Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel is headed for salary arbitration tomorrow. Ankiel wants $3.3 million. The Cards are offering $2.35. Things could get messy over less than one million bucks.
Basically how this works, Ankiel and the Cardinals will sit in front of a three person panel at a hotel in Phoenix and plead their case why their dollar offer should be honored. The panel makes the final decisio.
It’s not a fun process, because basically Ankiel has to listen as his team bashes him for his performance as they make their case for the lower salary, but Ankiel appears ready to face the fire. Unless a deal is reached which is unlikely, he’ll be the first Cardinal since 1999 to go to arbitration. Ankiel played in just 120 games last year because of an abdominal injury, he hit .264 with 25 homers.
The Cardinals still don’t have Ryan Ludwick signed and he could go to arbitration soon as well and he and the team are off about $1.45 million.
