Jermaine Dye says that if he doesn't hear from a team about a Major League contract by the end of the spring, he may retire, reports FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. Dye, who turned 37 last week, didn't play in 2010 after failing to receive a contract to his liking. Even after missing a season, Dye is still adamant about receiving a Major League deal.
“I’m still working out. I’m still in shape. I’m still motivated,” Dye said. “If nobody wants to put me on a team, I can’t do much about that. But I’m not going to go for a minor-league contract."
Dye told Rosenthal earlier this winter that the Phillies, Rays and Rockies had been in contact with him. The veteran slugger also said he discussed a workout with the Dodgers in December but the club didn't call him back. We heard the Rockies were also interested in Dye midway through last season (along with the Padres and Rangers) and Rosenthal reports Dye was offered Major League contracts by the Cubs and Brewers last winter. The Nationals also made Dye an offer.
As Rosenthal notes, teams are hesitant to make anything more than a minor league commitment to Dye until he proves that he's still in shape and can still hit. There were already concerns about Dye's ability to play the field last winter and a year away from the game surely has teams looking at Dye as just a DH or pinch-hitting option. For his part, Dye isn't sure why clubs won't sign a healthy player but will give Major League deals to pitchers recovering from injuries.
“All these pitchers get hurt, miss the whole year and get major-league deals,” Dye said. “That’s what I don’t get.”
Dye posted a .250/.340/.453 line with the White Sox in 2009, and the team bought out his $12MM option in the offseason. Dye hinted at retirement last year too, but now it may be thrust upon him unless he's willing to accept a minor league contract.
Quality major league pitching is tougher to come by then a near replacement level veteran DH/bench bat.
If Vlad doesn’t watch it the same faith awaits him.
I belive you mean fate…..not faith
he does make a good point look at berkman and pena who both got deals over 8 mill and both had horrible years. Brandon Webb who has not pitched more than like 20 innings in 3 years gets a major league deal. What did webb show us in the 2-3 games he pitched last year? that he lost his velocity and controll yet he gets a major league deal. Damon has a horrible year by his standards(is an even worse fielder than DYE) and gets a MLB deal…dye had a solid season in 09 and has a cannon arm he should have gotten a deal this year…last year he just thought he was better then he was
Brandon Webb was awesome in 2008 and is only 32 this year.
Dye is too old, cant play defense and refuses to play for $2MM.
this is true but 2008 was no 3 seasons ago…by that notion JD was awesome in 08 too .292/.344/.541 with 34 hrs….and he cant get a job as a DH yet webb gets a guaranteed deal since 08 webb has stated 1 game pitched 4 innings and gave up 6 earned runs
And don’t forget he cries like a baby, runs his mouth when he shouldn’t which can all add up to an absolute disease in the clubhouse.
Berkman and Pena don’t come across as… jerks. I’ll go with jerks for the kids sake.
Please retire soon, so we can start the process for your HOF induction!
Joking? I sure hope so…
You know whats funny and true? Barry Bonds is one of the top 5 best free agents on the market. If he gets 300 Major League AB’s this year, he’ll easily wOBA .380. No way Branyan or Vlad does that.
Please stop!
No. Really. Think about it. I just did an article on it. Who would you rather have? Bonds, who can still get in shape. I talked to 4 sources who suggested he can get in shape in 2-6 months, perfect timing to get in big league play time in august/september. He can still draw walks, and is only 4 RBI’s away from 2000. 38 Home Runs away from 800. and theres another stat.
5 more injections away from not having any more testicles?
No. Come on. Be serious and just think about it. It’s not crazy.
I couldn’t agree with you more. For a contending AL club, he could be highly productive in a part time role, kind of like a Thome with perhaps a fewer ABs. A front office can defend by “trying to make a big move”. And imagine having him on your bench. He’d be the last guy many closers would want to see.
Imagine him at Camden Yards? He’d damage the AL East. He’d easily walk once per 5 or 6 PA’s as well.
he very well could get an invite to spring training. I dont think he would get a MLB contract at first. he would have to prove he is in shape, have to prove he is not a premadonna any more and prove he is clean …and the biggest AND in the books.. NOT GO TO JAIL FOR PERJURY! thats a tall order for anyone…and who knows what kind of hitter he is no clean and 4 years removed from baseball…..worth it for a invite but not a guaranteed deal yet…
I was thinking more of an August minor league deal. No?
