Q: When does a player become eligible for salary arbitration?
A: A player with three or more years of service, but less than six years, may file for salary arbitration. In addition, a player can be classified as a “Super Two” and be eligible for arbitration with less than three years of service. A player with at least two but less than three years of Major League service shall be eligible for salary arbitration if he has accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and he ranks in the top 17 percent in total service in the class of Players who have at least two but less than three years of Major League service, however accumulated, but with at least 86 days of service accumulated during the immediately preceding season.
http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/info/faq.jsp
I could go either way this… I think the O’s made the right decision as an organization to not have Wieters on the Major League roster on Opening Day. Keeping him down in the Minors until April 17th guaranteed the O’s a full additional year of service-time.
That was worthwhile.
If the O’s keep Wieters at Norfolk through mid-June to potentially avoid becoming a Super Two… you can justify it.
You can justify it, because overall it will have zero bearing on the end-result of the 2009 season for the Baltimore Orioles, and because it will save the O’s millions of dollars in coming seasons… $$ that could be used for the betterment of the entire roster.
On the other-hand, when Wieters was optioned to Norfolk to start this year, the Organization stated that his arrival in the Majors would not be about his contractual status, but when they deemed him ‘ready.’
Well, if those comments were 100% accurate, Wieters would have been the Opening Day catcher.
If those comments are 50% accurate, Wieters should be in the Major League line-up as soon as possible.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.