2014 National Baseball Arbitration Competition

Transcription

1 2014 National Baseball Arbitration Competition Jeff Samardzija v. Chicago Cubs Submission on Behalf of Jeff Samardzija Midpoint: $4.9 million Submission by: Team 18 i

2 Table of Contents I. Introduction and Request for Hearing... 1 II. Quality of the Player s Contribution to His Club During the Past Season... 2 III. Length and Consistency of His Career Contributions.. 3 IV. The Record of the Player s Past Compensation... 5 V. Comparative Baseball Salaries... 6 VI. Existence of Physical or Mental Defects.. 9 VII. Recent Performance of the Club... 9 VIII. Conclusion i

3 I. Introduction and request for a hearing decision for Jeff Samardzija to entitle him to a reasonable contract of $5.1 million for the 2014 season. This brief analyzes the relevant statistics and contributions of right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Jeff Samardzija (the Player or Samardzija ) to determine his 2014 contract with the Chicago Cubs (the Club or the Cubs ). The arbitration hearing shall use the guidelines as established by the Major League Baseball ( MLB ) Collective Bargaining Agreement ( CBA ). 1 The CBA sets forth the allowable criteria to be considered by the arbitration panel when determining the player s contract. 2 Under the CBA Section VI (E) (10)(a)-(b), the criteria to be considered in this arbitration hearing may include: (1) quality of the Player s contribution to his Club during the past season; (2) length and consistency of his career contributions; (3) the record of the Player s past compensation; (4) comparative baseball salaries; (5) existence of any physical or mental defects; and (6) recent performance of the Club including, but not limited to, its League standing and attendance as an indication of public acceptance. 3 The arbitration panel shall give particular attention, for comparative salary purposes, to the contracts of players with Major League service not exceeding one annual service group. 4 Evidence of the following shall not be admissible: (1) the financial position of the Player and the Club; (2) press comments, testimonials or similar material bearing on the performance of either the Player or the Club, with the exception of recognized annual Player awards for playing excellence, which shall not be excluded; (3) offers made by either Player or Club prior to arbitration; (4) the cost to the parties of their representatives; (5) salaries in other sports or occupations. 5 1 MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement Basic Agreement, Article VI(E) 10(a)-(b) pp Id. 3 Id. at 12(a) 4 Id. 5 Id. at 12(b) 1

4 Mr. Samardzija has reached years of MLB service and is eligible for arbitration for a second time. 6 Last year, the Cubs and Mr. Samardzija avoided arbitration by agreeing to a oneyear, $2.64 million contract for the 2013 season. 7 Mr. Samardzija has been a valued member of the Cubs, as shown by his team leading strikeouts and innings pitched over the past two seasons. 8 The evidence of his past performance coupled with future potential, as presented in both this brief and oral argument, demonstrates that Mr. Samardzija is fairly entitled to a salary above the $4.9 million midpoint. Mr. Samardzija respectfully requests the panel find that Mr. Samardzija is entitled to a 2014 salary arbitration award of $5.1 million. II. Jeff Samardzija s contributions over the 2013 season fairly entitle him to the requested $5.1 million salary for the 2014 season. Table 1 9 : Jeff Samardzija 2013 Statistics Year GS W L IP SO BB ERA WHIP 10 QS 11 BAA In his platform season, the lb., right-handed, power pitcher proved to be the workhorse of the Chicago Cubs pitching staff. 13 On April 1 st, 2013, the Cubs gave Mr. Samardzija the honor of being named their Opening Day starter. 14 During the 2013 season, Mr. Samardzija started a team high, 33 games, with a record of The starts made him one of 6 Jeff Samardzija Statistics, Baseball Reference, 7 Jeff Samardzija Contract, Baseball Prospectus, 8 Chicago Cub Team Pitching Statistics 2013 and 2012, ESPN, and 9 Jeff Samardzija Stats, supra note 6 10 Walks and hits divided by innings pitched. 11 Quality Starts 12 Batting Average Against. 13 Jeff Samardzija Statistics, supra note 6 and Jeff Samardzija: Welcome to the rotation, Fan Graphs, 14 Samardzija tabbed as Cubs Opening Day starter, MLB, 15 Jeff Samardzija Statistics, supra note 6 2

