Braves decline arbitration offer to LaRoche

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves offered arbitration to free-agent relievers Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, but not to first baseman Adam LaRoche or outfielder Garret Anderson.

The only mild surprise was LaRoche, who hit 25 home runs in 2009. He could have expected a raise to about $8 million through arbitration, up from about $7 million in 2009.

That projected salary was more than the Braves were ready to commit to, although general manager Frank Wren said they might consider making LaRoche an offer after they see how the first-base market forms and how the team's other needs are addressed.

"It doesn’t eliminate our interest," Wren said of LaRoche, who hit .325 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 57 games after being traded from Boston.

Unlike years ago, teams are permitted to continue negotiating with free agents after not offering them arbitration. The drawback to not offering arbitration: It eliminates any compensatory draft pick or picks a team would get if it loses a classified free agent.

"We no longer have to offer arbitration to continue to negotiate," Wren said, "so as we continue to put our team together over the next few weeks, we'll see how that [first-base] market develops. Right now we don't have enough information to make us feel comfortable offering arbitration."

However, the Braves were comfortable making arbitration offers to Gonzalez and Soriano, rated among the top three free-agent relievers available along with closer Billy Wagner. The Braves have expressed interest in Wagner as a potential replacement.

Gonzalez likely would command at least $5 million through arbitration, while Soriano could get about $8 million. Because both are expected to draw multi-year offers from other teams, the Braves believed it was unlikely either would accept arbitration and an accompanying one-year salary (free agents have until Dec. 7 deadline to accept the offers).

And even if one or both relievers do accept, Wren said the Braves could live with non-guaranteed, one-year contracts for those pitchers.

Gonzalez and Soriano are Type A free agents. If the Braves lose them to other teams, they would be eligible to receive a first-round draft pick as compensation from any team signing either of them, plus a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds.

If the signing team's first-round pick is one of first 15 picks, the Braves would instead get a sandwich pick and a second-round pick.

LaRoche and Anderson were Type B free agents, and would've drawn only a supplemental pick as compensation if the Braves offered arbitration. Greg Norton, the Braves' other free agent, was an unranked free agent and not offered arbitration.