Kevin Gregg gets his first introduction to the Marlins.
Monday in Arizona, he'll see them again under less pleasant circumstances.
The two sides will make their cases before an arbitration panel to determine Gregg's salary. Gregg has asked for $700,000, $125,000 more than the Marlins hope to pay him.
"It's the business side of the game," said Gregg, acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in November. "I have to go in there and treat it like business even though they're going to say what they're going to say about me. I'm fine with it. They have to put their side of the case together and I have to put my side together, and we'll move on from there. Once that's over with we'll wipe the slate clean and start the season."
Good attitude and it is the best one to have. I doubt that the process will be that unpleasant, Gregg knows the Marlins want him on the staff and it is just a matter of the price being settled. Anyone who is a member of union knows the process and after a few times they don't take it personally. It's not really a surprise that the player wants as much as he can get and the employer wants to get him as cheaply as possible - it happens in every form of business.
Gregg actually stands an excellent shot of winning in arbitration.