Johnny Sleeper
Member
Starting the clock, I am mixed. I understand completely the waiting game, but when this regime shows that you get a player like Castro or Rizzo, and you are gonna lock them up thru arbitration years, I dont see the point of holding the kids back when there is a small chance they will reach arbitration.
Even if they are going to buy out their arbitration years and a few years of FA they still can work out a much more team friendly deal if the player has an extra year before he hits FA. If a player doesn't want to work out a long-term deal before they hit FA, and we have several Boras clients who tend to do that, then you have an extra year of them at $8-10M, their last year of arbitration, instead of having to pay them $15-20M, what they would get as an FA at the same time.
You limit the earning potential of the player and help control your long-term costs. It would be different if you were a contender and the team needed that hole filled and the prospect was their best option. If the Cubs were in the position of the Rays going into the season and holding back Myers I would agree with you, because the Rays could have used his bat much earlier in the season. However, with where the Cubs are in the rebuilding I don't see any reason to give up a year of team control when you would, in theory, be competitive for a few months in what will be another rough season, although a more exciting one once some of the kids come up. Guys like Lake, maybe Vitters, maybe Baez and Alcantara late in the season, possibly Olt, etc. The situation has as much to do with as keeping your costs under control long-term.