While a couple more arbitration hearings were averted Thursday, here's a few tidbits of note:
- The Rockies have a uniquely structured minor-league deal with Jason Giambi, blogs Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Giambi will earn a salary of $850,000 this season or a $250,000 buyout if he's cut during Spring Training (which is unlikely, according to Renck). There's also a mutual option for 2012 worth $1MM with a $150,000 buyout. Finally, Giambi can request that he be released on two separate dates (March 31 and June 1) if he's not on the 25-man roster at those times.
- The Mets' incentive-laden, one-year deal with Chris Young is structured such that the right-hander will earn bonuses for a variety of benchmarks, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. On top of his $1.5MM base salary, Young can earn as much as $1,525,000 for starts Nos. 10-31 and $1,875,000 for innings 70-180.
- The Mets' one-year pact with Scott Hairston is a Major League deal, contrary to some earlier reports, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and is worth $1.1MM in base salary and $400,000 in incentives.
- Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox's 44-year-old knuckleballer, says he hasn't ruled out the possibility of pitching beyond 2011, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. Wakefield, entering his 16th season with Boston, is in the final year of a two-year deal he signed prior to the 2010 campaign. It's far too soon to guess whether Wakefield would pitch for another team or if one would be interested in him after 2011, but because the knuckleball is relatively easy on the arm, it stands to reason someone might take a flier on him to eat innings in a swing role.
Still hoping Wake sticks around to get 14 more wins with the Red Sox.
Mindy McCready agrees with you.
Funny thing about Wakefield is he is going to be more or less fighting for a job on the Boston staff this spring unfortunately and he is just as good as somebody like Kevin Millwood, who is still out there looking to swindle some team out of 3-5m this off season, all the while Wake just making 2m.
Would be a real shame if Boston cut ties with Wake and whole heartedly agree with him getting a chance to win 200 games with just Boston, much less 200 total. A real class act.
I would be stoked to see Wake hold the wins record for the Sox but it’s near impossible to expect when you factor in his age, back, and the sox entrenched starting 5!
Come on Tim, I know you can make it to 50!
If you DFA someone, do they have to pass through the waiver system or are they automatically in your minor league system?
Reason I ask is because some mets fan on here was really high on Pridie…
EDIT: Okay, I could have swore the two Mets DFA’s were in this topic a second ago. I’m not crazy!
Yeah, it looks like this thread got split into 3… either that or insanity is contagious over the net.
Stoner?…lol
Still in high school?
my bad…i don’t know why this got posted in here…it was supposed to go in the thread about the Met’s dfa of tobi stoner.
Wakefield is on a two year deal? What happened to the perpetual $4MM team option setup?
They declined his option and instead signed him to a two-year deal last winter.
Anyone have comparisons that support or refute a “if Jamie Moyer can do it…” argument?
Wake is 44, not 45, just a little FYI.
Good news for the American League. Two of my favorite moments of the season involved Wake: The Nelson Cruz first pitch walk off HR and an at-bat for Ty Wigginton where he literally lifted up his front foot half a foot off the ground to time the swing and hit a laser over the wall.
Wake is a wonderful individual but his career is in serious doubt. Was last year the result of skills gone south or recovery from surgery? In 2010 he was just awful. Didn’t the Sox lose 14 of his 19 starts? Anyways, a strong ST and a return to past abilities could be a huge plus when a starter misses – and they will – some time.