Deadline Nears For Frasor

Toronto Blue Jays free agent Jason Frasor is nearing his midnight deadline to accept arbitration. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Frasor will either sign a multi-year deal with another team or accept the arbitration.

@Ken_Rosenthal: RHP Jason Frasor will either sign multi-year deal with another club by midnight ET or accept arb from #BlueJays. Talking with 3 teams. #MLB

I’d have to say that’s a pretty big difference there. He’ll either sign elsewhere for multiple years or he’ll settle on a small raise and stay in Toronto for another season. One would think why not decline arbitration if you’ve got three teams wanting you? Unfortunately for Frasor he’s another victim of an archaic free agent compensation system.

Jason is an outstanding set-up man, a guy any contending team would love to have in their bullpen. In 2010, he made 69 appearances with a 3.68 ERA and 65 strikeouts. His strikeout rate was pretty damn good at 9.2 per nine innings.

What’s costing him a lucrative pay day is the forementioned compensation system. Frasor was labeled a Type A free agent which requires the signing team to forfeit their first round draft pick. Would you want your favorite team surrendering their first round pick for a set-up man?? I didn’t think so.

That compensation is exactly why Rosenthal says he’ll sign a multi-year deal or accept the arbitration. If you’re going to give up that draft pick you’re going to want him around long term, which is the kind of deal he wants. But at the same time if Frasor doesn’t get what he wants by midnight he never will, which will be the reason he accepts arbitration.

Personally, I don’t think he’ll get a team to agree to a long term deal at whatever dollar figures he wants. So I’d have to say he’ll be back in Toronto next season.

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On a side note, MLB needs to look into the compensation soon. I understand its need for star players at key positions but it severely penalizes relief pitchers. Most of these guys are players who couldn’t cut it as starters in the minors but succeeded in a short relief role and done quite well. Unfortunately, those kind of guys aren’t the type of player any team would give up a draft pick for so as long as arbitration is offered to relievers this situation will continue to happen.

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Tags: Jason Frasor, MLB, Toronto Blue Jays