Off-Season Update: Arbitration Deadline Nears

We are fast approaching today’s 11am central time deadline for teams and players to exchange figures. The Marlins are one of the teams  known for committing to going to hearings if they get to the point of filing. So that makes the next couple of hours interesting for the Marlins. Marlins have some key players that are still unsigned right now. If the Marlins are not in agreement with them before the 11am central time deadline, the Marlins are very likely headed to arbitration with them. Here is the list of players that are currently not signed:

• Anibal Sanchez ($3.7M in 2011)
• Edward Mujica ($0.8M in 2011)
• Emilio Bonifacio ($0.425M in 2011)
• *Juan Carlos Oveido ($3.65M in 2011)

Anibal Sanchez is in his final year of arbitration and is expected to hit free agency next season. The Marlins have not expressed much public interest in resigning Sanchez to an extension this off season. Sanchez is expected to make upwards of $6 million this upcoming season. It would be smart of the Marlins to do so as Sanchez is a very talented pitcher and showed some great improvement last season. I do have a theory on why the Marlins have not extended Sanchez yet though. Juan Carlos Oveido is also currently in his final year of arbitration, he however is on the restricted list currently, as he was playing under a fake name his entire career.

Edward Mujica is entering his second arbitration season. He is coming off of a strong year and is likely to make in the neighborhood of $2 million this upcoming season. Meanwhile, Emilio Bonifacio is up for arbitration for the first time. It should be interesting as to what he gets, as he is penciled in as the starting center fielder right now. That could change depending on if the Marlins can land Yoennis Cespedes.

Stay tuned for more updates on what happens with these arbitration players here on MarlinManiac.

UPDATE: The Miami Marlins and Juan Carlos Oviedo have agreed to a $6 million arbitration figure.

*Oviedo is currently on the restricted list.

All baseball contracts are from Cots Baseball Contracts.