An apparent typo in a service time date has led to an incorrect conclusion on several prominent sites.
Whether or not a major leaguer is eligible for arbitration is a big deal in terms of compensation as that is the first time a young player can argue in favor of receiving market value instead of a near-minimum salary.
For most, the point of qualification is very clear. Three years of major league service is that tipping point. However, as part of the collective bargaining between the players and ownership, a special arbitration sub-group was added, called Super Twos.
This group consists of the top 17 percent of players with between two and three years of service, where “top” is defined as those having the most service time. This cutoff line varies by year depending on the players in the population, but is often around two years, 130 days. Essentially, being a Super Two means a player can be arbitration-eligible for four years prior to free agency instead of the normal three.
Hence the case of Jaime Garcia.
Coming into this season, Garcia’s service time was listed in the St. Louis Cardinals media guide as 1.147, or one year, 147 days. This information was picked up by a number of online data sources.
The problem is that it wasn’t accurate. Based on the rookie left-hander’s history, the numbers just didn’t add up, with the reported number seemingly too high. After all, just one year prior, Garcia’s service time was 0.081. It seemed impossible for anyone to accrue well over one year of service in just 12 months.
This came to light for me after a discussion with a member of The Cardinal Nation message board community, CariocaCardinal I think, back in March. At that point, I checked with the Cardinals organization and confirmed the 1.147 was in error. It should have read 1.047.
After a full season with the Cardinals in 2010, Garcia’s current service is now 2.047, well below the point where the Super Two line will be drawn. In other words, the Cards can pretty much renew Garcia’s 2011 salary at an above-minimum rate of their choosing.
Unfortunately, that word didn’t completely get out.
Especially this time of year, a segment of the fan base really gets into the bowels of the payroll, both committed and projected. In that light, I was asked about Garcia most recently because of a Thursday article at MLB.com in which he is listed as arbitration-eligible along with teammates Brendan Ryan and Kyle McClellan. The latter two are not under question, each having three or more years of service.
It also came up during a Joe Strauss chat at the Post-Dispatch on Wednesday. He had the incorrect date as well and answered a reader question accordingly. When asked about it later on Twitter, Strauss initially stuck to the number, but after I weighed in, he checked his sources and verified the mistake.
I bring this up not to criticize the Cardinals, Strauss or Matthew Leach, the MLB writer, in any way. Both writers used the best information available to them to draw their conclusion, yet both documents remain up on their respective websites with the incorrect conclusion drawn. The wrong service time for Garcia is also still listed on several prominent internet reference sites.
As such, the purpose of this post is simply to help clarify the situation. Garcia will not yet be eligible for arbitration, likely having saved the Cardinals several million dollars in 2011 as a result.
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You the mang, Brian. Thanks for the correct info.
After that season, it’s a darned good thing for the Cardinals that he isn’t eligible!
With an equally good 2011 he will be in line for some bucks in 2012, if Albert doesn’t soak it all up that is. Lohse will still be living fat too. I’ve been hearing some initial speculation as to not picking up Carp’s $15M option for 2012. He’ll be a graybeard by then after all, and there won’t be money for everything.
Carp will be 37 in 2012, hardly a gray beard. If he has a year like this year in 2011 the Cards will pickup the option unless they can get someone better and cheaper. If you want a WS caliber team you have to pay for it. The Cardinals are not the Texas Rangers. Over 3 million fans for 7 consecutive years proves that.
I also saw where the Cards are tops as to cable ratings. But in a mid-market. Still, it should help out with revenue. Probably, the ‘pay for it’ issue is one of things Tony is haggling about with Bill and Mo. Albert will be interested too. The not pay for it strategy was unsatisfactory this year. But my point was that there is not going to be money for everything. Carp at 37 and $15M, I don’t know. I would hate nothing worse than to see him finish up in another uniform.
The last time Carp had three consecutive healthy, productive seasons, he scored a big contract extension and promptly missed the better part of two years. Not his fault, but he hasn’t proven to be durable over time. Perhaps he will have another strong season in 2011 and make it a tough decision for the Cardinals next winter.
In 2012, Carp, Wainy and Lohse will come to $36 Million. Garcia could bring it to the $40M range. Ah-hem. That’s what I’m getting at.
Add Matt and Albert and you’ve got what, $85M? That still leaves 20 guys to pay.
