And then there were two

Brandon Morrow (L) and Casey Janssen are the only arbitration-eligible Blue Jays still unsigned.

share

Second baseman Kelly Johnson ($6.375 million), outfielder Ben Francisco ($1,537,500) and swingman Carlos Villanueva ($2,277,500) each signed deals shortly before they would have had to trade numbers, but Morrow, who earned US$2.3 million last year, and Janssen, who made US$1.095 million, couldn't find enough common ground with the club.

That sets them up to become the first Blue Jays to go to arbitration since reliever Bill Risley in 1997, as general manager Alex Anthopoulos' policy is that once figures are exchanged, the club will go to a hearing unless a multiyear deal can be worked out.

Arbitrators must choose either the player's salary request or the team's offer, and hearings can sometimes lead to bad feelings as each side makes their case, perhaps saying some things the other side doesn't want to hear.

"Alex called me and said, 'Look, if we don't get something done, you know what that means, arbitration, you understand that?'" Janssen said in an interview from Manhattan Beach, Calif. "I said yes, and he wanted to reiterate that he's excited to have me come into camp regardless of the arbitration, and he won't like me less or anymore depending on if I win or lose the case.

"This is part of the business and the process…and I understand. If I was nervous about something we would have jumped at a deal, but me and my agent understand the process as well, and we're looking forward to it now."

Arbitrators do not give reasons for their decisions, creating what Anthopoulos described as a grey area in what points settle cases. He believes the way a team handles its business during the hearing can prevent bad feelings, and dismissed the notion that once a case is being argued, both sides play to win.

"I don't look at it that way," Anthopoulos said on a conference call. "We're playing to get it right, and there's no winning or losing in our mind because we take the information that we have, we do our best, come up with what we feel is right, but there's absolutely no certainty on either side that they are right...

"The theme is we like player, we want to give him a raise. We just don't agree on what the raise should be, but at the end of the day this is a positive across the board. We're just trying to find out what the right amount is and we need a little help. That's what it comes down to."

Jose Bautista's 2011 salary was nearly decided through arbitration but the team and his agent requested extra time to work out a long-term agreement just before their hearing was to begin. They worked out a US$65-million, five-year pact shortly afterwards.

This year's hearings are slated for Feb. 1-21 in St. Petersburg, Fla., and it's possible the Blue Jays would have interest in extending one or both of Morrow and Janssen.

Morrow won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2013 season, and along with ace Ricky Romero, provides some stability to a mostly unproven rotation. While he has yet to reach his potential, he remains relatively inexperienced as a starter and has a dominating repertoire to work from.

Janssen, meanwhile, can hit the open market next fall and as a reliable set-up man, could find himself in some demand. But Anthopoulos also routinely speaks of how volatile the performances of relievers can be, which makes him reluctant to make a longer commitment to a bullpen arm, though he wouldn't rule it out.

"I would be open to listening to a multiyear deal," said Janssen. "But being a year away from free agency is also exciting and that holds some weight as well. If it works, it works; it's got to work both sides in years and financially, if it were to come to that. Or I just play out next year, do our best to win a World Series, and then see what the future holds."

Either way, both are in the plans for 2012 and the Blue Jays now have about US$68.6 million committed to 18 players, including US$5.5 million to Mark Teahen, who was given his unconditional release on Tuesday.

Still to be added to that total are the salaries for Morrow and Janssen, plus renewals for players with 0-3 years of service time, numbers that should push the Blue Jays to a number around US$80 million.

That would represent a hike of about $10 million from the about $70 million that was spent on payroll in 2011.

STILL UNSIGNED:

---

Brandon Morrow Age: 27

2011 Salary: $2.3 million | Free Agent: Fall 2013

2011 Stats: 11-11, 4.72 ERA, 179.1 IP, 203 K, 1.288 WHIP

---

Casey Janssen Age: 30

2011 Salary: $1.095 million | Free Agent: Fall 2012

2011 Stats: 6-0, 2.26 ERA, 55.2 IP, 53 K, 1.096 WHIP

---

PLAYERS SIGNED AVOIDING ARBITRATION: