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I agree it appears the Padres do well here, as Linebrink has really fallen off (K/9 down 3), but the Brew Crew would likely get a first round pick and a supplemental pick (i.e two top 40 picks as its unlikely a team with a protected pick signs a middle reliever) when they let Linebrink go as a free agent (unless they re-sign him, OMG). Makes thing closer. Are those three minor leaguers (i.e is Iman) worth 2 top 40 picks? Iman's disparity between levels this year is entirely consistent with everyone's worst fears, but he is still 20 and in AA.
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Quick question related to draft pick compensation. While looking around for the rules of this process, I read that the team losing the player must offer him salary arbitration to get the picks. How does this work for a player that is well past his arbitration years?
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If he is arbitration eligible, he is pre-free agency (i.e less than 6 years of service time). This is mandatory if the club and player don't come to terms, because the player is under the team's control for his first full 6 seasons of ML service (unless he runs out of options or is otherwise a minor league free agent).
Pending free agents by definition have more than 6 years of service time on major league rosters, after which time they are eligible for free agency. Their team must offer arbitration (a one year deal decided by an arbiter if the parties don't agree prior - most agree), and the player then must decline and choose to be a free agent for the team to receive compensatory picks. Or the team can decline like the stupid Os did with Latroy Hawkins, who signed with the Rockies and earned the O's "0" draft picks. Most players decline because free agency = more bucks, and more importantly long term deals. The 2006 CBA changed the compensation and classes of free agents but did not change the need to offer arbitration.
Here is a good primer on MLB transactional rules, including free agency.
The Padres got in a mess this offseason, apparently believing they had under the table deals with their free agents that they would offer arbitration and the pending free agents would all decline, allowing the Padres to receive draft picks. Todd Walker accepted arbitration, won 3.95 million and the Padres cut him a little more than a month later because the arbitration contract wasn't guaranteed and the Padres paid 45 days' termination pay, or @$987,000.
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