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One of the main ideas behind this column was to keep a track of all the “who’s gone where” stories over the offseason.\u00c2\u00a0 Up until now there has been little to report, but that changed this week as a key part of the free agency process was completed and several teams started turning discussions into actual signings.<\/p>\n
Arbitration decisions In football (soccer), a team will only receive compensation when a free agent leaves ‘on a Bosman’<\/a> if he is aged 23 or under.\u00c2\u00a0 That compensation is in the form of a fee, set by an independent panel if the two sides cannot come to an agreement.\u00c2\u00a0 In baseball, age isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a factor, but clubs only receive compensation for a departing free agent if he is particularly valuable and they have offered a new contract to the player.\u00c2\u00a0 Their value is determined by the Elias Sports Bureau who rank all players using a series of different statistics<\/a>, with the best players being classified as Type A, the next best as Type B and the rest remaining unclassified.\u00c2\u00a0 Type A and B free agents return compensation to the team that loses them.\u00c2\u00a0 The compensation comes in the form of a pick, or picks, in the next amateur player draft (June 2010).\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n The new contract will be a non-guaranteed, one-year deal for an unspecified amount that, if the offer is accepted, the team and player (and his agent) then have to agree on.\u00c2\u00a0 If they can’t find a common number, both sides have to submit their figure and the salary will be determined by an arbitration panel that has to choose one or the other.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s why the process of offering the new contract is commonly referred to as a team ‘offering arbitration’.<\/p>\n MLB Trade Rumors provided a very useful primer<\/a> on \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcFree Agent Arbitration\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and also offered some comment<\/a> on the decisions that were finally made.<\/p>\n Although it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not confirmed just yet, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s being reported<\/a> that the Seattle Mariners are on the verge of signing former L.A. Angel Chone Figgins on a four year\/$36 million deal.\u00c2\u00a0 Figgins has been a key player for the Angels since he became an established member of their team during the 2003 season.\u00c2\u00a0 Losing someone who epitomizes the way the team tries to play will be a blow; losing him to a division rival will make it all the more painful.\u00c2\u00a0 The Angels hoped to bring Figgins back and there is still a small chance that they could improve their contract offer, but all signs point to him becoming a Mariner in what will be a very useful addition to their team.<\/p>\n While Figgins is commonly seen as a guy who can play various positions, he has played third base for the majority of the past three seasons and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the position the Mariners want him to fill, taking the place of Adrian Beltre.\u00c2\u00a0 The latter was offered arbitration by the M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thought that they will wait until he officially declines, he has to make his decision on Monday and is not excepted to accept the offer, before completing the deal.\u00c2\u00a0 Figgins will give Seattle an outstanding defensive left-side of the infield along with Jack Wilson, as well as a potent top of the batting lineup alongside Ichiro.<\/p>\n Like the Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies had earmarked third base as their main fielding position to fill this offseason after they declined their club option on Pedro Feliz.\u00c2\u00a0 Figgins and Beltre were both linked with the reigning NL champs, but instead they decided to bring back Placido Polanco<\/a>, who played for the Phillies between 2002 and 2005.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Polanco had been playing second base for the Detroit Tigers; however he has plenty of Major League experience playing at the hot corner and they can expect him to do a steady, if not spectacular, job there over the next three years.\u00c2\u00a0 The Phillies are likely to slot Polanco into the number two spot behind Jimmy Rollins, moving Shane Victorino down the order to a role arguably better suited to him.\u00c2\u00a0 The contract is worth $18m, which is a fair commitment without being particularly rich, and the Tigers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 decision not to offer Polanco arbitration means that the Phillies will not have to give up a draft pick for signing him.\u00c2\u00a0 Philadelphia already has a core of impact players and sizeable financial commitments to them, so they were not looking for a star signing.\u00c2\u00a0 What they wanted was a good every day player to fill a spot and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got.\u00c2\u00a0 The familiarity between Polanco and the Phillies should also make it a very easy transition for all concerned.<\/p>\n The Atlanta Braves have a surplus of starting pitching, but their bullpen needed work over the offseason due to the probable departures of free agents Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano.\u00c2\u00a0 General Manager Frank Wren has wasted little time in filling those spots this week by signing Billy Wagner<\/a> and Takashi Saito<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 The pair have been signed on one year deals worth a guaranteed $7m and $3.2m respectively.<\/p>\n Both relievers ended 2009 with the Red Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 They only offered arbitration to Wagner, so the Braves stand to lose one draft pick and will get some back from the team(s) that sign Gonzalez and Soriano in any case.\u00c2\u00a0 Clearly there is the risk of injury here as both are veterans who have spent time on the DL in recent years, particularly in the case of Wagner.\u00c2\u00a0 He did impress when he returned from Tommy John surgery at the end of the season with the Mets and Red Sox and Saito also pitched very well in Boston.\u00c2\u00a0 So the injury risk is counterbalanced by experience and strong track records and as the Braves have only committed themselves to single year deals, that strikes me as a gamble well worth taking.\u00c2\u00a0 All they need now is an addition or two to the offense and Atlanta could pose a real threat in the National League next year.<\/p>\n Shortstop has been a revolving door in Boston since 2004.\u00c2\u00a0 Alex Gonzalez\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to join the Toronto Blue Jays last week left one obvious candidate to be the next person to take over the position, regardless of the rumours earlier in the week about a possible position move by second baseman Dustin Pedroia.\u00c2\u00a0 Marco Scutaro figured to be a good match for the Red Sox and it made a lot of sense for the two sides to come to an agreement<\/a> on a two year\/$12.5m contract.\u00c2\u00a0 2009 was the best season of his career and at 33 years old, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more likely that his performances will decline rather than continue to improve.\u00c2\u00a0 As with Polanco, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a solid pick-up made by a team that was looking for such a steadying presence.<\/p>\n Scutaro admitted in the press conference to announce his arrival in Boston that he had turned down a slightly better offer to join a team that could challenge for the World Series.\u00c2\u00a0 I was surprised to discover that it was the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s who made that offer<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcScoot\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 became a fan favourite in Oakland during his four years with the club and it would have been nice to see him back in green and gold, but there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no denying that the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s are still in rebuilding mode while the Red Sox should be contenders for the foreseeable future.\u00c2\u00a0 Scutaro\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to select less money to go to a winner is admirable.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The ‘key part of the free agency process’ mentioned above occurred on Tuesday when teams made decisions on whether to offer their free agents arbitration.<\/p>\nFiggins to move from one AL West team to another?<\/h3>\n
Polanco returns to the Phillies<\/h3>\n
Braves upgrade their bullpen<\/h3>\n
Red Sox acquire Marco Scutaro<\/h3>\n
Other deals<\/h3>\n
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