5 the top workhorses in 2013; the most starts made by any pitcher that year was He also set careers highs with innings pitched and an impressive 214 strikeouts; both were team season highs. 17 The 214 strikeouts placed him 4 th and the innings placed him 5 th amongst all National League (N.L.) pitchers. 18 While his record of 8 wins may seem low, he was plagued with low run support (3.67 runs per game). 19 The 3.67 runs placed him 30 th out of the 43 qualified 20 N.L. Starters. 21 Even pitching in the 2 nd most hitter-friendly stadium, as determined by ESPN Park Factors, 22 Mr. Samardzija held a solid 4.34 ERA and compiled 19 quality starts. 23 During his second full season as a starting pitcher, Mr. Samardzija was able to achieve career bests for innings pitched, games started, complete games and strikeouts. He had a stellar 9.0 strikeouts per 9 innings in 2013: 5 th best in the N.L. 24 Jeff Samardzija continues to progress as a quality starting pitcher by striking hitters out at an astounding rate. III. Mr. Samardzija s progression into a starting pitcher over the course of his career should be taken into account when assessing his value to the Chicago Cubs at a justified $5.1 million contract for the 2013 season. Table 2: Year-by-Year Statistics 25 Year G GS W L QS IP ERA K BB WHIP MLB Statistics, ESPN, 17 Chicago Cubs Pitching Statistics, ESPN, 18 MLB statistics, supra note 9 19 MLB Statistics, supra note A qualified pitcher is a classification for a pitcher who has played at least one inning pitched for every game his team has played, ESPN, MLB Statistics, supra note MLB Park Factors, ESPN, 23 Id. 24 Id. 25 Jeff Samardzija Stats, supra note 6. 3

6 Mr. Samardzija has proven to be a highly durable pitcher, starting 28 and 33 games over the past two seasons. 26 Prior to making the jump into the starting rotation, Mr. Samardzija pitched in 75 relief appearances in 2011, 10 th best in the N.L. for games played by a pitcher. 27 After a storied career at Notre Dame, where Mr. Samardzija played both football and baseball, the Cubs drafted him in the 5 th round of the 2006 MLB draft. 28 He decided to commit to baseball and not enter the National Football League (NFL) Draft. 29 On July 25, 2008, a mere two years after being drafted, Mr. Samardzija was called up to the majors. 30 He was used primarily out of the bullpen, pitching in 26 games with a 2.28 ERA. 31 He helped solidify the Cubs bullpen while the club made a central division title run. 32 During the 2009 and 2010 seasons, he bounced between the major and minor leagues. 33 In the minors he was as a starting pitcher; in the majors he was a reliever. 34 By 2011, Mr. Samardzija was permanently in the Major League. He made the Cubs opening day roster as a reliever, pitching 88 innings during the season, the most innings of any Cubs reliever, with a record of 8-4, an impressive 2.97 ERA and 87 strikeouts. 35 In 2012, Mr. Samardzija showed his durability in his first full season as a starting pitcher in the major leagues. He led the Cubs starting pitchers in games started, quality starts, innings pitched, strikeouts and tied for wins. 36 He finished the season with a 9-13 record, 3.81 ERA, 26 Id MLB Pitching statistics, ESPN, 28 Jeff Samardzija Stats, supra note 6 29 Tracing Jeff Samardzija s Path, Bleacher Report, He was projected to be a 1 st round draft pick. Id. 30 Cubs recall right-handed pitcher Jeff Samardzija, MLB, xt=.jsp&c_id=chc 31 Jeff Samardzija Stats, supra note MLB Final Standings, ESPN, 33 Jeff Samardzija stats, supra note 6 34 Id Chicago Cubs Team Statistics, Baseball Reference, 36 Chicago Cubs Pitching Statistics, supra note 4

7 174.2 innings pitched, 1.22 WHIP, 180 strikeouts and 17 quality starts. 37 In 2013, he improved upon his 2012 success by increasing his strikeouts, innings pitched, and games started. 38 By the 2013 season, Mr. Samardzija s power pitching arsenal consisted of a 4-seam and a 2- seam fastball, a cutter, a splitter and a slider. 39 His 4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball and cutter all average over 90 mph. 40 The power pitcher is able to mix his power fastballs with breaking balls to average over 9 strikeouts per nine innings. 41 Through his first 4 years of major league service, Mr. Samardzija pitched in 189 games, starting 66, with a 4.19 ERA, and 536 strikeouts. 42 IV. Past Compensation Mr. Samardzija has earned $17.58 million over the course of his service years. 43 He signed his first deal after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2006 MLB draft. 44 In Mr. Samardzija s first year of arbitration eligibility, the Cubs and Mr. Samardzija avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.64 million contract. 45 Mr. Samardzija s salary accurately reflects the value the Club placed on him and the desire to deter the young star from playing in the NFL. Table 3: Year by Year Salary 46 Year Salary ,000, ,000, ,000, ,000, ,300, , ,640, Chicago Cubs Team Statistics, Baseball Reference, 38 Jeff Samardzija, supra note 6 39 Jeff Samardzija Fan Graphs, Fan Graphs, 40 Id. 41 Id. 42 Jeff Samardzija Stats, supra note 6 43 Id. 44 Samardzija agrees with Cubs, ESPN, 45 Jeff Samardzija contracts, supra note 7 46 Jeff Samardzija, supra note 6 and Minimum Baseball Salaries, Baseball Reference, 5

