Adam LaRoche turned down a deal from the Giants, but he tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that it's not the deal everyone thinks he turned down. When LaRoche signed a one-year $6MM deal with the D'Backs, he and his agent were criticized for turning down a two-year $17.5MM deal from the Giants. But LaRoche says their offer wasn't that simple.
"It actually wasn't a two-year deal," he said. "It was two years with three or four year options. It wasn't a two-year $17 or $18MM. It came across that that's what it was, but that wasn't what it was."
LaRoche says he and his agent, Mike Milchin, didn't hear back from the Giants after making a counter-offer. He could face a similar situation next winter if he or the D'Backs decide not to pick up the $7.5MM mutual option on his contract, but says he isn't worried about it.
"I'll play a year and start over, see what happens," LaRoche said.
It’s always nice to circle back on these deals once all of the details come out. LaRoche doesn’t look like such an idiot. In a similar fashion, we have learned that Damon and Boras didn’t turn down a great offer from the Yanks. While it may have given him an extra year his annual contract average would have been lower. He was also looking at contingencies and possibly deferred compensation. Suddenly the Tigers offer does look like the best deal ever presented to Damon.
It’s the nature of the beast. For the most part this site gets accurate info. Unfortunately, some of the sources just flat out get it wrong from time to time. Not a criticism of the site, just a nice reminder that we are almost always dealing in just rumors. We shouldn’t be surprised when stories like this come out after the fact.
Well said – your post deserved more than just a “like,” especially in view of other posts that still bash LaRoche (?!), so I wanted to post accordingly.
I was one of the people talking about how insane Damon was to turn down the Yankees offer (an offer now known to have been incorrectly reported). Good to remind ourselves that 1) a lot of our info is just rumors, 2) some of the rumors are unfounded guesses by so-called “experts” who have minimal inside info, and 3) a lot more is involved than we are aware.
Regardless of the precise contract details, once you’re in the twilight of your career & have made close to 100 million over its course, why would you not prefer playing for the Yankees over a middling Tigers team? If the extra bucks are really that much more important than a chance to repeat as a world champion I’d say the Yankees are good not to have him.
Well the problem is we didn’t really get the details. LaRoche says the offer he turned down wasn’t the one publicized, but he’s kind of mum on the details of the one he did turn down.
I never considered him an idiot for turning down the Giants, or signing a one-year deal. He’s going to play in a hitter’s park, and if he puts up big numbers he will probably make more next year than any offer he did get this year. He certainly wasn’t going to put up monster numbers at AT&T.
Still sounds like he should have taken the Giants’ deal. “I’ll play a year and start over”? Way to commit to your new team. Not a guy I would want playing for me.
He signed a one year deal.. “I’ll play a year and start over”? seems like the most appropriate answer.
Not when there’s a mutual option in play. Sounds like he’s already dismissed it.
You guys are reading way to much into an out of context quote. It was in the context of what he would do if he found himself in the same position next offseason.
Sounds like he is trying to save face. When he turned down the Giants deal there were quite a few teams needing help at 1B. Not to mention his asking price was quite high. Now if he does get his option picked up he’ll make 4 million less. If he doesnt get his option picked up it will mean he’s not even worth 7.5 mill and make wayyy less then he could have if he would have signed with the Giants.
That’s only true if the deal was structured without buyouts for the option years, which is almost certainly not the case. I’m guessing the actual structure was more along the lines of 15 million the next 2 years and then 2 option years with buyouts totaling 2 to 3 million and salaries at or below market value.
all that we learned is that it was a “two year deal with 3 or 4 year options”. without the numbers it still doesnt really clear anything up.
Sounds like the package with the buyouts would have amounted to about 17.5 million. He’s not getting any younger. Guaranteed it was better than the contract he signed.
Yep…good idea Adam. Start over next year and compete with these guys…
Garrett Atkins (31) – $8.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Lance Berkman (35) – $15MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Russell Branyan (35) – $5MM mutual option
Jorge Cantu (29)
Adam Dunn (31)
Troy Glaus (34)
Nick Johnson (32) – $5.5MM mutual option with a $250K buyout
Paul Konerko (35)
Derrek Lee (35)
Carlos Pena (33)
Albert Pujols (31) – $16MM club option with a $5MM buyout
You can bet Pujols’s option will be exercised, Berkman’s option probably will (considering McLane’s mancrush on him, and that he’s a Houston hero), and Dunn won’t be a first baseman for his next contract, but rather, a DH.
It’s not amazingly impressive next year. It’s basically Lee and Pena as the first tier guys, with LaRoche probably leading the second tier players which consist of Konerko, Johnson, Cantu, Branyan, Glaus, and Atkins, in that order. So LaRoche is probably the third best option on the market. Not too bad.
A lot of things could go wrong between now and his next check. 3rd best FA is basicly a best case senaro. It’s a huge gamble.
He is clearly trying to save face.