Hideki Matsui will hit the open market this winter.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- The Yankees declined to offer salary arbitration to World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Andy Pettitte, a move that means New York would not receive draft picks as compensation if they sign with other teams.

Tuesday night was the first big deadline of baseball's off-season, with teams having until midnight to make arbitration offers to their former players who became free agents. Players have until Dec. 7 to accept; if they reject, they still can re-sign with their former clubs at any time.

As of early evening, 14 players had received arbitration offers and just five of them were position players: St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday and third baseman Mark DeRosa; Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre, Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez and Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd.

Pitchers offered arbitration included Detroit's Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney; Oakland's Justin Duchscherer; Atlanta's Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano; Colorado's Rafael Betancourt and Jason Marquis; Houston's Jose Valverde; and St. Louis' Joel Pineiro.

Among those declined arbitration were Detroit pitcher Jarrod Washburn, Seattle lefty and Ottawa native Erik Bedard, Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado, Milwaukee centre-fielder Mike Cameron and Kansas City catcher Miguel Olivo.

Before 2006, players not offered arbitration could not re-sign with their former clubs from Dec. 8-April 30, but that provision was eliminated in the latest collective bargaining agreement.

Teams losing top free agents, as defined by a complicated statistical formula, get draft picks next June as compensation if those free agents were offered arbitration by their former clubs.

Type A free agents are among the top 20 per cent of players at their position, as defined by the formula created in the 1981 strike settlement, and Type B are from 21-40 per cent. Teams receive two extra draft picks if they lose a Type A player and one if they lose a Type B.

One free agent agreed to a contract Tuesday, with catcher Brian Schneider getting a US$2.75 million, two-year deal from Philadelphia to backup Carlos Ruiz.