MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
The Nationals made perhaps their most widely-expected move of the offseason today, offering free agent first baseman Adam Dunn arbitration. The move, confirmed by a team source, means the Nationals would get two draft picks if the slugger signs with another team.
If Dunn decided to accept arbitration, he would likely make $15-$16 million with the Nationals next season, though they'd be right back where they were this season: trying to decide whether to trade him in July or lock him up with a multi-year deal. With the signings of Aubrey Huff and Victor Martinez today, though, it's looking like this might be a favorable climate for Dunn to get the long-term deal he's been seeking, so accepting arbitration wouldn't seem to make much sense.
One more primer on how the arbitration process works: Since Dunn is a Type A free agent, the Nationals would get his new team's first-round pick and a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds if he leaves. If Dunn signs with a team picking in the top 18, though, the Nationals would get that team's second-round pick, as well as a compensatory pick. They'd also get bumped down to a second-rounder if Dunn's new team signed a higher-ranked Type A free agent than Dunn.
