Today, teams must decide whether to offer their departing free agents salary arbitration. The arbitration process, itself, which would yield a one-year contract for the player, wouldn’t play out until much later in the off-season. The offer, however, sets the offering up for compensation should the player leave via free agency.
The Cubs have but one free agent – Xavier Nady – and they will not be offering him arbitration. But that doesn’t mean this deadline is of no interest to the Cubs. Indeed, many of the free agents the Cubs will pursue could be offered arbitration today, and, depending on their Type A/Type B status, the offer could make them less attractive to the Cubs.
Relievers like Grant Balfour, Matt Guerrier, or Brian Fuentes could be on the Cubs’ radar, depending on whether they’ll cost the Cubs a first or second round pick to sign.