TAMPA — Yankees manager Joe Girardi knows how hard salary arbitration hearings can be for players.
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman throws 1st bullpen of 2017
“From a financial point, there are so many good things in this game, but this is the part that sometimes gets a little ugly,” he said Wednesday, the first day of pitchers and catchers workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Girardi’s trusted set-up man, Dellin Betances, was notably absent.
Betances will shun Yankees workouts until an arbitrator decides how much money the Yankees will pay him in 2017. The decision will come during a hearing Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, Betances filed for a $5 million paycheck in 2017. The Yankees offered $3 million. The arbitrator will have to pick who’s right. There’s no middle ground.
The sides tried to agree before deciding to let an arbitrator rule, but they never got close, owner Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday. Steinbrenner said he’s not upset with Betances missing workouts.
Betances, a three-time All-Star, has a 1.93 ERA since joining the Yankees’ bullpen full time in 2014. The Yankees drafted him out of high school in New York City in 2006. He grew up a Yankees fan.
Hal won’t commit to Girardi
“It’s been a number of years since we’ve been through this but the process is what the process is. We love Dellin,” the owner said. “He knows that. He’s great to the organization, came up through the ranks. It’s just a procedural thing.”
Girardi said the same.
“Obviously, you want all your players in camp when it starts because you want to make sure they’re prepared,” the manager said. “He’s going to the (World Baseball Classic), so you want to make sure he’d prepared. So I know he’s doing work. I understand why he’s not here. It’s an excused absence from us. But you never want to see someone not here.”
Still, Girardi cautioned that things could go badly at the hearing.
“One side’s arguing why you should get the money, and the other side’s going to bring up things why you shouldn’t get the money,” he said. “It’s just something you have to deal with. Hopefully it’s just a one-time thing that we go through this.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Betances posted a photo to social media to show he’s not slacking on his training:
Got my side session in today feeling great!!! #teamjordan
Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
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