The deadline for teams and players to exchange arbitration figures is today at 1pm ET. As such, there will be dozens of arbitration agreements that flood in over the next few hours, as clubs and teams both look to avoid taking the first step toward an arbitration hearing. Many teams use the arbitration exchange as a hard deadline for negotiations on one-year deals — a “file and trial” approach which effectively means that once figures are exchanged, the only option they’ll pursue before a hearing is a multi-year deal. (The Mets and Orioles are both adopting that approach this year, and other teams to use that strategy in the past include Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rays, White Sox, Pirates, Reds and Nationals.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: Friday