8 V. A comparison of Jeff Samardzija s platform season and career, as compared to relatable players within the comparable service group, shows his value is greater than the $4.9 million midpoint and merits a reasonable 2014 contract of $5.1 million. Based on the salaries of statistically comparable, right-handed, starting pitchers, the player s offer of $5.1 million reflects Mr. Samardzija s current value. Any evidence above the $4.9 million midpoint would be enough for the panel to award Mr. Samardzija the player s offer. Table 4: Comparative Starting Pitchers Jeff Samardzija 47 MLB Service: Salary offer: $5,100,000 Salary Midpoint: $4.9 million G W L QS ERA BAA OPS 48 BB CG K WHIP K/BB K/ Career Justin Masterson 49 MLB Service: Awarded Salary: $5,687,500 G W L QS ERA BAA OPS BB CG K WHIP K/BB K/ Career Homer Bailey 50 MLB Service: Awarded Salary: $5,350,000 G W L QS ERA BAA OPS BB CG K WHIP K/BB K/ Career Mike Pelfrey 51 MLB Service: Awarded Salary: $5,675,000 G W L QS ERA BAA OPS BB CG K WHIP K/BB K/ Career A. Justin Masterson Justin Masterson s 2012 platform season is a good comparison for Mr. Samardzija s 2013 contract value. Mr. Masterson, a 6 6, right-handed, starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, 47 Jeff Samardzija statistics, supra note On-base percentage + slugging percentage against 49 Justin Masterson statistics, Baseball Reference, 50 Homer Bailey statistics, Baseball Reference, 51 Mike Pelfrey statistics, Baseball Reference, 6

9 avoided arbitration with the team by agreeing to a salary of $5.7 million for the 2013 season. 52 During their respective platform seasons, both pitchers were selected as their team s Opening Day starting pitchers and their teams workhorse: throwing over 200 innings. 53 Mr. Samardzija and Mr. Masterson proved effective by notching 19 and 18 quality starts, respectively. 54 While Mr. Masterson won 3 more games than Mr. Samardzija (11 to 8), Mr. Samardzija had pointedly more strikeouts and better K/9 (214 and 9.0) than Mr. Masterson (159 and 6.9). 55 Mr. Samardzija also has the edge in WHIP (1.35 to 1.45), ERA (4.34 to 4.93) and walks (78 to 88). 56 Over their careers through their respective platform seasons, the two pitchers held an almost identical ERA (4.19 to 4.17) and WHIP (1.36 to 1.39). 57 While Mr. Masterson holds the edge in career strikeouts (644 to 536), Mr. Samardzija has an advantage over Mr. Masterson in K/9 (8.6 to 7.1). 58 Mr. Samardzija also has significantly less career walks (234 to 386) and a better K/BB ratio (2.29 to 1.98). 59 With a wide range of statistics favoring Mr. Samardzija, a $5.1 million salary may prove to be a bargain in comparison to Masterson s 2013 salary of $5.7 million. B. Homer Bailey Homer Bailey, a right-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, is another good comparison for Mr. Samardzija. Mr. Bailey and the Reds avoided arbitration with a $5.35 million contract for the 2013 season. 60 In his 2012 platform season, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Samardzija had the same 52 Arbitration Avoidance Roundup, NBC Sports, 53 Justin Masterson to start Opening Day, Cleveland.com, and Jeff Samardzija and Justin Masterson statistics, supra note 6 and Id. 55 Jeff Samardzija and Justin Masterson statistics, supra note 6 and Id. 57 Id. 58 Id. 59 Id. 60 Bailey, Reds avoid arbitration with one-year deal, MLB, 7

