This past week The Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration with two of their best players, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. It got me thinking how arbitration can really hurt the relationship between a player and a ball club.
Last season the Mets and Oliver Perez could not reach an agreement and had to enter into salary arbitration. The Mets were offering Perez $4,725,000. Ollie and his agent Scott Boras felt that Oliver was worth more than that. The Mets and Ollie entered arbitration and Oliver Perez won, being awarded $6,500,00.00.
Arbitration is a lot like a trial to put it in simple terms. The Mets are making a case in why Perez should not have gotten more than their proposed offer while Ollie and his agent have to prove that the Mets are wrong and they are justified in wanting more money.
The team is pointing out all your faults to the arbitrators. We all have faults in life as well as in our jobs while we try and do our best. How would you feel if you worked your butt off and wanted a raise but your employers are sitting there before a bunch of people and bad mouthing you?
The Red Sox saw that with their young talent it would have been wise to avoid arbitration and sign them up for a few years.
Now I know Ollie wasn't going to sign a long term contract last year but I think the Mets should have tried harder to come to an agreement before it went to arbitration. I wonder if Perez is exacting a little revenge against the Mets this off-season knowing that the Mets are desperate for his services to help rotation. His numbers in '07 were much improved from the '06 season, he had delivered a great performance in a must win playoff situation '06 and the Mets to top it off grossly overpaid for Luis Castillo last year, I see where he was coming from in desiring more money than the Mets offered.
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