Black Sox Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online
The Chicago Black Sox went 3-2 in arbitration cases with players this week, saving an estimated $300,000 in contract costs.
Arbitration panelists disagreed with the team most significantly on the contract for AAA outfielder Hervé Billy, who was the team captain for the Carolina Flight during the 2040 season.
Team officials offered Billy a $650,000 contract for next year, but arbitrators sided with the player and awarded him $1,180,000. Although Billy did not play in the majors this past season, he has played in the BBA during parts of seven seasons, dating back to 2033 in Nashville.
“We wanted to keep Hervé in the organization because he's important to us, but we never dreamed the arbitrators would award a contract of more than $1 million to a minor league player,” said GM Vic Caleca. “But we were wrong – you learn something new every day.”
Here is a breakdown of Black Sox arbitration cases and their results for the coming season:
Black Sox Arbitration Results
For the upcoming 2041 season
| Player | 2040 Salary | Player Request | Team Offer | Winner | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frits Brinson, RP | $750,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,260,000 | Player | - $240,500 |
| Fernando Reyes, OF | $750,000 | $1,197,500 | $850,000 | Team | + $347,500 |
| Joaquín Torres, INF | $640,000 | $1,250,000 | $700,000 | Team | + $550,000 |
| Alejandro Soto, SP | $850,000 | $1,122,500 | $950,000 | Team | + $172,500 |
| Hervé Billy, OF | $500,000 | $1,180,000 | $650,000 | Player | - $530,000 |
"Ah, what can you do?" asked team owner Vinnie Vitale. "The arbitrators got minds of their own. Now, they must've been downing some truly epic chianti when they were deliberating that Hervé Billy case, but that's fine. We won't be sending 'em any fruit baskets, that's for sure, but we'll survive. We saved $300,000 - that's some nice weekend walkin' around money on the Magnificent Mile, right?"
