If you took notice of my recent Crash Course on MLB Free Agency, then you would know that the deadline for clubs to offer their potential free-agents arbitration expired on December 1 (this past Monday).  Twenty-four players were offered arbitration prior to the deadline, but just because a player was not asked to join their clubs in a lovely room where an arbitrator would choose a mandatory value of worth for said player, does not mean that such a player can no longer re-sign with his former team.  Those twenty-four players have until this Sunday (11:59 p.m. EST to be exact) to accept or respectfully decline arbitration.

Of the twenty-four players offered arbitration, these are some names that stick out: CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, Raul Ibanez, Jason Varitek, Orlando Hudson and Orlando Cabrera.  Others include Paul Byrd, Dennys Reyes, Mark Grudzielanek, Juan Cruz, Brandon Lyon, Milton Bradley, Brian Shouse, Darren Oliver, Casey Blake, and David Weathers.

If a player accepts the arbitration offer, the worst that can happen is for an arbitrator to grant said player 20% less than his previous salary.  And don’t forget about the Elias Sports Bureau rankings.  That’s why you see CC Sabathia being offered arbitration even though there is a .001% chance that he stays in Milwaukee.