bowl so his agent has been talking to the Cubs.

Maybe he has counted on his agent a bit too much in this.

Part of the reason we have a 102 year drout is people not respecting players who get on first base. The Cubs have always relied on the 3 run homerun.

Yes we play in a small ballpark. But it’s one that when the wind blows in the fences might as well be 500 feet away.

Is Theriot great? No. Does he work his butt off? From everything we hear he does. Does he get his butt on first base? Yes.

This idea that he at best would be lucky to be a utility infielder on another team is crazy at best. He was an underrated contributor to a team that has won 265 games over the past 3 years.

If you give him all the blame for the playoff losses you have to give him all the credit for the wins in the last 3 seasons.

If all of a sudden all ML contracts were declared null and void and 30 baseball teams re-drafted all players, all of whom would make only 400k, what would be our draft order for a SS?

I don’t think there’s much debate that Riot wouldn’t be in the top ten: Hanley, Tulo, Reyes, Rollins, Jeter, Yunel Escobar, Bartlett, Asdrubal Cabrera, Andrus, Stephen Drew.

Then, the next group, I can’t see taking Riot over either: Erick Aybar, Scutaro, Alexei Ramirez, Alcides Escobar, Furcal, Maicer Izturis, Brandon Wood, (maybe Brignac).

Riot seems to fall in the next group who look fairly similar: Riot, Ev. Cabrera, Or. Cabrera, Guzman, Hardy, Desmond, Infante, Lowrie, Ryan.

Am I right or wrong in a ranking like this?

and settle around $2.85 mill, plus the All Star bonus (withhold laughter). The Cubs dont need to meet him in the middle. If it went to a hearing, I think the Cubs would win-and pay $2.6 mill

Here

Given Schumaker’s signing and Win Share value and Drew’s, I think we have what should be a good range for Theriot.

But I don’t think he’s going to sign before arbitration.