Elias has just released their player rankings that determine if a player is a "Type A", or a "Type B" free agent for draft pick compensation. Looking through them, I must say that I have to question a system where Emil Brown is a Type A free agent.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams only lose draft picks for signing a Type A free agent, while they receive a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds for losing a type B free agent. Type C no longer exists.Even though the new CBA is already in effect, the definition of Type A and B free agents don't change until 2007. With this in mind, the Dodgers free agents are as follows:
Type A:
Eric Gagne
Julio Lugo
Greg Maddux
Type B:
Nomar Garciaparra
Toby Hall
Kenny Lofton
No Compensation:
Joe Beimel
Ramon Martinez
Aaron Sele
Since a player needs to be offered arbitration to get the compensatory picks, I think the Dodgers can only get picks from Lugo and Nomar. Toby Hall would be a fool not to accept arbitration, unless the market goes crazy, there's no way he will make more than the 2.5 million or so he'd get through arbitration. It's too risky to offer Maddux arbitration, since it's doubtful he'd recieve more than the 10 million dollars or so he'd get through arbitration. Same goes for Lofton, he'd more than likely receive a raise, and since odds are he'll sign another one-year deal, why wouldn't he stick with the Dodgers for five or six million? Finally, I know Gagne wants a multi year deal, but since a player's salary can only drop 20% in arbitration, I doubt he would turn down a guaranteed eight million dollars after not pitching for two years. With the budget the Dodgers have, they're more than likely going to go shopping on the open market this off season, so it looks like the first few rounds of the 2006 draft will go by without the Dodgers unless they only make one big signing.
Update: I screwed up the CBA, turns out that I'm not smarter than the Elias Sports Bureau after all.