FanHouse Darren Oliver

All in all, 24 players were offered arbitration by last night's midnight deadline, including 15 Type A free agents and nine Type B. Players are classified using a rating system created by Elias Sports Bureau to determine the level of compensation a team receives if a player refuses arbitration and signs elsewhere.

Most of the time, Type A free agents are elite players who are all but certain to refuse the offer in anticipation of receiving multiyear offers on the open market. This year's Type A free agents to receive offers include: A.J. Burnett, Orlando Cabrera, Juan Cruz, Brian Fuentes, Orlando Hudson, Raul Ibanez, Derek Lowe, Darren Oliver, Oliver Perez, Manny Ramirez, Francisco Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Mark Teixeira and Jason Varitek.

If any of those players refuse arbitration to sign elsewhere, their new teams will have to cough up two draft picks as compensation. That said, most of them are so talented that the prospect of losing a draft pick or two won't intimidate interested suitors. In other words, if you're favorite team is committed to signing Manny, losing a measly draft pick or two won't stop it. But for older players who only have one or two productive seasons left (Oliver, Varitek: I'm looking at you), losing draft picks is something worth thinking twice about.

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.

The Angels led the majors with 100 wins, but in hindsight they were something of a paper tiger, quietly bowing out of the playoffs in four games against the Red Sox. What happened? For starters, their lineup was exposed.

This is a team that ranked 10th in the AL in runs scored, and with the exception of Mark Teixeira, who did most of his damage with the Braves, no one on this team topped 100 RBI. The heart of the lineup (Teixeira, Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter) did its job, but the supporting cast simply didn't support. Over the course of a long regular season, this team racked up wins thanks to a outstanding pitching staff, but in a short playoff series, cold bats killed this team's chances.

Arte Moreno is willing to spend big to keep his team in the hunt, but even his pockets have a limit ... right? Is he willing to break the bank to retain his own blue-chip free agents, Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez, and throw his hat in the CC Sabathia sweepstakes? We'll have to wait and see.

Not that you should run around hitting babies, mind you. Sure, sometimes they deserve it, but it doesn't make it right.

Anyway, Darren Oliver isn't exactly having a great time as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Last season in New York with the Mets, Oliver went 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA as a member of one of the best pens in the NL. He signed a one-year deal with the Angels, and he's not holding up his end of the bargain so far.

[The Angels] signed Darren Oliver to a one-year, $1.75-million deal last winter after the veteran went 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 45 games for the Mets last season, but Oliver has an 18.90 ERA in seven games so far, and opponents are batting .529 against him in 3 1/3 innings.

Oliver pitched six times in the first two weeks, but his rocky outing Saturday, when he gave up three runs and three hits and retired one batter, was his first appearance since April 14.

"Like most relievers, he needs regular work," Scioscia said. "I thought his stuff looked good [Saturday]. Some hits fell in, but I think he's going to be fine."

.529!? Is he throwing underhand?

See, this is why if I ever have a son, I'm going to tie his right arm behind his back. I'm going to make sure he grows up to be left handed, and then all I have to do is teach him to throw. No matter how bad you suck, if you can throw a strike occasionally as a lefty, there will always be a job for you in baseball.