Thursday, September 30, 2010

New free agency rules impact Dunn

Updated with new deadlines for arbitration and non-tenders

The players union just announced some changes to their collective bargaining agreement with MLB that will alter the manner in which many offseason moves are completed, particularly with free agents.

Among the changes announced...

-- All players eligible for free agency will become free agents without the need to elect it.

-- The window for current clubs to have exclusive negotiating rights with their own pending free agents has been reduced from 15 days after the World Series to only five days.

-- The deadline for the original team to offer arbitration has moved up to November 23 (from December 1), and the deadline for players to accept has been moved up to November 30 (from December 7).

-- The deadline for clubs to make decisions on tenders and non-tenders has been moved up to December 2 (from December 12).

Here's the key point as it relates to the Nationals: Their window to negotiate with Adam Dunn exclusively just shrunk by 10 days.

As things previously stood, Dunn would not have been allowed to talk to other clubs until 15 days after completion of the World Series (roughly mid-November). Now, he'll be allowed to start talking to them five days after completion of the series (roughly the first week of November).

Now, that doesn't mean that if the five-day period passes and the Nats don't re-sign Dunn that they've lost all opportunity to do so. They'll just be in the same negotiating position as every other team out there. Prior to that point, they are the only club that can talk contracts with him, which is obviously a decided advantage.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

So this means Dunn is gone, if a deal was close they would have reached it by now!

JayB said...

This mean nothing with respect to Dunn issue because both sides have had months to do a deal what difference is a matter of days....the other changes are a big deal and I am glad that the whole arb thing is getting reworked for the better....need to get this stuff done earlier in the winter and come into the new year with more decision done.

Anonymous said...

From Section 223 -

At this point it would be crazy for Dunn not to hear any other offers. If what Boz indicated earlier today is correct and a three-year deal was only offered recently, then it's no wonder there has been no signing during the season. The Nats have totally blown this deal and Dunn should look after his best interests (even though I and many other fans hope he considers coming back). Thanks big guy for being on our team.

Feel Wood said...

The Nationals haven't been negotiating with Dunn exclusively all along. They've been negotiating with the real Dunn and also with his agent's unrealistically inflated idea of what Dunn will command on the FA market. It's like Dunn is Homer Simpson, with Good Homer whispering in one ear "You really like it here in DC, so warm and comfy, all the donuts you could ever hope to eat....Mmmmm, donuts" and Devil Horn Marge whispering in the other ear "Get up off your ass you lazy lout. Go out and make more money so little Maggie can go to college!" No wonder he has that slightly brainless look on his face all the time. The big galoot is just trying to tune out those voices in his head and play some ball.

But the good thing is there's an endgame to all this. As soon as the date for exclusive negotiations is past, his agent's view of Dunn's market value will merge with reality, and the Nats and Dunn can begin the real negotiation. The sooner that happens, the better.

C.J. Frost said...

The nationals (Rizzo, Kasten, Lerners) understand deadlines, they went down to the wire wire with Harper and Strasburg and closed both those deals.

They will make an offer in the exclusive window, but it may take other offers in free agency for Dunn to make an informed decision on what a "reasonable" offer is.

My guess is that Dunn will sign to stay as long as he gets 3yrs/$45mil or 4yrs/$54mil

Anonymous said...

It's obvious to me that the Nats FO is not interested in signing Dunn unless he is willing to agree to terms far below his market value. They really don't want him back. What blows my mind is why he wants to come back here anyway in view of the shabby treatment he has received. No free agent of any value who has a choice wants to come here. Why would Dunn? Nats Land is a last resort place to play.

N. Cognito said...

I've asked before and I'll ask again, why in this God's world would Dunn not want to test free agency? Barring an outrageous offer by the Nats, he'd be a moron not to.
Even if he loves it here and does want to stay, getting offers from other teams provides him leverage. And if the Nats don't come close to what some other team is offering, I have a sneaking suspicion he'll like that place jst fine.

Anonymous said...

If they sign Dunn right now (as they should have six months ago), none of this matters. C'mon Mike Rizzo!!

Anonymous said...

