Kevin Gregg put forward his best shot and unfortunately for him, it came up short.
Gregg, who the Marlins acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in November, will earn $575,000 in 2007 rather than the $700,000 he sought. Even at the lower figure Gregg likely will be one of if not the highest-paid member of the bullpen.
Next up, is Miguel Cabrera. While I'm cheering for the players to win in arbitration, it doesn't look promising for Cabrera if the present trend continues. In fact, the owners are 4-0, so far, against the players but there are 8 still yet to be determined.
Cabrera's hearing is scheduled for Friday and I think he has a pretty good shot. But keep in mind I thought Gregg had a chance to win.
The way it is going so far, the arbitration panels seem to think that salaries for this season have gotten out of hand and are taking it upon themselves to rein them in. If that is the case, I understand their concern but the owners think the market can bear the cost, judging by their bidding for free agents. So would it be such a shame if a player actually was able to prevail in the arbitration hearings?