24 January 2005
Marcus Giles skipped salary arbitration Thursday and settled for $2.35M for 2005, a huge raise from the $430K he made last year. Giles had asked for $2.7M while the Braves had offered $2.05M. If Giles continues to produce at the level he has the last couple of years, this will certainly be a huge bargain even despite his contract more than quintupling in size.
Signing Giles means the
Braves' only remaining arbitration-eligible player is relief pitcher Kevin Gryboski, whose $975K request was countered by a $780K offer. If the Giles case is any example, we might expect a settlement somewhere in the middle ($850-900K?), or else the difference is so small in payroll dollars that Gryboski might get the full amount.
This was both Giles' and Gryboski's first year of arbitration eligibility.
Arbitration hearings will be held from January 31 to February 19, and clubs are allowed to resign arbitration-eligible players at any time before their hearing.
