2014 Mock MLB Salary Arbitration Case By Jack Marshall

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Colby Rasmus Submission on Behalf the Salary Recommended: $7,450,000

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Table of Contents

I. Introduction and Request for Hearing Decision 3

II. Quality of Player’s Contributions During Past Season 3

III. Length and Consistency of Career Contributions 4

IV. Past Compensation 5

V. Comparative Baseball Salaries 6

VI. Existence of Mental and Physical Defects 12

VII. Recent Performance of the Club 13

VIII. Conclusion 14

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I. Introduction and Request for Hearing Decision

This proposal analyzes the career production and contributions that Colby Rasmus (hereafter also known as “Rasmus” or “Player”) has made with the St. Louis Cardinals (hereafter also known as “Cardinals” or “Club”) and the Toronto Blue Jays (hereafter also known as “Blue Jays” or “Club”) since he made his (hereafter also known as “MLB”) debut on April 7, 2009. The salary proposal is my recommendation on behalf of the Club in accordance with the criteria governed under the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement. 1 Criteria includes quality of player’s contributions during the past season, length and consistency of player’s contributions, past compensation, comparative baseball salaries, existence of mental and physical defects and recent performance of the Club including but not limited to its League standing and attendance as an indication of public acceptance. 2 The arbitration panel shall, except for a Player with five or more years of Major League service, give particular attention, for comparative salary purposes, to the contracts of Players with Major League service not exceeding one annual service group above the Player’s annual service group. 3 Evidence of the following shall not be admissible: (1) The financial position of the Player and the Club; (2) Press comments, testimonials or similar materials bearing on the performance of either the Player or the Club, except that recognized annual Player awards for playing excellence shall not be excluded; (3) Offers made by either Player or Club prior to arbitration; (4) The cost to the parties of their representatives, attorneys, etc., (5) Salaries in other sports or occupations. 4 After a detailed review of these criteria, it is my recommendation that Mr. Rasmus be paid a salary of $7,450,000 for the 2014 MLB season.

II. Quality of Player’s Contributions During Past Season

Table 2.1: Colby Rasmus Offensive Production 2013 (American League CF Rank) 5

Season Games PA Hits HR RBI Runs SB BA OBP SLG OPS

2013 118 458 115 22 (5) 66 (6) 57 0 .276 .338 .501 .839

In 2013, Colby Rasmus played in 118 games and produced a .276/.338/.501 slash line with 22 homeruns and 66 RBI. Despite being placed on the DL two separate times during the second half of the season (See Section VI, Table 6.1; pp. 13), Mr. Rasmus still ranked highly

1 MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement. “2012–2016 Basic Agreement”, Article VI (E) § 10(a)-(b). pp. 20-21. http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf. 2 Id. at § 12(a). 3 Id. 4 Id. at § 12(b). 5 Sortable Stats: CF. Yahoo Sports. 2013. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/stats/byposition?pos=CF&conference=AL&year=season_2013&qualified=1&sort=6

4 among regular American League centerfielders in several offensive statistics; he finished tied for 3rd in homeruns (22), tied for 5th in RBI (66), and would have placed 7th in batting average (.276) and 2nd in OPS (.839) had he qualified in those categories. However, he only ranked 15th in runs scored (57), 15th in walks (47), was 3rd in strikeouts (149), and finished last in stolen bases (0). 5 On the Blue Jays, Mr. Rasmus placed 4th in batting average, homeruns, and RBI; and 5th on the team in runs scored. He was a productive player when healthy and on the field in 2013; however, he was not selected to the All-Star game, nor did he receive any season awards or honors.

III. Length and Consistency of Career Contributions

Table 3.1: Colby Rasmus Career Offensive Production (Top-10 MLB Rank by Position) 6

Season Games PA Hits HR RBI Runs SB BA OBP SLG OPS 2009 147 520 119 16 52 72 3 .251 .307 .407 .714 2010 144 534 128 23 (6) 66 85 (T9) 12 .276 .361 (5) .498 (1) .859 (2) 2011 129 526 106 14 53 75 5 .225 .298 .391 .688 2012 151 625 126 23 (5) 75 (6) 75 4 .223 .289 .400 .689