10 number of starts (33) and quality starts (21 to 19). 61 Mr. Bailey may hold the edge in ERA (3.68 to 4.34), but the two pitchers had the same BAA (.256 to.254). 62 While both pitchers pitched a similar amount of innings, both exceeded the 200-inning limit, Mr. Samardzija had significantly more strikeouts (214 to 168) and better K/9 (9.0 to 7.3). 63 Over the course of the pitchers respective careers through their platform seasons, the two pitchers have many similarities. They have the same WHIP (1.36), number of complete games (3), and roughly the same K/BB ratio (2.29 to 2.28). 64 While Mr. Bailey has more wins than Mr. Samardzija (28-29), Mr. Samardzija holds the career advantage in ERA (4.19 to 4.50), strikeouts (536 to 506), and batting average against (.243 to 2.68). 65 Both the career and platform season comparisons show that Mr. Samardzija s value is at least on par with Mr. Bailey s $5.35 million, which is well above the $4.9 million midpoint. C. Mike Pelfrey Mike Pelfrey s 2011 platform season demonstrates that Mr. Samardzija s value is clearly beyond the $4.9 million midpoint. Mr. Pelfrey, a 6 7, right-handed, starting pitcher formerly of the New York Mets, avoided arbitration with the team by agreeing to a $5.7 million for the 2012 season. 66 While both pitchers were selected as their team s Opening Day starter during their respective platform seasons and won a comparable amount of games (8 and 7), the similarities 61 Jeff Samardzija and Homer Bailey statistics, supra note 6 and Id. 63 Id. 64 Id. 65 Id. 66 NY Mets Avoid arbitration with Pelfrey, NY Dailey News, mets-avoid-arbitration-sign-mike-pelfrey-andres-torres-manny-acosta-ramon-ramirez-payroll-shrink-90-million article

11 between the two end there. 67 Mr. Samardzija had more quality starts (19 to 15), lower ERA (4.34 to 4.74), WHIP (1.35 to 1.47), BAA (.254 to.286) and double the strikeouts (214 to 105). 68 Over the course of their careers, Mr. Samardzija once again out performed Mr. Pelfrey with a lower ERA (4.19 to 4.40), lower BAA (.243 to.283) and less walks (234 to 314). 69 While the two pitcher s career strikeout totals are similar (536 to 493), Mr. Samardzija has the superior K/9 (8.6 to 5.1). 70 The comparison to Mr. Pelfrey shows that Mr. Samardzija s platform and career contributions fairly entitle him to a 2014 salary greater than the $4.9 million midpoint. VI. The Club should have no concern regarding the durability of Mr. Samardzija because he has never been placed on the disabled list. Mr. Samardzija has been injury-free since breaking into the every day grind of MLB s 162 game season. 71 He did not miss any starts during his two seasons as a starting pitcher, nor has he spent any time on the disabled list. 72 After leading the team innings pitched by a relief pitcher in 2011 and innings pitched by a starter in 2012 and 2013, Mr. Samardzija s durability should be a factor when calculating the pitcher s value. 73 Mr. Samardzija s velocity has also remained consistent throughout his career. 74 Based on his lack of injuries, the 6 5 frame of the righthanded power pitcher seems built to withstand the long and arduous baseball season. VII. The Club s recent performance indicated a team that is in the re-building process and can count on Jeff Samardzija to be the team s workhorse for the Club s future. Since entering the league in 2008, the Chicago Cubs have a cumulative record of , with 4-straight losing seasons. 75 The last time the club made the postseason was in 2008, after 67 Mike Pelfrey to Start Opening Day, ESPN, 68 Jeff Samardzija and Mike Pelfrey statistics, supra note 6 and Id. 70 Id. 71 Jeff Samardzija Injury Report, Baseball Prospectus, 72 Id. 73 Cubs Team pitching, supra note 10, 23, and Jeff Samardzija Fan graph, supra note Chicago Cubs Team History, Baseball Reference, 9

12 winning the N.L. Central Division with a record of In 2013, the Cubs finished last in the N.L. Central Division with a record of The club s team statistics show an offense that struggled in 2013, finishing near the bottom of the 30 MLB teams in many key offensive statistics: 27 th in team batting average (.238), 27 th in team RBI 78 total (576) and 28 th in runs scored (602). 79 The teams pitching fared better, finishing with an impressive 7 th best BAA (.251), 9 th most quality starts (91), 21 st in ERA (4.00), and 13 th in WHIP (1.29). 80 VIII. Jeff Samardzija s platform season and career to date demonstrate his value is above the $4.9 million midpoint and should compel the arbitration panel to find the player s requested salary of $5.1 million the most reasonable. Mr. Samardzija has shown he has the skill set and durability to be the ace of the Chicago Cubs pitching staff. He has not been slowed down by the move from the bullpen to the starting rotation in 2012, as evidenced by leading the team in numerous categories in the past two seasons. In 2013, the hard throwing right-hander continued to improve as a starting pitcher, finishing near the top of the N.L. in strikeouts and innings pitched. Additionally, Mr. Samardzija has shown the durability necessary to pitch through a full major league season. Mr. Samardzija has positioned himself to be a key contributor to the Cubs pitching staff in The evidence presented in this brief and in oral argument demonstrates that Mr. Samardzija is fairly entitled to a salary above the $4.9 million midpoint. Mr. Samardzija respectfully requests the panel find he is entitled to a reasonable 2014 salary arbitration award of $5.1 million. 76 Id MLB Standings, ESPN, 78 Runs Batted In MLB Team Batting Statistics, ESPN, MLB Team Pitching Statistics, ESPN, 10