Jays save big on arbitration day

On the day of the arbitration deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays have once again struck a bargain. It was announced early that the Jays reached an agreement with newly acquired OF Michael Saunders for $2.875M in 2015.

This was the first save of the day with MLB trade rumours projecting him to earn $2.9M through arbitration. Saunders earned $2.3M with the Mariners in 2014 and will surely be a significant discount if he can prove himself healthy in the 2015 season.

The big bargain for the Jays came a little later however as Alex Anthopoulos avoided arbitration with pitcher Marco Estrada signing for $3.9M this season. Again, the Jays saved big on this move as MLB trade rumours projected Estrada to earn $4.7M next season through arbitration, $800,000 more than this his actual signing. 

"The Jays acquired Estrada in a trade earlier this off-season from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for first-baseman .  Estrada’s future with the club has yet to be determined. While he has the ability to start, an already crowded rotation may leave him out of the picture and, instead, in the bullpen come April this year. Adam Lind"

"In total, the Jays saved around $825,000 on the day, which will be instrumental in the future if the Jays have to go to arbitration with superstar . Donaldson to earn $4.5M through arbitration, up from the $500,000 he made last season. Josh Donaldson MLB trade rumours projects"

"Even if Donaldson ends up costing the Jays $4.5M through arbitration, the Jays should be able to sleep comfortably knowing they saved on players when it mattered most."