I remember reading that Frank Francisco is a Type A free agent. Has he been offered arbitration? Will he be offered arbitration? Isn't the deadline for offering arbitration coming up soon?

I guess I'm just really curious about the Francisco situation. I'm kinda salivating thinking about getting 4 draft picks from (possibly) losing Lee and also Francisco.

I sure hope so. I am a firm believer in Francisco's value.

Confusing question for somebody, anybody...... How can guys become free agents now, and sign with another team before the deadline to offer arbitration? Say Cliff Lee or more likely Vlad signed with another team today, would we get the draft picks? Guys are free agents when the world series ends, yet arbitration isn't until later, so what's the deal??

They can sign with another team because its the equivalent of them saying to the arbitration. Taking Beniot as the example he will be a type B, and has already signed with Detroit so basically its certainty that the Rays will offer arbitration because they know he will reject it now.

Say Cliff Lee or more likely Vlad signed with another team today, would we get the draft picks?

Yes, provided they offered arbitration (and there would be no disincentive for doing so). This issue comes up on the rare occasion when a club isn't inclined to offer arbitration to its Type 'A' free agent for fear of having the offer accepted (as you might expect, this problem arises more often with smaller-market clubs, or with overpaid players who have somehow earned Type A status), and the rest of the league holds back from signing that player until the arbitration deadline has passed.

If a team were to jump the gun and sign that player before the deadline, they'd cough up a first-round pick. If, however, they made sure to wait until after the deadline had passed, and until after the parent club had declined its arbitration option, there would be no draft-pick penalty. Since neither John Buck nor Joaquin Benoit were Type A free agents, however, this is irrelevant.

No way Frankie accepts his arb. If Benoit is worth $5.5m/yr for 3, Frankie is too. Thus, offerring him arb is a pretty easy decission.

I strongly hope they don't offer arb to Vlad and have him accept it. However, if there is strong evidence that Vlad is getting multiple-year offers, then there is little downside to offerring arb and having him decline it.

My initial thought was no arb to Bengie. But with the inflation in the FA market, and Buck/VMart both off the board, (A) Bengie might be more inclined than previously thought to turn it down, thinking he can get more on the open market, and (B) Bengie at an arb salary looks like a better value than it did 2 weeks ago.