2013 118 458 115 22 (3) 66 (5) 57 0 .276 .338 .501 .839

Totals 689 2663 594 98 312 364 24 .248 .317 .436 .753

162 Game Avg. 162 626 140 23 73 86 6 .248 .317 .436 .753

Colby Rasmus was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 28th pick in the 1st round of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Russell County HS in Seale, AL. 7 He spent 4 seasons in the Cardinals’ minor league system and was named as the organization’s 29th best prospect in 2007, 5th best prospect in 2008, and 3rd best prospect in 2009. 8 On April 7th, 2009, Mr. Rasmus made his Major League debut and has been on a Major League 25-man roster since. He has appeared in more than 120 games in each of his five seasons, playing in more than 144 games three times. In his pre-arbitration years (2009-2011), Mr. Rasmus averaged 140 games played with a .251/.322/.432 slash line. He averaged 18 homeruns and 57 RBI, and scored 77 runs per season. He finished 8th in the 2009 Rookie of the Year voting as a member of the Cardinals playoff team that season. In 2010, he lead all MLB centerfielders with a .498 SLG% and was 2nd in OPS (.859). On July 27th, 2011, he was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Toronto Blue Jays. Shortly following the trade, Mr. Rasmus spent 23 days on the DL with a right wrist injury (See Section VI, Table 6.1; pp. 13). He finished the season with his worst statistical output at that point in his career.

6 Id. 7 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 8 Colby Rasmus Minors Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=rasmus001col

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In 2012, Mr. Rasmus hit .223/.289/.400 with career bests in homeruns (23), RBI (75) and games played (151). Among regular MLB centerfielders, he ranked 6th and 7th in homeruns and RBI, respectively. However, his batting average and on-base percentage again declined and were the lowest of his career. Colby Rasmus put together his strongest statistical season in 2013, producing a .276/.338/.501 slash line with 22 homeruns and 66 RBI. His .276 batting average and .501 SLG% were career highs. He placed 4th on the Blue Jays in batting average, homeruns, and RBI and 5th in runs scored. Among regular MLB centerfielders, Mr. Rasmus tied for 3rd in homeruns, tied for 5th in RBI, and would have finished 7th in batting average had he qualified.

Table 3.2: Colby Rasmus Career Splits – Home & Away 9

Platform Year Career

G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS Rogers Center (Home) 61 237 14 38 31 0 .288 .913 154 599 23 70 72 2 .233 .715

Away 57 221 8 28 26 0 .262 .761 535 2064 75 242 292 22 .255 .768

As shown in Table 3.2, Colby Rasmus was a more productive hitter at his home ballpark (Rogers Center) than he was in away games in 2013. He posted higher numbers in homeruns, RBI, runs scored, batting average and OPS. However, throughout his entire career, Mr. Rasmus has hit for a higher batting average and OPS away from the Rogers Center. Over the course of 535 home games at his current rate, he is projected to hit 80 homeruns, 243 RBI, and score 250 runs to go along with his .233 batting average and .715 OPS. Aside from projected homeruns, those estimations are slightly lower than his statistics away from the Rogers Center over the same sample size in his career. His value to the organization cannot be inflated due to a significant home hitting advantage, as he has shown he is about the same hitter at home as he is on the road.

IV. Past Compensation

Colby Rasmus earned the $400,000 league minimum as a rookie in 2009. In 2010, Mr. Rasmus earned $418,000, a 4.5% rise in compensation from the previous year as the league minimum remained at $400,000. In 2011, his last year of pre-arbitration, the Cardinals gave Mr. Rasmus a 5.9% raise as the league minimum only rose by 3.5%. He earned $443,000 that season, which was nearly 7% more than the league minimum. In his 1st year of Arbitration, Mr. Rasmus and the Blue Jays avoided arbitration and agreed to a $2.7M salary for the 2012 season. 10 His 2012 salary represented nearly a 510% increase in salary. On January 14th, 2013, Mr. Rasmus and the Blue Jays again avoided

9 Id. 10 “Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration With Colby Rasmus”. MLBTradeRumors.com. Mike Axisa. 1/15/12. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/01/blue-jays-avoid-arbitration-with-colby-rasmus.html

6 arbitration in his 2nd year of eligibility and agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.675M. 11 His 2013 salary represented a 73% increase from his 2012 salary and was higher than the league average. 12

Table 4.1: Colby Rasmus Compensation History Club – Year Rasmus’ Salary 13 League Minimum 14 Cardinals – 2009 $400,000 $400,000 Cardinals – 2010 $418,000 $400,000 Cardinals – 2011 $443,000 $414,000 Club – Year Rasmus’ Salary League Average Blue Jays – 2012 $2,700,000 $3,213,479 15 Blue Jays – 2013 $4,675,000 $3,625,923 16

2014 is the Player’s 3rd year of arbitration eligibility.

