Tomorrow is the deadline for teams to offer their free agents arbitration, which would ensure that they don’t sign elsewhere without their previous team receiving anything in return.

The Phillies don’t figure to offer arbitration to Rudy Seanez or Tom Gordon, but offers to Pat Burrell and Jamie Moyer seem likely, according to MLB.com’s Ken Mandel.

Having to do one year arbitration contracts with Moyer and Burrell is really the worst-case scenario. Todd Zolecki thinks the Phils may not offer Burrell arbitration, as they may not want to pay $14 million or maybe more for 1 year for him. This could limit the Phillies options as it relates to signing free agents, Zolecki believes.

I don’t think the Phillies should let the potential of having to sign Burrell for 1 year at a higher number than what he would average for a multi-year deal deter them from still offering him arbitration. Letting Burrell walk for nothing, as compared to 2 draft picks should he sign elsewhere, seems like bad business to me.

The real surprise is that Moyer and the Phillies have been unable to reach a contract agreement. For a couple of weeks we’ve been led to believe that it was simply scheduling, and that there was no rush. Now it seems like there may be more to this than simply getting Ruben Amaro and Moyer’s agents calendars lined up. The Phillies should tread carefully on anything exceeding 1 year guaranteed. I’d love to see the Phils sign Moyer to 1 year guaranteed with a second year that would vest based on starts in 2009.

Diminutive Fox baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal has more on Big Monday.