arbitration offers for Lackey, Figgins

The Angels offered arbitration to Lackey and Figgins, which was certainly a no-brainer. Not offering to Vlad was another obvious choice since he would get at least $12M. (Though it pains me to think Vlad will have trouble finding a job, he would not be worth that salary. Sometimes a FO needs to execute painful decisions if it makes the club better.)

The head-scratcher was not offering to Oliver. Oliver is a Type A, so if he signs elsewhere, they could've gotten a first-round draft pick and a supplemental. More likely, he would have accepted since most other teams would balk at forfeiting a first-rounder for a middle reliever. Some in the halosphere point out that Oliver most certainly would have gotten a raise in arbitration. That would put him at ~$4M and much higher than what he would have gotten on the open market, since there's a surplus of relievers. If they're right, then this is a payroll move. Me? I'm not convinced it was a great move. They may save a few mil, but the FO be kicking themselves if they guessed wrong. Oliver was the lone lefty in the bullpen and was very effective. If he goes to another team (Texas??) then it would be a double blow when you think of those lovely draft picks they could've picked up.