Either way, Upton wins at arbitration

Rays center fielder B.J. Upton on arbitration: "I don't think anybody ever wants to actually go to a hearing."

Rays vice president of baseball Andrew Friedman on arbitration: "I'm not the biggest fan of this process. I'm certainly not its biggest advocate. But it is what it is, and we all have to operate within it."

So why are the Rays and Upton headed to an arbitration hearing Friday in St. Petersburg? Because in 1974, baseball owners overwhelmingly voted to approve this form of dispute resolution to settle salary issues for players with three to five years of service time.

And the Rays and Upton have salary issues.

Upton asked for $3.3 million for the 2010 season. The Rays offered $3 million.

A panel of three arbitrators will hear arguments and rebuttals from both sides, then use the next 24 to 48 hours to render a decision. Opportunities to reach a middle ground are over once the hearing begins. For the Rays, the opportunity ends the moment salary figures are exchanged.

So, the result is one side walks away a winner and the other a loser, though the club never wins because it either has to pay more than it wanted or it has a disgruntled player in the clubhouse.

"The clubs despise this," said Maury Brown, president of the Business Sports Network.

It's hard to view the player a "loser," since he will earn a hefty raise, win or lose. In Upton's case, he will receive more than a $2.5 million raise from the $435,000 he made last season whether or not the panel sides in his favor.

But Upton will take some hits during the hearing.

His side will bolster their argument by presenting the salaries of center fielders during comparable service time. They will point out all the positive things Upton did last season.

The Rays will counter with all the things Upton could have done better. Exhibit A: His average as a leadoff hitter.

The statistics used by both sides won't stray far from the standard batting average, on-base percentage, etc., since none of the arbitrators are experts in sabermetrics.

But the Rays surely will point out Upton's history of injuries. Upton's side surely will counter with Upton's willingness to play hurt, which, in turn, hurt his numbers.

"Players have egos," Brown said, "and this can create ill will, because the club has to sit there and say the player isn't as good as he thinks he is."

Arbitration works because it prevents players from holding out and it resolves contract issues before the start of spring training. Plus, there is plenty of time for both sides to reach an agreement before arbitration.

Former A's owner Charlie Finley was the lone owner to vote against arbitration back in '74.

"We'll be the biggest idiots if we do this," Finley said, though he didn't use the word idiots.

The owners, though, have fared well, winning 280 of the 487 arbitration cases since 1974.

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