The TV article is very relevant to some recent speculations BB. Cardinals are shutting down free viewing. Fox is blocking Dish via Rupert and his Direct TV holdings……he owns the satellites too of course. The ground is being prepare for a large “payout” to the Organization. You won’t be hearing the numbers though, like in Texas. ……………..that would hinder everyone’s prepared expectation to see an AP ticket price adjustment…………….BD would never miss that angle. He will announce that they have new resources to help with AP’s contract………….but heaven forbid that it should have come from the “poor” Cardinals.
The recent press release on Tony is a position that can’t be refuted by him………..two can play that game. Dave is now negotiating via the press……….to all concerned……………… RC suggests it will be over soon…………….. lets watch.
That should be $85M with 18 guys to pay. The other 2012 big number is Yadi’s $7M club option. That would make it $92M for 7 guys, with 17 more to pay.
Surely 3 more days would be Mo’s limit. When and if Tony signs, I would think it’s because he got what he wants. I’m not convinced he will get it, whatever it is. He has learned a lot about Mo the last 3 years, and vice-versa. I’m not sure their respecive needs are compatable. I would bet DD feels the same way, which is why he said anything at all.
The switch back to KMOX and its reach from the Appalachains to the Rockies, Canada to Mexico, is part of it Westy. Grow the brand. The cost of attending means a shift from a few going to lots of games, to lots going to a few. The high ratings will be multiplied with expanded reach.
Westy, are you aware that Wilpon sought Selig’s advice and Selig strongly recommended hiring Alderson. I’l bet you aren’t surprised. Seems to fit with your speculations.
The commissioner has organized something BB. It could be so many different things “not baseball” related that its hard to follow. Parity suggests the Met’s and the Red Sox need help. From a baseball standpoint, I’m not so sure anyone thinks Pujols turns someone into a winner. If he is moved, would you take a chance on his emotional state without some sort of hedge at that price………………….. Does Jesus visit NY?……………. all of these variables could be cost containment distractions cloaking some sort of obvious collusion. I know some of Boras’s clients will get collusion money………..Bonds too…………… the Union and MLB have resolved some issues recently. It sure doesn’t sound like tobacco chewing owners “old timers” at work here:………….Selig was very active in promoting new stadiums………….and that was a hustle…………. I like the baseball I’m seeing. The Cardinals have a joke for at team when you take a couple of pitchers out of the equation……………….. they did not pay 120 uncontested for Holiday…………with out some sort of business plan. I’m not so sure we’ve seen it yet. Its just as likely that the extra money was agreed upon to disguise something………..what? who knows…..part of the deal just agreed upon? Someone buy AP in some sort of “back door” concession on a larger financial agreement????????? Tony is watching the Mets,….. the Mets are watching the Cardinals to see who is the”Player”.
“Mozeliak and La Russa shared concerns about the team’s lacking fundamental play, though the manager disagreed strongly with Mozeliak’s description of the club as “underachieving.” Both men also voiced frustration over why the club frequently struggled to make in-game adjustments against mediocre starting pitching.”
Who on this team wasn’t doing exactly what was dictated by their own self interest??????????? AP leading the way………………in game adjustments?????????? Like Colby’s? Like Jay’s floating hands? Like Ryan’s god forsaken lean in stance? Like Holidays big discovery….. for a week before he reverted back………..Pujols takes no advice for 4 months…….and then suddenly gets well for three weeks at the deadline…………before pitching catches up to his adjustments………….since his goals were personal……….he didn’t re adjust for three weeks as the team tunneled……………….and then there is Molina…………………… I can’t go there……………. Schumacher doing the gloves…..reading his religious “mantra” between every pitch……………he didn’t lay down the MM power fantasy until the last 6 weeks…………….I don’t want a teammate who is so distracted from the game that he takes on those behaviors…………baseball is not golf……there are no ritualistic constants………….the ball doesn’t lie still for every shot,………if your not setting up a pitcher to give you what you want, your not even playing the game yet…
Pujols idea of setting up a pitcher……….is trying to create a predictable pitch by controlling the count……………..always takes a strike……looks for signs of fear in the subsequent combination’s……….and then try’s to pressure a mistake………….that might be a power play if he wasn’t a chaser……….or worried that they might just walk him every time……………his strikeouts are eerily similar……… he is most often the pigeon as his appetites are so obvious..
This team was crumbling………and never once did it come up to move Albert to 4th again………..the precedent more dangerous than the consequences it seemed…………..and Tony was a player all the way……………
I forgot to source my Selig/Wilmot/Alderson comment earlier in this thread. Sorry, source is the NY Times.
“. . . Mets owners are not feuding. But after four disappointing seasons, they have sought the counsel of the commissioner, who has strongly recommended Alderson . . . ”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/sports/baseball/15mets.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=alderson&st=cse