MLB arbitration dates set, Rule 5 draft reportedly cancelled

With all of the chaos that is preparing to ensue now that a new CBA has finally been agreed to, it is easy to forget that the Braves have a fair number of arbitration-eligible players and there is a need to, you know, figure when the whole arbitration exchange-of-numbers-and-possibly-a-hearing thing can realistically happen with such a tight window before the start of the season. There is also the matter of the Rule 5 Draft whose fate has been in limbo given all of the other external issues baseball has been facing.

As we noted earlier, the Braves have nine players that are arbitration-eligible: Dansby Swanson, Max Fried, Austin Riley, Adam Duvall, Luke Jackson, AJ Minter, Mike Soroka, Sean Newcomb, and Tyler Matzek. We now know when teams and players will be exchanging salary figures.

It has been explained elsewhere that while players wait for their hearings in-season (whenever that happens), they will be paid at the rate that the clubs’ propose up until their hearing. Then, if the player wins their arbitration case, the team will have to pay them the difference. Definitely a weird wrinkle, but given that baseball is actually happening, well, we can work with this.

As for the Rule 5 Draft, it has long been rumored that it was going to be going away for 2022. Well, that has all been confirmed today.

This could change as more and more detail come out in the coming hours, but our thoughts are with JJ “King of the Rule 5” Cooper during this difficult time.