Dan Uggla going to Phoenix

Dan Uggla, next Wednesday, will be in Phoenix for the arbitration hearing.

Second baseman Dan Uggla, the team's lone remaining arbitration-eligible player, will travel to Phoenix for a Wednesday hearing against the Marlins. The arbiters will decide whether Uggla makes $4.4 million or $5.35 million in 2009.

Though he would have loved to receive multi-year contract overtures, he is not disappointed about a one-year deal. "No hard feelings in any way," he said.

This is not good news.  Maybe he has to go, I don't know.  But this never works out for the best.  Danny will sit in chair saying nothing while his agent makes his case and listen to the club running him down.

I remember running into an Astros' player in a place where they sold things like beer many years ago and we talked about going through the arbitration process.  Years had passed since the hearings and he still vividly recalled sitting in the room during the process.

He relayed to me, basically, you go in there thinking it is just business but all you hear is the club talking about how sorry you are.  He said, and I paraphrase, it was at least three-quarter of the year before he would even speak to a club official more than saying Hi.

Maybe the Marlins do it differently, I hope that they do.  But even if they do, there is nothing positive about Uggla being in the room.

And if the arbitrator can read a stat sheet, Danny will win his case, but it may come at a cost that isn't measured in terms of dollars.