V. Comparative Baseball Salaries

In order to determine the most accurate and fair compensation for Colby Rasmus’ 2014 season, we can study comparable players from recent arbitration classes that serve as relative examples. Important criteria to be compared include similar Major League service time, career games played, and total career plate appearances. This information can be used to weigh the value of their platform years and compare the consistency of the players’ career production. Three players from recent 3rd Year Arbitration Eligible classes that meet these criteria and can be used as fair comparisons are Shin-Soo Choo (Reds - 2012), Outfielder Michael Bourn (Braves - 2011) and Outfielder (Red Sox - 2012). Using their career statistics as relative measurements, we can compare and contrast their career production and use their 3rd year arbitration salaries as fair precedents in determining Mr. Rasmus’ 2014 salary.

11 “Blue Jays, Rasmus avoid arbitration with one-year deal”. MLB.com. Gregor Chisholm. 1/14/13. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130114&content_id=40960096&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb 12 Table 4.1. 13 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 14 “MLB Minimum Salary To Increase To $414,500 In 2011”. SB Nation. Eric Stephen. 12/15/10. http://www.truebluela.com/2010/12/15/1870945/mlb-minimum-salary-to-increase-to-414000-in-2011 15 “Average salary hits record $3.2M”. ESPN.com. Associated Press. 12/7/12. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8724285/mlb-average- salary-38-percent-32-million 16 “Top Team Payrolls”. USAToday.com. 2013. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mlb/salaries/2013/all/team/all/

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a. Colby Rasmus (2013) vs. Shin-Soo Choo (2012)

Table 5.1: Comparative Hitting Statistics between Colby Rasmus 17 and Shin-Soo Choo 18 Platform Career

MLS G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS WAR G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS WAR Rasmus 5.000 118 458 22 66 57 0 .276 .840 4.6 689 2663 98 312 364 24 .248 .753 12.4 Choo (2012) 5.119 155 686 16 67 88 7 .283 .815 3.4 699 2965 83 373 390 85 .289 .847 21.4

Shin-Soo Choo, formerly of the before he entered his 3rd year of arbitration, provides a valuable basis of comparison for Mr. Rasmus. As seen in Table 5.1, Mr. Rasmus and Mr. Choo accumulated similar totals in career games played and career plate appearances through 5+ years of Major League service. In their respective platform years, Mr. Choo hit for a higher batting average (+7 points), scored more runs (+31) and stole more bases (+7) as he played in 37 more games and amassed 228 more plate appearances. However, Mr. Rasmus exemplified more power as he hit 6 more homeruns and produced a higher OPS (+25 points). Throughout their careers, Mr. Choo has been a more productive player in most key statistics. He has hit for a better batting average (+41 points), driven in more runs (+61), scored more runs (+26), stole more bases (+61), and hit for an OPS that was 94 points higher than Mr. Rasmus. Through 5+ years, the only category Mr. Rasmus outperformed Mr. Choo in is homeruns (+15).

Table 5.2: Yearly Defensive Comparisons Between Colby Rasmus 19 and Shin-Soo Choo 20 Fielding % (Chances) OF Assists Range Factor / 9 Defensive WAR Rasmus Choo Rasmus Choo Rasmus Choo Rasmus Choo Pre-Arb. Season 1 .979 (285) .985 (134) 3 4 2.43 1.91 0.9 -0.5 Pre-Arb. Season 2 .981 (266) .979 (335) 1 11 2.13 2.35 -0.4 -0.5 Pre-Arb. Season 3 .981 (312) .986 (285) 4 14 2.52 2.02 -0.1 -0.1 1st Year Arb. Season .981 (317) .978 (175) 7 9 2.26 2.22 0.9 0.0 2nd Year Arb. Season .987 (313) .993 (302) 1 7 2.77 2.03 1.5 -1.9 Averages / Totals .982 (1493) .985 (1231) 16 45 2.42 2.11 2.8 -3.0 * Shin-Soo Choo became CF in 2013

Defensively, Mr. Rasmus and Mr. Choo have posted a similar career fielding percentage; but beyond that they differ greatly, partly because Mr. Choo was not a full time centerfielder until 2013. Mr. Rasmus has shown better range throughout his career in every season but one; he has also produced a much higher career defensive WAR than Mr. Choo (+5.8). Mr. Choo, however, amassed more outfield assists.

