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"Repeated Failures to Comply with His Contract"

Edgy MD
May 22 2015 07:18 AM

The Dodgers have been perhaps the biggest investors in Cuban talent in recent years, but one of those apples has mysteriously soured as they have remarkably suspended infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena for the remainder of the season, according to a brief and cryptic announcement that cited "repeated failures to comply with his contract."

He hasn't played at all this season, but is under a five-year, $25 million contract. Nothing in the announcement I've read clarifies whether his pay will be withheld. He presumably has an agent, but fighting this decision means the dirt the Dodgers are keeping just below the surface will come up.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/d ... story.html

It's probably just a refusal to get in shape and a stinky attitude, but... .

MFS62
May 22 2015 07:28 AM
Re: "Repeated Failures to Comply with His Contract"

Maybe he misspelled his name when he signed the contract. (j/k)
From the story, it appears that he has repeatedly violated a team/contract rule put in there for him and not an MLB rule. Unless the contract is made public, we won't know what provisions have been violated. For all we know, it could have been something relatively benign, like a "Don't ride motorcycles" (Jeff Kent) or "Don't ski"(Lim Lonborg) type of clause.

Later

Edgy MD
May 22 2015 07:31 AM
Re: "Repeated Failures to Comply with His Contract"

I'm sure it'll come out within the week, public contract or no.

Frayed Knot
May 22 2015 07:52 AM
Re: "Repeated Failures to Comply with His Contract"

I remember when the Yanx terminated the contract of a Cuban player after they were shocked ... SHOCKED!! to discover that he had lied about his age. That this came right on the heels of them signing El Duque, who was blatantly lying about his age, wasn't a conflict in their minds. Translation: Duque was better than we expected while this other dude was far worse. (IIRC they eventually settled with the player for a small amount, but I forget his name and he never played in the majors and maybe ever formally in the minors either).

Switch gears to the Dodgers. They hit a jackpot with Yasiel Puig as baseball folks were stunned at the size and length of his contract when first signed -- he was a barely known figure at the time and others didn't see whatever it was that the Dodgers did. They've since signed several more Cuban emitters and one can imagine a situation where they think they've got this whole thing figured out and that everyone they sign is destined to be a future star. But maybe this one isn't and the team is looking for ways to get out from under his deal. Doesn't mean he isn't screwing up also, but how teams opt to handle violations often varies with the offending player's output on the field. Puig, for example, hasn't been an angel or on off the field either but I think the worst punishment he's seen to date is being sat for a game.