The 2010 Payroll

CC’s option could be up to 1.5 MM higher (the triggers aren’t listed), and Aki’s could (and will if he performs up to last 2 years) be another 1 MM.

Price’s will be more like 1.95 – his signing bonus is spread over the contract.

Are you trading Balfour? He’s arb 3 in ‘10, no? Also, Nelson will be an arb 2, not FA, I think. Same for Cormier. And presumably Aybar is in the mix – if he doesn’t extend, he’s arb 1 (S2 this).

How about if you add some marks like !, ^, * for guys in arb years 3, 2, and 1 – that would allow for more reasonable estimates of the true situation. My list of arbs in ’10 by year would be:

3 – Balfour
2 – Bartlett, Navarro, Gross, Nelson, Cormier.
1 – Upton, Aybar (pend ext.), Howell
Likely S2 – Garza, Hammel, Riggans

I recognize there could be non-tenders (Gross, Hammel – if still around – another reliever, are possibilities) and trades, but that’s too assumptive at this point.

12 arbs – yikes!

As always, just getting your back.

are you assuming Niemann’s departure?

His situation is really odd. In ‘09 he’s in the last year of his 5 year original draft contract, which had $2 MM in total salary (no indication of how apportioned) and a $3.2 MM SB over the length. Just plugging him at at the 5 year salary average – and majors min – plus about 1/5 of SB – let’s say $.65 MM as a round number, he’s at $1.05 in ’09.

But in ‘10 he’ll off that deal. But does that mean he can be renewed near the minimum – he won’t be arb eligible even if in TB all this season – or does the majors rule of no cut of more than 20% cover all that original contract / SB money? If so he’d be around .85 at minimum. I don’t know, and don’t care so much, but it’s one of those funky things you see in this area.

That’s how they’re calculated for lux tax – not that that’s an issue.

The way I look at it, and the Rays likely do as well in accounting for the numbers, is how the bonuses are paid. Both Price’s and Niemann’s bonuses are paid across the contract, not upfront, so the money is actually being paid out now. Seems to me at least those types of SB’s should be acounted for across the deal. But is a matter of semantics really, so you’re free to do it as you please, sir.