17 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 18 Shin-Soo Choo Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choosh01.shtml. 19 Colby Rasmus Stats. ESPN.com. 2013. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28973/colby-rasmus 20 Shin-Soo Choo Stats. ESPN.com. 2013. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6205/shin-soo-choo

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b. Colby Rasmus (2013) vs. Michael Bourn (2011)

Table 5.3: Comparative Hitting Statistics between Colby Rasmus 21 and Michael Bourn 22 Platform Career

MLS G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS WAR G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS WAR Rasmus 5.000 118 458 22 66 57 0 .276 .840 4.6 689 2663 98 312 364 24 .248 .753 12.4 Bourn (2011) 5.028 158 722 2 50 94 61 .294 .734 3.1 716 2663 13 158 363 234 .271 .694 13.9

Another player who serves as a valuable basis of comparison is Michael Bourn. Of the 3 comparable players, Mr. Bourn and Mr. Rasmus accumulated the most similar Major League service time entering their 3rd year of arbitration and have almost identical total career plate appearances. Despite being different types of hitters, Mr. Bourn utilizes his speed as Mr. Rasmus hits for power, their production levels are comparable because of their relative playing experience at the same position. In his platform year (2011), Mr. Bourn played in more games (+40) and hit for a better batting average (+18 points), scored more runs (+37) and stole more bases (+61). Mr. Rasmus hit for more homeruns (+20) and drove in more runs (+16) during this previous season even though he played in fewer games because of injury (See Section VI, Table 6.1; pp. 13). Comparing their respective careers, Mr. Bourn has hit for a higher batting average (+23 points) and has more career steals (+209). Mr. Rasmus hit more homeruns (+85), drove in more runs (+154) and posted a higher career OPS (+59 points).

Table 5.4: Yearly Defensive Comparisons Between Colby Rasmus 23 and Michael Bourn 24 Fielding % (Chances) OF Assists Range Factor / 9 Defensive WAR Rasmus Bourn Rasmus Bourn Rasmus Bourn Rasmus Bourn Pre-Arb. Season 1 .979 (285) 1.000 (76) 3 0 2.43 2.26 0.9 0.4 Pre-Arb. Season 2 .981 (266) .984 (305) 1 9 2.13 2.68 -0.4 0.3 Pre-Arb. Season 3 .981 (312) .992 (385) 4 11 2.52 2.59 -0.1 1.4 1st Year Arb. Season .981 (317) .992 (370) 7 8 2.26 2.78 0.9 3.5 2nd Year Arb. Season .987 (313) .991 (376) 1 6 2.77 2.47 1.5 0.0 Averages / Totals .982 (1493) .990 (1251) 16 34 2.42 2.49 2.8 5.6

Historically, Mr. Bourn has been the superior defender. In career comparisons, he posted a higher career fielding percentage, ranger factor per 9 innings, and defensive WAR value; as well as having more outfield assists than Mr. Rasmus. However, in their respective platform years Mr. Rasmus was viewed as a more valuable defender according to the

21 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 22 Michael Bourn Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bournmi01.shtml 23 Colby Rasmus Stats. ESPN.com. 2013. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28973/colby-rasmus 24 Michael Bourn Stats. ESPN.com. 2013. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28535/michael-bourn

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defensive WAR measurement despite having fewer outfield assists and a lower fielding percentage than Mr. Bourn.

c. Colby Rasmus (2013) vs. Jacoby Ellsbury (2012)

Table 5.5: Comparative Hitting Statistics between Colby Rasmus 25 and Jacoby Ellsbury 26 Platform Career

MLS G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS WAR G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS WAR Rasmus 5.00 118 458 22 66 57 0 .276 .840 4.6 689 2663 98 312 364 24 .248 .753 12.4 Ellsbury (2012) 5.037 74 323 4 26 43 14 .271 .682 1.0 581 2568 56 261 384 189 .297 .791 15.3

The third player who offers a valuable basis for comparison for Mr. Rasmus is Jacoby Ellsbury. Mr. Ellsbury’s career statistics provide a better measurement for comparison than his platform year. Through 5+ service years, both players have amassed similar totals in career plate appearances as well as only being separated by 37 days of Major League service. Mr. Ellsbury posted below average statistics in his 2012 platform year because of an injury that limited him to only 74 games. As a result, Mr. Rasmus produced a higher WAR and hit for more homeruns, drove in and scored more runs and posted a higher OPS. Mr. Ellsbury still stole more bases despite his limited playing time. In their career comparison, Mr. Ellsbury hit for a higher batting average (+ 49 points), posted a higher OPS (+ 38 points), scored more runs (+20) and had more stolen bases (+165). Mr. Rasmus hit for more career homeruns (+ 42) and drove in more runs (+51), but achieved these statistics in nearly 100 more games.

