Door open for Batista's return
Tribune December 1, 2006- Miguel Batista’s time with the Diamondbacks may not be over after all. Although the sides have not spoken about a new contract in more than a month, the D-Backs offered arbitration to free agent right-hander Batista at the Friday deadline.The procedural move means that Batista could unilaterally return to the D-Backs in 2007, and it ensures they will receive a top draft pick if he does not.
Batista has a week to decide if he will accept the offer.
As expected, the D-Backs did not offer arbitration to Luis Gonzalez, who is being actively pursed on the free agent market.
Dependable Batista, 35, was 11-8 with a 4.58 ERA in a career-high 206 1/3 innings while making $4.75 million last season. He had 14 no-decisions, second-most in the major leagues, and was the most consistent starter behind Cy Young winner Brandon Webb.
As 2006 wound down, Batista expressed a desire to return to the D-Backs, but he also indicated he would test the market unless the D-Backs made him an offer he could not refuse.
While Batista and his representatives were unavailable for comment Friday, it is considered unlikely that he will accept arbitration because of the way the free agent market has taken off this fall.
Philadelphia recently signed Adam Eaton, who has missed much of the last two seasons because of injuries, to a three-year, $25 million contract. Randy Wolf signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Dodgers, and other so-called second-tier free agents Gil Meche and Ted Lilly could command as much as $10 million a season in a three-year package.
Contract talks with the D-Backs are believed to have stalled because the team did not want to commit to a long-term deal.
If Batista accepts the offer, his 2007 salary will be determined by an arbitrator. If Batista declines, the D-Backs will get a sandwich pick — a pick between the first and second rounds — in the June 2007 draft because Batista is classified as a Type B free agent.
As it stands entering the winter meetings Monday, the D-Backs have Webb, Livan Hernandez and newcomer Doug Davis as the top three in the starting rotation.
If Batista opts to return, he would claim a fourth spot in the rotation and push the D-Backs close to their expected $60 million-$65 million budget.
“If we end up with too many people and over budget, we could always make a trade,” D-Backs general manager Josh Byrnes said.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=79921