Brian Jordan and Eddie Perez decline arbitration offers
Brian Jordan and Eddie Perez, who each endured injury-riddled seasons in 2005, rejected their respective arbitration offers from the Braves, as was expected. Jordan may sign a minor league contract with the team and compete for a backup outfield spot. There looks to be no room for Perez on the Braves’ major league roster given last year’s emergence of youngster Brian McCann and the offseason signing of veteran backstop Todd Pratt.
Meanwhile, the team offered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible unsigned players except Jim Brower and Wes Obermueller. The team will likely look to recently-acquired relievers such as Oscar Villareal and Lance Cormier in addition to those in its deep farm system to give them better performance than Brower did last season (and at a cheaper price). Obermueller might also be signed to a minor league contract and provide added bullpen depth from the right side. Marcus Giles, Chris Reitsma, Horacio Ramirez, Jorge Sosa, and Oscar Villareal were tendered contracts by the Braves. Each of those players will either agree to a contract with the team or else have a salary assigned through arbitration hearings that will take place between February 1st and 20th.