Table 5.6: Yearly Defensive Comparisons Between Colby Rasmus 27 and Jacoby Ellsbury 28 Fielding % (Chances) OF Assists Range Factor / 9 Defensive WAR Rasmus Ellsbury Rasmus Ellsbury Rasmus Ellsbury Rasmus Ellsbury Pre-Arb. Season 1 .979 (285) 1.000 (336) 3 4 2.43 2.58 0.9 1.0 Pre-Arb. Season 2 .981 (266) .994 (363) 1 4 2.13 2.49 -0.4 -0.1 Pre-Arb. Season 3 .981 (312) 1.000 (44) 4 0 2.52 2.62 -0.1 0.2 1st Year Arb. Season .981 (317) 1.000 (394) 7 6 2.26 2.61 0.9 1.1 2nd Year Arb. Season .987 (313) .982 (169) 1 2 2.77 2.44 1.5 0.5 Averages / Totals .982 (1493) .995 (1302) 16 16 2.42 2.55 2.8 2.7

Defensively, Mr. Ellsbury was the more efficient fielder in terms of fielding percentage during his first 5+ years. When comparing outfield assists, range factor per 9 innings and defensive WAR, Mr. Ellsbury and Mr. Rasmus posted similar career statistics. During their respective platform years, Mr. Rasmus performed better statistically; but it should be noted

25 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 26 Jacoby Ellsbury Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ellsbja01.shtml 27 Colby Rasmus Stats. ESPN.com. 2013. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28973/type/fielding/colby-rasmus 28 Jacoby Ellsbury Stats. ESPN.com. 2013. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28973/jacoby-ellsbury

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again that Mr. Ellsbury was plagued by a shoulder injury and played in significantly fewer games than Mr. Rasmus.

Table 5.7: Comparative Postseason Hitting Statistics between Colby Rasmus 29 and Jacoby Ellsbury 30 G PA HR RBI R SB BA OPS Rasmus 3 11 0 1 1 .444 0 .444 Ellsbury (2012) 22 77 0 11 12 .261 5 .261

Both team and individual postseason success are also valuable basis of comparison in determining a player’s organizational value. Mr. Ellsbury played in 19 more playoff games than Mr. Rasmus through 5+ years and was a member of the ’ 2007 World Series championship team. Despite posting lower statistics, Mr. Ellsbury’s postseason experience displays that he played a regular role on successful teams. Due to a much smaller sample size, it is difficult to put much weight on Mr. Rasmus’ higher postseason batting average and OPS in comparison to Mr. Ellsbury’s.

d. Comparative Players’ Leaderboard Appearances, Awards and Honors

Table 5.8: Comparative Players’ Leaderboard Appearances, Awards & Honors Player (3rd Arb. Year) MLB Leaders Appearances (Year) Awards & Honors (Year)

Shin-Choo Soo (’12) 31 1st OF Assists (’10) MVP–14 (’10) 1st Stolen Bases (’09-’11), 1st Plate Appearances (’11), Michael Bourn (’11) 32 1st Defensive WAR (’11) Gold Glove (’09) / GG, AS (’10) 1st Triples (’09), 1st Stolen Bases (’08-’09), 1st Total Bases (’11), Plate Appearances (’11), Extra Base Hits (’11), 1st OF Putouts (’11), 1st OF WS Champion (‘07) / RoY–3 (’08) / MVP–2, AS, Jacoby Ellsbury (’12) 33 Fielding % (’08, ’11), GG, SS, AL Comeback PoY (’11)

Colby Rasmus (’13) 34 None RoY–8 (’09)

A player’s statistical rankings each year serve as a fair measurement to where he stands amongst his peers and can lead to player awards and honors. Those awards and honors provide public recognition of the player’s success and help to build a player’s brand that allows him to become more marketable. More marketable players are seen as more

29 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 30 Jacoby Ellsbury Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ellsbja01.shtml 31 Shin-Soo Choo Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choosh01.shtml. 32 Michael Bourn Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bournmi01.shtml 33 Jacoby Ellsbury Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ellsbja01.shtml 34 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml.

