The Angels are apparently going to try dangling three-year deals to their four arbitration-eligible players.
Frankie, Figgy, Lackey and Shields will likely be offered as much as they would request in arbitration for the first of the three years.
If any one of them were to have an amazing season, the pay raise over the next two seasons will not be the huge leap that a great year would ordinarily demand.
The trade-off is that if they get injured, the fact that they will be getting a payday at all is the motivation for them to sign.
The Angels did this many years ago, netting them bargains for Edmonds, Anderson and Salmon. They got stuck with DiSarcina's lousy final few years, too, so it works both ways.
Here is hoping they get these deals done. The financial certainty it gives the club makes everything run smoother. These offers are yet another benefit of not signing Paul Konerko.