Magglio Ordonez, Wilson Betemit are Detroit Tigers' Type B free agents

by Kurt Mensching on Oct 31, 2011 4:57 PM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

MLB Trade Rumors had a list of the official Elias Rankings today. The key takeaway from Detroit's point of view: Magglio Ordonez and Wilson Betemit were on the Type B list.

Now what's this mean? The grizzled offseason veterans already know and can just skip to the comments section.

For the rest of you, the Elias Rankings are essentially in place to compensate organizations when free agents leave. So basically, if the Pirates are too cheap to pay their best player what he's worth, they can potentially get draft picks in return when he signs with someone else.

However, to do this a team has to offer that player arbitration. If the player accepts arbitration, the two parties can either come to an agreement on a new contract, or submit how much they feel a one-year deal should be worth to an arbiter who chooses one side or the other. If the player turns down arbitration, the team is then potentially compensated in draft picks.

If a Type A player is involved, they get the other team's first round draft pick -- as long as it was not one of the first 15 picks -- as well as a compensation-round pick after the first round. (It gets messier if a team signs multiple Type A free agents. In that case, only the team with the highest rated player gets to keep the first-round pick. The rest can fight over scraps.

If a Type B player is involved, the team is simply given a compensation round pick.

So putting it all together, what does this team from a practical sense?

Well for one, Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski doesn't like going to arbitration and he doesn't offer arbitration to every player who is eligible. So it's not an automatic thing to begin with.

In the case of Magglio Ordonez, arbitration could potentially be expensive if Ordonez decided to continue with his playing career and accepted the offer.

In the case of Wilson Betemit, offering him arbitration would probably be a decent idea. After a good 2011 season, he's probably got his mind on a multi-year deal. Besides that, the Tigers don't have a good option at third base anyway. He'd cost them more in 2012 but that's not a real big issue. So I could see the Tigers offering him arbitration.

So in the end, the Tigers might be able to get a draft pick out of all of this.

Of course, take a look at that list of Type A free agents. Owner Mike Ilitch hopes to acquire a big name player this year, so Detroit might end up losing out on its own first round pick if that were to happen.

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Comments

Betemit gets arby

Maggs does not.

"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz

"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Oct 31, 2011 5:01 PM EDT reply actions

my thoughts too

Maggs is done in Detroit. I think somebody will pay him (maybe as a DH – which the Tigers don’t need), but arbitration costs too much to keep him, and the money can be spent better than in the outfield (Boesch, Delmon, and Jackson isn’t a bad outfield)

Assuming Betemit is offered arbitration, two scenarios:
He accepts: we upgrade over Inge at a cost, but for one season. Not terrible.
He declines: we get a draft pick.
probably win-win there.

by Arvay7 on Oct 31, 2011 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Also no Johnson

"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz

"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Oct 31, 2011 7:22 PM EDT reply actions

Adding Johnson is still somewhat feasible

But I’d imagine only if DD signs another high impact Type A FAgent, and the Tigers were going to lose their first round pick anyway.

DD won’t lose his first pick for Johnson, but if he’s losing it by signing someone else? Why not?

Justin can now let the fungus grow back on his shower shoes.

by Singledigit on Oct 31, 2011 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Why not? Because he's not worth giving up a first round pick, even if you have two of them.

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Oct 31, 2011 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions

meant to post....and he's not worth losing a second rounder for, either.

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Oct 31, 2011 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions

DD will lose his first round pick for signing Johnson

Which is why he shouldn’t do it.

Detroit4Lyfe

by Rob Rogacki on Nov 1, 2011 7:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Bottom line:

Barring a “handshake deal” between Magglio and the Tigers, Ordonez will not be offered arbitration because he would make far more than he is worth through the arbitration process. The criteria in arbitration, unlike in free agency, places a very high value on years of service and salary history.

Betemit is one of the more interesting cases. Offensively, he probably ranks as the second best third baseman on the free agent market. Only Aramis Ramirez is clearly better. Wilson is also a very poor defender at third, so he’s rightly cast as a part time player. In Betemit’s case, his salary history does not work in his favor, nor does the fact that he has been a part timer every year, never actually qualifying for the batting title. He got $ 1 million for one year last time around, and should be in for a raise after a decent season in a part time role.

The Risk: In arbitration, there is a minimal risk with Betemit, IMO. He should draw at least some interest on the free agent market among clubs looking for a 3B. If his agent finds any multi year deals likely in the days between the offer and the deadline to accept, he declines. If not, he may accept arby and he comes back on a one year deal. In fact, he can be released for a portion of his salary during the spring for playing reasons (not for financial considerations if arby doesn’t go well). More likely, DD would work out an amicable agreement with his agent. If it’s clear that he won’t be a full time starter, he may not want to accept anyway. He can’t be too happy about his playing time in the post season.

Betemit would be a good compliment if the Tigers plan on starting Inge against lefties, though they have no reason to be stuck on Inge being anything. Of course, we’d all like to have a full time 3B that can play some D and get on base in one of those top three slots. Herein lies the disappointment with Betemit coming back. But he can also play some 2B- again not well defensively, and is a decent bat off the bench from both sides of the plate.

I have a feeling that he will not be offered arbitration, because DD doesn’t play the comp game that way. He won’t take even a minimal risk of a player accepting if he isn’t sure that he wants him back, and my sense it that the Tigers are looking for something bigger.

Also in this news is that Joel Zumaya dropped out of the B class of free agents and Kelly Johnson is a Type A free agent. Those are the only two that Eddie B missed in his projections, and they were both right on the margin.

"King of Minutiae"

by Tigerdog1 on Oct 31, 2011 10:31 PM EDT reply actions