11 valuable to an organization because the team can use the player’s strong image and public acceptance in promoting the team’s brand. In Table 5.8, we see that Mr. Ellsbury has led MLB in 7 statistical categories in his career; leading several of those categories multiple times. He has been a World Series champion, an AL All-star, gold glove and silver slugger recipient, finished 2nd in the 2011 MVP voting and won the 2011 AL Comeback Player of the Year award; he also finished 3rd in the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year vote. Mr. Bourn has ranked 1st in MLB in several statistics in his career, as well as winning two gold gloves and being named a 2010 All-star. Mr. Choo once led MLB in outfield assists and received MVP votes following the 2010 season. Mr. Rasmus has never led the MLB in any statistical category throughout his career and his only public recognition was an 8th place finish in the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

e. Comparable Players’ Compensation History

Table 5.9: Compensation History of Comparable Players Colby Rasmus 35 Shin-Choo Soo 36 Michael Bourn 37 Jacoby Ellsbury 38 Pre-Arb. Salary $400,000 (’09) $390,400 (’08) $380,000 (’07) $406,000 (’08) Pre-Arb. Salary $418,000 (’10) $420,300 (’09) $396,000 (’08) $449,500 (’09) Pre-Arb. Salary $443,000 (’11) $461,100 (’10) $434,500 (’09) $496,500 (’10) 1st Year Arb. Salary $2,700,000 (’12) $3,975,000 (’11) $2,400,000 (’10) $2,400,000 (’11) 2nd Year Arb. Salary $4,675,000 (’13) $4,900,000 (’12) $4,400,000 (’11) $8,050,000 (’12) 3rd Year Arb. Salary $7,450,000 * $7,375,000 (’13) $6,845,000 (’12) $9,000,000 (’13) * Recommended 2014 Salary

All four players received similar salaries in their pre-arbitration years relative to the league minimum during each respective year. Using the information in Table 5.9, we can analyze each player’s arbitration-year salaries. Mr. Bourn was awarded a significant raise in his 1st year of arbitration, likely setting the precedent for Mr. Ellsbury’s similar raise the following season. In his 2nd time through arbitration, he received an 83% raise in salary that was similarly followed by Mr. Rasmus two years later. Mr. Bourn maintained production levels consistent with his career averages in his 2nd arbitration year and he received a raise of nearly $2.5M. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mr. Bourn’s 2012 salary of $6,845,000 is worth an estimated $6,972,691 in 2013. 39 Of the four players, Mr. Choo earned the highest 1st year of arbitration salary after finishing in the Top-15 of MVP voting in his final year of pre-arbitration. The following year,

35 Colby Rasmus Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rasmuco01.shtml. 36 Shin-Soo Choo Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choosh01.shtml. 37 Michael Bourn Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. 2013. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bournmi01.shtml 38 Shin-Soo Choo Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choosh01.shtml. 39 “CPI Inflation Calculator.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2013. http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

12 he was unable to continue his high level of play but still finished his 4th season with slightly better career numbers than Mr. Bourn and Mr. Rasmus; and as a result, he received a $4.9M salary. In his 3rd year of arbitration, Mr. Choo was fairly consistent with his career averages and he received a 50% raise of nearly $2.5 million; likely using Mr. Bourn’s 3rd year arbitration the previous year as his precedent. Mr. Ellsbury and Mr. Rasmus earned similar 1st year arbitration salaries following their pre-arbitration years. Mr. Ellsbury experienced his best season in his 1st arbitration season; consequently, he was rewarded with a 235% raise and paid a substantially higher salary in his 2nd year of arbitration than the other three players. Following his breakout season, Mr. Ellsbury spent the majority of 2012 on the Disabled List but still received close to a $1 million increase in salary for his contributions that season. Mr. Rasmus is comparable to Mr. Choo and Mr. Bourn in that all three had relatively consistent careers through 5 years, especially in comparison to Mr. Ellsbury; however, Mr. Rasmus’ statistical career progression is most similar to Mr. Bourn. That has been reflected by him receiving similar raises as Mr. Bourn in each of his 1st two years of arbitration. In their 2nd arbitration years, the two players received similar raises – Mr. Bourn’s salary increased by 83% and Mr. Rasmus’ salary rose by 73%. In their 3rd year of arbitration, Mr. Bourn and Mr. Choo received very similar raises of 55% and 50%, respectively; setting a fair precedent for Mr. Rasmus. In his 3rd year of arbitration, it is my recommendation that Mr. Rasmus receive a slightly larger percentage increase in salary than Mr. Bourn and Mr. Choo because of the value of his power-hitting ability. My proposed salary for Mr. Rasmus in 2014 is $7,450,000, nearly a 60% raise in compensation from 2013.

