Gallardo Contract Renewed

[Hardy Blonde]

Brewers renew Gallardo's contract
Injury-plagued '08 makes negotiations tricky in pre-arbitration

03/04/10 3:59 PM EST

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Unable to reach a compromise with right-hander Yovani Gallardo before Thursday's club-imposed deadline, the Brewers renewed his contract for 2010.

Per club policy, the Brewers did not announce terms of Gallardo's new contract. He earned $414,000 last season.

Gallardo, who turned 24 on Saturday and is Milwaukee's leading candidate to start Opening Day, is a so-called "zero-to-three" player without enough service time to qualify for salary arbitration. Teams essentially can pay such players whatever they want as long as it meets the Major League minimum salary, but the sides typically negotiate anyway, partly to keep things cordial for the more difficult talks later on in a player's career.

If they cannot reach a compromise, the team can renew a player's salary at a figure of its choosing, as long as it represents at least 80 percent of what the player was paid the previous season. In March 2008, for example, the Brewers renewed Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart all on the same day.

The Brewers attempt to take the subjectivity out of such negotiations by paying pre-arbitration players based on a system of performance- and awards-based criteria. The sticking point with Gallardo, according to Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash, who handled negotiations with Gallardo's agent, former Major Leaguer Bobby Witt, was that one criterion for the club's pay scale is the Elias rankings system, which takes into account a player's past two seasons.

Since Gallardo missed most of 2008 with knee injuries, he lost points and is compensated slightly less than some Brewers who have gone through the system before him.

"We talked the past couple of days but nothing came of it, so we proceeded [with a renewal]," said Ash, who handled discussions with Gallardo's agent, Bobby Witt. "I spoke with both Bobby Witt and Yovani, and while both don't agree with our decision, they were very professional. I don't sense any negativity right now at all."

Gallardo is on track to be arbitration-eligible following the 2010 season and would be one of the Brewers' key cases. Fellow starter Manny Parra projects as a first-time eligible player, and Fielder, Hart and second baseman Rickie Weeks will be eligible for the final time before hitting the free-agent market following the 2011 season.

The Brewers could re-engage with Witt at some point about a multiyear deal to buy out some of Gallardo's arbitration seasons, but if they do, Ash said club officials would not talk about it publicly.

[brewersfan19]

Yeah. Now lets get him and Prince signed to long term contracts.

[Hardy Blonde]

Sounds good to me!

[brewersfan19]

I thought you would like that one Hardy Blonde

[Hardy Blonde]

I don't wanna get my hopes up though because all of the players that I like go away...Like Ginter, Clark, and now Hardy.

[brewersfan19]

Maybe you should start liking Suppan. But then again Suppan is in a contract year, he just might win Cy Young.. hahahhaha.... did u hear that, it was me falling out my chair on that one.

[Hardy Blonde]

Lmao like him so he goes away? Hmmmmmm not a bad idea but I don't think I could subject myself to do that!

[brewersfan19]

You are not into torture?

[Hardy Blonde]

Not when deep down I know they aren't very good lol

[brewersfan19]

you like being tortured only if they are good at what they do then.

[Hardy Blonde]

Lmao sure.

[brewersfan19]

that is the spirit

[Hardy Blonde]

Gallardo looked really strong in yesterdays game!

[brewersfan19]

He did indeed, but lets not get too excited just yet. I mean, it is preseason still. Lets revisit in July on this topic and the rest of the staff. I am not quite sure just yet if this staff is all that good. I hope will be a good staff. I want to think positively, just too many years of that, now I just want consistent winners.

[Hardy Blonde]

Doesn't matter to me right now. I'll take what I can get lol