The Oakland Athletics have made several roster moves today in light of today's deadline to tender contracts to players under year-to-year control. The A's officially announced that they have agreed to a one-year arbitration settlement with Felix Doubront and declined to tender a contract to first baseman Ike Davis, making Davis a free agent. Doubront will earn $2 million if he stays on the big league team, according to the Associated Press, and $500,000 of it is guaranteed. It is not yet known whether all others eligible for a contract tender will be tendered a contract.
Earlier today, Craig Gentry elected free agency rather than accept outright assignment to the minor leagues, according to Athletics Farm's Bill Moriarity.
Left-handed relief pitcher Daniel Coulombe cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Nashville Sounds. Coulombe does not have the right to elect free agency, as this his first outright assignment and he has less than three years of major league service time.
★ ★ ★
Ike Davis was expected to earn $3.8 million at arbitration according to the model at MLB Trade Rumors. Doubront, $2.5 million. There had been rumors earlier this week that Doubront was considering jobs in the Korean Baseball Organization.
Non-tender candidates will sometimes accept a much lower deal then they would have earned at arbitration if the alternative is a non-tender. Last year, for example, Ike Davis was projected to earn $4.4 million by the MLB Trade Rumors model but signed a settlement for $3.8 million at the non-tender deadline.
It's still a rather curious move because the A's still have to figure out what they're going to do with left-handed pitcher Sean Nolin, who, like Doubront, is out of options and would have to go to the bullpen if he doesn't earn a spot in the 2016 rotation. With the $500,000 guarantee, the A's have an insurance policy against a pitching roster that seems to have a long injury history.
★ ★ ★
The A's still have to make decisions on offering major league contract to arbitration-eligible players on the bubble such as Sam Fuld, Eric Sogard, and Evan Scribner. Arbitration-eligible reliever Fernando Abad was outrighted to the minor leagues and does not have to be tendered a minor league contract until January 15.
Note: The initial version of this story indicated that all other players besides Ike Davis and Craig Gentry were tendered contracts. It is not yet known which arbitration-eligible players will or will not be tendered contracts.