The Houston Astros and Lance Berkman agreed on a one year deal worth 10.5 million in 2005. While this may be cause for concern for his impending free agency after the season is over, it may not be as cut and dry as that. Teams are now using a one year agreement prior to an arbitration hearing as a two-fold process:
1. It avoids the dreaded arbitration hearing where the team most certainly would be force to produce evidence of slacker tendency on Lance's part. (*OWA's unamed sources, borrowed from Peter Gammons, state that the team was only preparing to present video tape of Berkman running the bases and then rest their case).
2. Buys the time necessary to work out a multi-year deal instead of preparing a court case for a panel of really disinterested arbritors.
It is very likely Berkman and the team will work out a multi-year deal prior to breaking camp to head back to Houston from Florida.
