Boesch/some combo of Mustillier, Diaz and Juan Rivera would look ok for a month or two if I'm the Yankees....with Dan Johnson/Eduardo Nunez picking up most of Teixeira's AB's...Boesch is nothing special, but if he can split the difference between 2011 and 2012, that a good 4th OF'er/part time starter.

Boesch/some combo of Mustillier, Diaz and Juan Rivera would look ok for a month or two if I'm the Yankees....with Dan Johnson/Eduardo Nunez

A few months ago, I might have thought that was the opening day lineup for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Boesch is a career 294/342/476 hitter in the first half of seasons. And that's the only time the Yankees will need him--easy signing!

Did injuries undermine Boesch's career, or did the league figure him out, or a little of both? He was pretty good whenever I saw him play, but that was a couple of years ago.

#2, now the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.

I'm really surprised by this move. Boesch is only 27 and just one year removed from a .799 OPS. Couldn't they have acquired something for him in a trade?

By releasing him today, the Tigers owe him one-sixth of his contract: just under $400,000.

So arbitration contracts aren't guaranteed?

So arbitration contracts aren't guaranteed?

Yeah, I'm really confused by this too.

6: Evidently not.
He's not that great - ZiPS projects him at 0.3 WAR (92 OPS+, -5 FR) - a lot of waiver wire types are in that same neighborhood.

7: Not initially. There was an instance where a team released a guy right after losing their arb case, iirc (and paid 1/6th). In time, they'd be wholly guaranteed.

Sign him, Sandy! Please!

“I think we’re trying to do him a little favor.”

"Oh, and save ourselves two million dollars but, really, this is in Brennan's best interests."

So arbitration contracts aren't guaranteed?
Yeah, I'm really confused by this too.

They're not. If you tender an arbitration-eligible player a contract, and you cut him by March 15, you only have to pay 1/6 of his salary. If you cut him by March 29, you only pay 1/4 of his salary (I'm pretty sure those dates are correct, but don't hold me to them)

having watched Boesch often and closely as a member of my beloved Detroit Tigers, I can give you the scouting report- he can't catch up to good fastballs up in the zone, and the only pitch he handles against lefties is down and in. That said, he can hit righthanders who lack good heat, and is very tough on pitches down in the zone. A 4th/5th OF type, but can be useful in a platoon situation, so I expect him to get picked up pretty quickly.

If Boesch can pull the ball with any consistency, the Yankees should snap him up right away. Unless the Mets do it first.

I think we’re trying to do him a little favor.

I realize that getting released now is better for Boesch than getting released three weeks from now, but I really wish that the guy who just fired the other guy would refrain from saying stuff like this.

They're not. If you tender an arbitration-eligible player a contract, and you cut him by March 15, you only have to pay 1/6 of his salary. If you cut him by March 29, you only pay 1/4 of his salary (I'm pretty sure those dates are correct, but don't hold me to them)

Thanks. After March 29(ish), do they become guaranteed?

AG#1 wrote:

They're not. If you tender an arbitration-eligible player a contract, and you cut him by March 15, you only have to pay 1/6 of his salary. If you cut him by March 29, you only pay 1/4 of his salary (I'm pretty sure those dates are correct, but don't hold me to them)

I'll bet a buck that you learned this after the news of Hochevar moving to the bullpen was announced - and much rejoicing ensued!

I'll bet a buck that you learned this after the news of Hochevar moving to the bullpen was announced - and much rejoicing ensued!

Ha, no, its an old rule. The Royals used it a few years ago for Jimmy Gobble. And yes, after March 29, they're fully guaranteed.

The salary that they're keeping is termination pay, deadlines a function of opening day

Ha, no, its an old rule.

I first became aware of it when fast Brian Hunter was with the Ms. They took him to arb in a case they thought they'd easily win but he won and was gonna cost something like $1 M more than they thought he was worth (this was a while ago). They cut their losses which I didn't think they could do.

