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The non-tendering of Joe Saunders was some of this offseason’s least-surprising news. Maybe it doesn’t happen even 10 years ago, but in today’s world, with the access to advanced statistics and theories about market efficiency we have, it was basically inevitable.

Being non-tendered doesn’t make Saunders a bad pitcher, though. Between that and the subsequent lack of job offers from other teams, about all non-tendered means is that Saunders isn’t worth the substantial salary of $8-9 million that he was in line for via arbitration. Nor is he worth the three years and $27 million his agent was looking for. You could say that about plenty of pitchers, though, many of whom are worse than Saunders.

Saunders is worth roughly what the Diamondbacks offered him before they non-tendered him. The two-year, $12 million offer that Saunders’ camp rejected is in line with his past performance and what can be expected of him in the future. He’s not the sexiest option out there, but he seems to get the job done enough to justify his rotation spot. With the value of a win on free agency something around $5 million, $6 million a year for Saunders — who has averaged just over two wins above replacement a year since becoming a full-time starter in 2008 — is a good deal for both sides. Saunders might be realizing this soon, if he hasn’t already, given it’s nearly mid-January, and he remains unemployed.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/1/11/2699467/joe-saunders-free-agent-contract-mlb-rumors

Thanks to Mike Fast for his invaluable assistance

Read More: mlb free agency 2012, Jon Garland (P – SDP), Joe Saunders (P – ARI), Mark Buehrle (P – FLA), Ricky Romero (P – TOR), Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks

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