There will be plenty of time this offseason for moves, but here's an overview of the current Dodger 40-man roster. There are 43 players currently on the 40-man roster, including four on the 60-day disabled list. That will change quickly after the World Series as players file for free agency. I have split them into a few groups:
Free Agents (13+1)
Type A*: Orlando Hudson, Randy Wolf
Type B*: Ronnie Belliard, Guillermo Mota, Vicente Padilla, Will Ohman**
Others: Jim Thome, Brad Ausmus, Jason Schmidt, Mark Loretta, Juan Castro, Eric Milton, Doug Mientkiewicz, Jeff Weaver
*Eddie Bajek of Detroit Tigers Thoughts has done a great job of figuring out the Elias Rankings, and has posted them at MLB Trade Rumors. In order to receive compensation for Type A or Type B free agents, the club must offer them arbitration. Type A free agents net a first round pick from the team that signs them, provided the pick isn't in the top 15, in addition to a supplemental pick in between the first and second rounds.
If a team signs more than one Type A free agent, the players are ranked by their Elias ranking, they give up picks in the lower rounds as well. For instance, the Yankees last year gave up their first three picks for signing C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett, all Type A free agents. Type B free agents net only a supplemental pick.
There is always the risk that a player will accept arbitration (like Darren Oliver did with the Angels last season). If he does, the maximum salary cut a player can take is 20%, so for Guillermo Mota, for instance, the least he would make in arbitration in 2010 would be $1.88 million (80% of his $2.35 million 2009 salary). In the case of Hudson and Wolf, they had low base salaries so this isn't an issue, but there is still quite a risk because they are still likely to command a high salary in arbitration.
**I'm counting Will Ohman in this exercise, even though he is no longer on the 40-man since his option was bought out last week, but the Dodgers, however unlikely, can still offer Ohman arbitration if they so choose.
What should happen: Offer arbitration to Hudson, Wolf, and Belliard only
Options (2)
- Manny Ramirez has a $20 million player option for 2010. He has until November 10 to accept or decline this option.
- Jon Garland has a $10 million mutual option for 2010. If the Dodgers decline, his buyout is $2.5 million; if Garland declines, his buyout is $1 million. As a condition of Garland's acquisition, the Diamondbacks will pay either buyout if the option is not exercised. Even if either side opts out, Garland is a Type B free agent, and the Dodgers could offer him arbitration if they so choose.
What should happen: Manny comes back, Dodgers let Arizona pay Garland $2.5m to walk away, don't offer Garland arbitration
Arbitration Eligible (9)
| Player | Service Time | 2009 Base Salary |
| George Sherrill | 4.147 | $2,750,000 |
| Jonathan Broxton | 4.020 | $1,825,000 |
| Andre Ethier | 3.153 | $3,100,000 |
| Russell Martin | 3.150 | $3,900,000 |
| Hong-Chih Kuo | 3.114 | $437,000 |
| Chad Billingsley | 3.110 | $475,000 |
| Matt Kemp | 3.049 | $467,000 |
| James Loney | 3.012 | $465,000 |
| Jason Repko | 3.067 | $500,000 |
Look for: Repko to get non-tendered
Under Contract (4)
| Player | 2009 Salary | 2010 Salary |
| Rafael Furcal | $10,500,000 | $8,500,000 |
| Juan Pierre | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 |
| Casey Blake | $5,250,000 | $6,000,000 |
| Hiroki Kuroda | $10,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
Under Team Control (15)
| Player | Service Time | 2009 Base Salary |
| Ramon Troncoso | 1.119 | $401,000 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 1.105 | $404,000 |
| Cory Wade | 1.096 | $402,500 |
| Eric Stults | 1.072 | $402,000 |
| Blake DeWitt | 1.048 | $405,000 |
| James McDonald | 1.004 | $400,750 |
| Ronald Belisario | 1.000 | $400,000 |
| Chin-Lung Hu | 0.153 | $401,000 |
| Xavier Paul | 0.151 | $400,000 |
| Charlie Haeger | 0.125 | $400,000 |
| Scott Elbert | 0.097 | $400,000 |
| Brent Leach | 0.090 | $400,000 |
| A.J. Ellis | 0.081 | $400,000 |
| Travis Schlichting | 0.055 | $400,000 |
| Lucas May | 0.000 | ------ |
Here are some important dates to remember for the offseason:
Day After World Series Ends: begins 15-day period for eligible players to file for free agency
November 20: Date reserve lists must be set (adding players to 40-man roster for purposes of Rule 5 draft)
December 1: Last date to offer arbitration to free agents to receive compensation
December 10: Rule 5 draft
December 12: Deadline to tender contracts to players under team control or pre-free agency arbitration-eligible players
It will be a long offseason, but the hot stove is always interesting.
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