Free Agent Compensation

The list of free agents and their rankings as either Type A,B,C or none of the above is out and you can find it here.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/columnists/askba.html

Check out the Roster Rules for a good explanation, but here's the quick and dirty version. All free agents are ranked as either a Type A,B,C or not good enough to qualify. If his former team offers him arbitration and another team signs him, then the former team is awarded compensation for the signing.

Basically it helps determine whether you offer a player arbitration and/or you should sign another team's player knowing you may risk losing a draft pick. The big thing of course is whether or not a team offers the player arbitration, cause you risk that they may accept it. (i.e. Greg Maddux 2 years ago for the Braves who accepted arbitration although the Braves really didn't expect him too). Last year there were only about 20 some players who were offered arbitration. Here's the Cubs list:

Type A:
Moises Alou, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark Grudzielanek, Kent Mercker

Type B:
Matt Clement, Todd Walker

Type C:
Ben Grieve, Ramon Martinez, Todd Hollandsworth

So Alou and Garciaparra there is no way in hell you offer arbitration cause they'd almost definitely accept it. It's rare that a players gets a paycut in arbitration and neither of those are expecting multi-year deals. Grudz is a tricky one cause he has been relatively good the last 2 years and some team may take a chance on him as a starting 2b, but since I really don't want to see him back, I would let him go. Same goes for Mercker cause who in their right mind would give up a 1st round pick for Mercker? Now one of the rules is a team with a pick in the top 15 only loses their 2nd round pick and not their 1st, plus Mercker wasn't all that bad so if he accepts it, it wouldn't be the end of the world. In the end, I'd probably say no.

Clement to me is an absolute must. His agent is going to convince a pitching starved team to sign him to a multi-year deal next year and explain any concerns they have with how he finished on physical problems with his neck. If by some crazy reason he accepts arbitration, we'll have a slightly overpaid 5th starter for one more year until Brownlie or Pinto is ready. Walker is also an absolute must as we should want him back and if he does sign with someone else, we should get their pick for it.

Hollandsworth is also a yes in my opinion, Grieve and Martinez would be no's.