VI. Existence of Mental and Physical Defects

Table 6.1: Colby Rasmus MLB Injury History 1 Date Injury Result Days on DL 15-Day DL 9/21/13 Injured Left Eye (9/21/13 – 9/29/13) 9 15-Day DL 8/14/13 Left Oblique Muscle Strain (8/12/13 – 9/13/13) 32 15-Day DL 8/27/11 Right Wrist Sprain (8/24/11 – 9/16/11) 23

Colby Rasmus has been a durable player in his career since being drafted in 2005 by the St. Louis Cardinals and has shown no evidence of physical or mental defects that would lead to his devaluation. In 2009, Mr. Rasmus accumulated 172 service days and played in 147 games after making his Major League debut on April 7 with the Cardinals. In his second full season in 2010, Mr. Rasmus played in 144 games. In 2011, Mr. Rasmus played in 129 games; 94 games for the Cardinals and then 35 games for the Toronto Blue Jays following a trade to the Blue Jays on July 27th. On August 22nd, Mr. Rasmus injured his wrist as he slammed into an outfield wall after making a catch and

13 then aggravated the injury later in the game when he rolled over his wrist attempting a sliding catch. It was originally thought to only require 2-3 days of rest, but he eventually was placed on the 15-Day DL (8/24/11 – 9/16/11) and missed 23 days with a Right Wrist Sprain. 40 In 2012, Mr. Rasmus tied for the team lead with 151 games played. In 2013, he appeared on the 15-Day DL for second time in his career and missed 32 days with a Left Oblique Muscle Strain (8/12/13 – 9/13/13). The injury occurred on August 26th after a check swing attempt against the Oakland Athletics. 41 During his rehabilitation, Mr. Rasmus suffered a “minor setback” before eventually being activated on September 13th. 42 His 2013 season ended on September 22 when he was placed on the 15-Day DL for the second time that season, and third time in his career. Mr. Rasmus injured his left eye warming up prior to the bottom of the 1st inning against the Red Sox. 43 He played in 118 games in 2013.

VII. Recent Performance of the Club

Table 7.1: Team Payroll 44 vs. Team Performance 45 Year Total Payroll Rasmus Salary Team Record Division Rank 2011 $70,317,800 - $443,000 - 81-81 - 4th - 2012 $83,739,200 +18% $2,700,000 +510% 73-89 -8 4th -

2013 $127,777,800 +53% $4,675,000 +73% 74-88 +1 5th -1

Colby Rasmus joined the Blue Jays during the 2011 season in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 27th and appeared in 35 games with the Club. Following the trade, he only hit .173 with 3 homeruns in 140 plate appearances and the Blue Jays went 28-29, finishing the season with an 81-81 record and failing to make the postseason after finishing 4th in the American League East. They finished 10th out of 14 American League teams in attendance, drawing 1,818,103 fans. 46 In his first full season with the Blue Jays in 2012, the Club had a payroll of roughly $83 million 47 and increased their season attendance to 2,099,663 fans, ranking 8th in the American League. 48 However, they again finished 4th in the American League East with a record of 73-89 and failed to qualify for postseason play. Although he set career bests in

40 “Jays’ Colby Rasmus nursing sore wrist”. Robert Macleod. The Globe and Mail. 9/24/11. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/jays-colby-rasmus-nursing-sore-wrist/article591895/ 41 “Rasmus lands on DL with strained left oblique”. Gregor Chisholm and Evan Peaslee. MLB.com. 8/14/13. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130814&content_id=56963106¬ebook_id=56966644&vkey=notebook_tor&c_id=tor 42 “Blue Jays’ Colby Rasmus suffers rehab setback”. Blaine Blontz. MLB Injury News. 8/27/13. http://www.mlbinjurynews.com/2013/08/blue-jays-colby-rasmus-suffers-rehab.html 43 “Colby Rasmus (eye) lands on DL”. ESPN.com. Associated Press. 9/21/13. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9704584/colby-rasmus- toronto-blue-jays-put-dl-eye-injury 44 2013 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Prospectus. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/?team=TOR 45 Toronto Blue Jays Encyclopedia. Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR 46 2011 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR/2011.shtml 47 2013 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Prospectus. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/?team=TOR 48 2012 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR/2012.shtml