It's Dunn's fault. He should've signed by now.

Doc said...

All Rizzo has to realize is that Dunn is more important to this club than whoever the GM is!

Pilchard said...

Agree with the thought above that the Nats don't want Dunn, and have only offered a deal with a massive hometown discount to this point.

The Nats have convinced themselves that Dunn's play at 1st is a big reason why the Nats will lead MLB in errors this season. Not saying the Nats are correct, but they will look to sign an athletic 1B (Carlos Pena) with greater range at 1st and better hands to handle slightly errant throws from Desmond, Zimmerman and Espinosa. The Nats believe that the defensive gain at first will offset the loss of offense.

The Nats will not sign Dunn during the exclusive negotiating period, and I only see Dunn coming back if Nats miss on Pena (and any other player they have targeted), and no other NL team (Dunn does not want to be a DH) offers him a contract in the range that he expects. That is, the same scenario that led to Dunn to sign in DC before the 2009 season after Texiera turned down the Nats offers.

BinM said...

N.Cognito: Agreed that Dunn will test free agency now; If the Nationals had come forward with a 3-yr offer back in May (when Dunn said he'd listen to one, IIRC), this probably wouldn't be a point of discussion.

Instead, the hesitation to commit to a $15-16M/year salary from the Lerners' earlier in the season may well cost the team their only LH bat with real power, their starting 1B, and apparently a steady influence in the clubhouse as well.

I wish Rizzo the best of luck in trying to cover those gaping holes for what the Lerners' are apparently willing to spend ($10M/year).

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

Re: Signing Carlos Pena.

He's a career .241 hitter, batting .198 this year.

I REALLY don't want to spend another summer watching more sub-.200 batters. Watching Willie and J-Max this year just about killed me.

N. Cognito said...

I assumed all along Dunn would test free agency.
For those who say the Nats are low-balling Dunn (they may be), please provide the data to verify your claims.

Anonymous8 said...

Some short memories here. Let's not forget that Dunn had no takers, except the Nats, as Dunn went into January 2009 with no contract/no team. Then he signed with the Nats took him at a 2 year $20 million deal ($10 mill per year average). It was a humbling experience. The Nats gave him a new start, and for the most part, the fans like Dunn.

His HR production and clutch average has dropped. The only change is he is now playing 1st base which makes him a little more attractive.

Other than that, things haven't changed much in 2 years. There are no serious suitors out there for Dunn except for AL teams wishing to convert him to a DH which Dunn doesn't want.

Dunn would be taking a real risk pissing off the Nats as the Nats at least are offering him a raise.

Bob Neuman said...

Dunn goes to an AL team...maybe Oakland with big cash...and Morse at 1st...can live with that.

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_for_Me said...

@Bob: I love Morse...against left-handed pitchers. He's a bit of an unknown against righties, especially low-and-away sliders. Think Elijah Dukes, without the baggage.

I really think the best solution for the Nats is re-signing Dunn, and using a platoon of Bernadina-Morse in right. That gives us a solid bat off the bench (depending on who sits) and guards against the late-season breakdown that Bernie seemed to suffer.

Anonymous said...

In the end they will find someone else if he decides to leave. Its late but Dunn does (according to tell-all Boz) have a 3 year deal on the table. If he decides to forego it it won't matter in the end.

Look at the Nats record. Now, stop, look at the Padre's record, look at the Rangers record, look at the Giant's record?

They need top flight pitching not fly-by-night has-beens, wanna bes, or maybe will be's period. Dunn is not the issue as far as winning is concerned ... if he were you would think they would have a better record right now ... wouldn't you?

Anonymous said...

Here is data to back up claim that Dunn wasn't offered a contract ................
100% certain that Dunn hasn't been signed as of today
100% certain that no satisfactory contract was offered to Dunn
100% certain that Dunn must be disappointed and feel rejected that the team didn't try very hard to get him.
100% sure that FO doesn't hear "sign Adam Dunn" coming from the stands.
He will go the way of Capps, Guzman, etc. etc. etc. Can Willy Harris play first base?? We can get him for $750,000.

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