I'm a little surprised it's part of a standard arb-year contract structure I guess. I can easily see justification for it in the case of one that went to arbitration -- clearly the team and player disagree on worth and there's not necessarily any reason a team should have to hold to that full amount (not that the player gets to make the same choice). But this is a negotiated contract. Would I be correct in assuming that this clause can be negotiated away?

Hochevar to the pen? I'm stunned.

http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf

ARTICLE IX—Termination Pay

A. Off-Season
A Player who is tendered a Uniform Player’s Contract which is subse-
quently terminated by a Club during the period between the end of the
championship season and the beginning of the next succeeding spring
training under paragraph 7(b)(2) of the Uniform Player’s Contract for
failure to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability shall be entitled
to receive termination pay from the Club in an amount equal to thirty
(30) days’ payment at the rate stipulated in paragraph 2 of (1) his Con-
tract for the next succeeding championship season, or (2) if he has no
contract for the next succeeding championship season, in an amount
equal to thirty (30) days’ payment at the rate stipulated in paragraph 2
of the Contract tendered to him by his Club for the next succeeding
championship season.

B. Spring Training
A Player whose Contract is terminated by a Club under paragraph
7(b)(2) of the Uniform Player’s Contract for failure to exhibit suffi-
cient skill or competitive ability shall be entitled to receive termination
pay from the Club in an amount equal to thirty (30) days’ payment at
the rate stipulated in paragraph 2 of his Contract, if the termination
occurs during spring training but on or before the 16th day prior to the
start of the championship season. If the termination occurs during
spring training, but subsequent to the 16th day prior to the start of the
championship season, the Player’s termination pay shall be in an
amount equal to forty-five (45) days’ payment at the rate stipulated in
paragraph 2 of his Contract. [Emphasis added]

SCHEDULE A
MAJOR LEAGUE
UNIFORM PLAYER’S CONTRACT

TERMINATION [...]

By Club
7.(b) The Club may terminate this contract upon written notice to the
Player (but only after requesting and obtaining waivers of this contract
from all other Major League Clubs) if the Player shall at any time:
(1) fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the
standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep
himself in first-class physical condition or to obey the Club’s train-
ing rules; or
(2) fail, in the opinion of the Club’s management, to exhibit suf-
ficient skill or competitive ability to qualify or continue as a mem-
ber of the Club’s team; or
(3) fail, refuse or neglect to render his services hereunder or in
any other manner materially breach this contract. [...]

Procedure
7.(d) If the Club proposes to terminate this contract in accordance
with subparagraph (b) of this paragraph 7, the procedure shall be as
follows:
(1) The Club shall request waivers from all other Major League
Clubs. Such waivers shall be good for the periods specified in Major
League Rule 10. Such waiver request must state that it is for the pur-
pose of terminating this contract and it may not be withdrawn.
(2) Upon receipt of waiver request, any other Major League
Club may claim assignment of this contract at a waiver price of
$1.00, the priority of claims to be determined in accordance with the
Major League Rules.
(3) If this contract is so claimed, the Club shall, promptly and
before any assignment, notify the Player that it had requested
waivers for the purpose of terminating this contract and that the con-
tract had been claimed.
(4) Within five (5) days after receipt of notice of such claim, the
Player shall be entitled, by written notice to the Club, to terminate
this contract on the date of his notice of termination. If the Player
fails to so notify the Club, this contract shall be assigned to the
claiming Club.
(5) If the contract is not claimed, the Club shall promptly deliver
written notice of termination to the Player at the expiration of the
waiver period.

It would pretty funny if Boesch gets signed by the Yankees and he starts playing well. (And by "pretty funny", I mean "make me want to jump off a very tall building".)

A Player whose Contract is terminated by a Club under paragraph
7(b)(2) of the Uniform Player’s Contract for failure to exhibit suffi-
cient skill or competitive ability

I recall a situation several years ago, when a grievance was filed by a player who was released in spring training after winning an unexpectedly high arbitration award. The player was hitting really well in the spring, and contended that the team had no performance reason to release him. I can't recall the player's name, but I recall that it involved the Padres. The grievance was later dropped, I think, because the player ended up signing an equivalent contract with another team.