According the official website, the Florida Marlins aren't expected to offer arbitration to any on of the four free agents.

On Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET, all teams must decide if they are going to offer arbitration to their Type A and Type B free agents. By doing so, they would be eligible to receive either a compensatory Draft pick or picks should the player sign elsewhere.

The Marlins have three Type B free agents -- outfielder Luis Gonzalez, catcher Paul Lo Duca and lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes.

Indications are the Marlins will not offer arbitration to any of these three, but that is certainly subject to change.

First off, how in the world did Lo Duca garner Type B status?  I guess there aren't too many free agent catchers this season.

Leaving that alone for now, if the Marlins were to offer arbitration to either or all three, and they didn't accept, it would mean the Marlins would receive a sandwich pick as a consolation in the upcoming draft.  A sandwich pick takes place in between the first and the second rounds.

There is a little of gamesmanship going on, let's say the Marlins don't want to pay the salaries any of them would command for the next season, but would like the extra draft pick, they have to determine the likelihood of the players being signed by another team.

Say the Marlins offered arbitration to Gonzo and Arthur with hopes of them turning it down, and they didn't.  The Marlins would be on the hook for their salary next season and that doesn't fit into the salary scheme.

The only player I could see the Marlins offering arbitration to is Rhodes.  Rhodes is looking for a two to three year deal, arbitration is only good for one year, and if he does indeed take the arbitration route, Rhodes has value and could be traded if he breaks the bank.

The other aspect of this is that Marlins only set so much money aside for signing bonuses for players taken in the draft, and it may be we have gotten to the point where the extra draft pick would over extend the team's budget for signing draftees.

Who knows, but I wouldn't be surprised for the Marlins to just let the free agents walk without getting anything in return.  They have done it many times before.

But whatever happens, we will know by midnight.