14 games played, homeruns and RBI, his contributions were not enough to help propel the Club to the playoffs as he also set career worsts in strikeouts, batting average and on-base percentage. Through free agency and trade acquisitions, the Club added multiple All-star players including a former Cy Young and an NL Batting Champion; increasing their payroll by nearly $45 million for the 2013 season.49 As a result, the Blue Jays jumped to 6th in the American League in attendance as they drew 2,536,562 fans. 50 However, the Blue Jays finished last in the AL East with a 74-88 record. Despite finishing tied for 3rd in homeruns and tied for 5th in RBI among regular MLB centerfielders, Mr. Rasmus only placed 4th on the Club in homeruns and RBI; and was 5th in runs scored. His contributions during 2013 were limited by 44 games due to injury and again were not enough to help the team secure a postseason birth.

VIII. Conclusion

Table 8.1: Colby Rasmus’ Ranks Among Blue Jays & MLB Centerfielders Rank Amongst Blue Jays 51 GP BA HR RBI R SB OBP SLG OPS

2011 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2012 151 (T1st) .223 (9th) 23 (3rd) 75 (2nd) 75 (2nd) 4 (8th) .289 (8th) .400 (6th) .689 (6th)

2013 118 (5th) .276 (4th) 22 (4th) 66 (4th) 57 (5th) 0 (14th) .338 (5th) .501 (2nd) .840 (4th) Rank Amongst MLB Centerfielders 52 GP BA HR RBI R SB OBP SLG OPS

2011 129 (22nd) .225 (21st) 14 (13th) 53 (14th) 75 (16th) 5 (-) .298 (21st) .391 (17th) .688 (20th) 2012 151 (6th) .223 (18th) 23 (5th) 75 (6th) 75 (12th) 4 (-) .289 (18th) .400 (13th) .689 (17th) 2013 118 (21st) .276 (7th)* 22 (T3rd) 66 (T5th) 57 (18th) 0 (Last) .338 (6th)* .501 (3rd)* .840 (4th)* * Had He Qualified for League Leaders

Since Mr. Rasmus joined the Blue Jays in July 2011, they have had two consecutive losing seasons and have accumulated a 175-206 record (.459 Win %) even as the Club has increased payroll by nearly $60 million since the end of the 2011 season. 53 Although his career has steadily progressed offensively, Mr. Rasmus has not led the Blue Jays in any major offensive category, nor has he won any league awards or honors. Playing in Toronto has not led to an offensive home-field advantage either; compared to his splits away from the Rogers Center. Recent comparable players examined in this proposal have had more balanced careers offensively and have received more recognition for their performances. After never having

49 2013 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Prospectus. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/?team=TOR 50 2013 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR/2013.shtml 51 Id. 52 "Sortable Statistics". MLB.com http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp#elem=[object+Object]&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+hitting&game_type=%27R%27& season=2013&season_type=ANY&league_code=%27MLB%27§ionType=sp&statType=hitting&page=1&ts=1380653143299&position=% 278%27&sortColumn=ops&sortOrder=%27desc%27&extended=0&playerType=QUALIFIER&timeframe=&sportCode=%27mlb%27&split= &team_id=&active_sw=&page_type=SortablePlayer&results=&perPage=50&last_x_days= 53 2013 Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Prospectus. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/?team=TOR

15 spent time on the DL while a member of the Cardinals, Mr. Rasmus has been placed on the 15- Day DL three times in his 2+ seasons with the Blue Jays. Mr. Rasmus does provide valuable power-hitting production as a centerfielder and that, combined with annual inflation in salaries, is a major reason for my recommendation that he receive a similar salary increase that Mr. Bourn and Mr. Choo received in each of their respective 3rd year of arbitration. After careful review of the criteria set forth by the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement, 54 my recommendation that the Club pay Colby Rasmus a salary of $7,450,000 for the 2014 season is a fair level of compensation for the Player given the value he provides the Blue Jays organization.

54 MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement. “2012–2016 Basic Agreement”, Article VI (E) § 10(a)-(b). pp. 20-21. http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf.