We Don’t Like Arbitration, Oh No, We Don’t

In the last 24 years, the Indians have gone to arbitration hearings with players exactly twice, both times in 2014, when they won arbitration hearings with Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin. Pestano is gone, and Tomlin apparently learned his lesson, as he signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Indians to avoid arbitration this year. He is one of six Tribe players who signed one-year contracts this weekend, keeping the organization arbitration-free for another season.

Along with Tomlin, Brandon Moss, Bryan Shaw, Carlos Carrasco, Marc Rzepczynski, and Lonnie Chisenhall signed. According to projections from MLBTradeRumors, we got a bargain with Moss, as he signed for more than half a million less than projected. Moss underwent hip surgery in October for a nagging injury that had him under-producing during the second half of the season. The big surprise was Carrasco, whom the Indians signed for $2.3  million, nearly 67% over the $1.4 million he was projected to get. Below are the projected and actual signing amounts for each player.

Brandon Moss
Projected: $7.1 million; Actual: $6.5 million

Bryan Shaw
Projected: $1.5 million; Actual $1.55 million

Josh Tomlin
Projected: $1.7 million; Actual $1.5 million

Carlos Carrasco
Projected: $1.4 million; Actual: $2.337 million

Marc Rzepczynski
Projected: $1.9 million; Actual $2.4 million

Lonnie Chisenhall
Projected: $2.2 million; Actual: $2.25 million