[alnorth]

If anyone wants to cling to the hope that Hoch wont play for us or cost us money this year, perhaps...

we were working on a sign-and-trade and someone's interested but we couldn't finalize it before the 30th. We reach a deal with someone for say $1.5MM and a prospect, then we go to Hoch and say "hey, you need to sign this. If you don't, an arbitration contract isn't guaranteed, we'll just cut you in spring and only owe you 1/6 of whatever you wind up with in arbitration."

The flaw with that theory is if I'm Hoch I'll say "ok, fine. Cut me, I'll take the money you have to pay me even if its not the full $4MM, plus go be a free agent for someone else"