The Boston Globe is reporting that the Sox are likely to offer salary arbitration to free agent outfielder Trot Nixon by today's deadline.
“Although Nixon has fielded feelers from other teams, he has maintained that his first choice was to prolong his career in Boston. If the Sox offer arbitration today -- and one club source cautioned it wasn't definite -- and Nixon accepts by the Dec. 7 deadline, that would make him the equivalent of a signed player for 2007, and probably place him squarely in the team's plans.
Nixon was paid $6.5 million last season and could expect to win a raise in arbitration, which would place him at a salary level unusually high for a spare outfielder. That points to the strong possibility the Sox have other plans for Nixon.”
Another possibility is that the Sox want to make sure they receive compensation should Trot sign with another team. Nixon is a type-B free agent, which means that if the Sox offer him arbitration and he signs with another club, they would get a "sandwich" pick between the first and second rounds of the draft.
Second-baseman Mark Loretta could also be offered arbitration this week. As Loretta is a type-A free agent, the Sox would be entitled to even more compensation, depending on who signs him. If that team's 1st round pick is in the bottom 15, the Sox get that pick and a sandwich pick. If that team's 1st round pick is in the top 15, the pick is protected and the Sox get the sandwich pick and the team's 2nd round pick.
For more on MLB's free agent rules, check out this link.
Here is a link to a site where you can track the draft picks teams owe as a result of free agent signings this off season.
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