Oakland Athletics: Which Arbitration-Eligible Players Are Worth Keeping?
MLB Trade Rumors’ projected 2016 arbitration salaries have been published, and the projections include 15 of your Oakland Athletics. Since the A’s entire business model is based on getting the most value for the dollar on each of its players, fans should closely follow the rising salaries of arbitration-eligible players.
The site boasts that their projections reflect a player’s performance so well that they are used by both MLB teams and agents during salary negotiations.
2015 is a significant arbitration year for the A’s. Firstly, the Athletics have the most arbitration-eligible players in all of Major League Baseball. Having that many players up for arbitration means that a lot of the team is quickly approaching free agency. The A’s front office needs to navigate these contracts while simultaneously preparing for the fallout from the inevitable free-agency departure of many of their key players.
More from White Cleat Beat
- Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
- Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
- Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
- San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
- Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen
Secondly, among the A’s 15 arbitration-eligible players, the projection recommends a total salary increase of $13.5 million. Since this is a chunk of salary that could snag a top-tier infielder that could help fix the Athletics’ fielding woes, the team has some serious considerations to make in arbitration this offseason. Namely, should the A’s take a chance on a pair of key acquisitions that make them competitive in 2016, or would they rather bite that $13 million to keep the group that won 68 games in 2015?
The following slides will take a look at a few of the A’s arbitration-eligible players, and address some of the key questions surrounding some of the 2015 A’s.
Next: Part One: Starting Pitchers