I know you’re a baseball junkie, but do you really think Bonds could be in playing shape by August? He’s taken a lot of time off. Maybe you’re right, I know my GM Billy Beane loves the guy, and would certainly like to add him to the A’s bench for the stretch run if he could hit. What if the A’s traded for Jose Reyes at the deadline? That would be an awesome move.
Teams aren’t going to be afraid to pitch to him like they were in the past!! They will test his bat speed over and over again. He is not coming back, just forget about it
Yes, it is crazy! Bonds is finished as a big leaguer player. It happens to every player, why persist in this fantasy that he’s still a productive player?
I thought about it. And it’s crazy.
I hear what you’re saying, but are you considering if he was a DH or an outfielder? I couldn’t see Bonds returning to an NL club playing the outfield and still hitting like these sources suggest.
I said 300 At Bats. Pinch hitter, DH, platoon. Whatever
I mean maybe at 300 at bats he wouldn’t get killed in the field, but his legs are shot so it’d most likely have to be as a DH. If it was, I completely agree.
But that’s okay isn’t it? Imagine him in the AL East as the Orioles DH?
Yep. Too bad how his career came to an abrubt end. Boston took a flier on him the offseason of his last year. They should have given him that one year deal.
Sure would. Would be a nice story. Also delay his hall of fame clock.
Everyone else who had to stop taking HGH fell of a cliff quickly, so what makes anyone think Bonds is somehow any differant? He is the poster boy for that stuff.
But don’t you think if someone was going to offer Bonds any sort of contract, they would have done it for the 2008 season?? What suggests he going to put up any kind of decent numbers now?? Just natural talent alone? With all due respect to the sheer talent of Bonds, he’s 46 and hasn’t seen a Major League fastball since Tampa was the Devil Rays.
Your absolutley right. Maybe there’s motivation after Canseco’s act. just a thought. But the point is, he’s one of the best free agents on the market.
And point taken. It’s certainly not an absolutely absurd notion. It’s just one of those “I’ll believe it when I see it” ordeals. This would definitely be something that would have to come entirely out of the blue, if it happened I would see it getting more publicity than Pujols if he doesn’t sign an extension (or does, for that matter).
Yeah man. I was inspired to write about it after thinking about free agents available.
Is it on your blog? I’d like to check out this article, brah.
I don’t want to put a link down, but you might as well wait for Friday’s Baseball Blogs Weigh in. But I don’t really spend time at SPANdemonium anymore. I’m at Beyond the Box Score now.
Gotcha. No problem, my friend.
Notice how I left a caveat.
Yes, I picked up on that right away. The whole thing is an interesting thought. I personally would love to see him come back. How productive he’d be is another question, but I think at this point whether or not he’d be willing to come back on a minor league deal, because if Dye isn’t getting Major League money, Bonds sure as heck isn’t.
Right, exactly. If Dye retires though, and a team needs a bench lefty for the pennant race, would you sign the only huge lefty out there? Bonds?
Sammy Sosa hit like 90 rbi’s in his last season before nobody would pick him up [for league minimum]. Dude got black-balled. IT’S O-K!
I think if Branyan’s still available I would probably take a flier on him before I would on Bonds to be completely honest.
No, he’s not. Players don’t play forever. They get old, they get injured, they retire. If Bonds was “one of the best free agents on the market” someone would have signed him. No compenstation, no lost draft choice(s), no long term contract – but not signed because of serious off-the-field legal problems, alleged heavy steroid users, and no longer able to play at a big league level.
And 12 intentional walks away from 700!! 🙂
and 65 hits away from 3000. There has to be some incentive there
he can get in shape by not knowing what he is taking…
Be serious. Come on.
Span you make it so easy to tell you how ridiculous you are.
Its funny how every time you have commented directly to me, its been mean, rude, envious, or something like that. I’m going to bed now. If that’s okay with you wintwins. Or maybe going to bed is “ridiculous.”
No its ok you can go to bed I will allow that
I would also like to go to bed…..?
I miss Span.
Hey, I’m still here. Just not as often. But you know where to find me.
In 300 AB Bonds could probably pull about 50-60 walks w/o moving the bat off of his shoulder.
As for Dye, he must have a riduclously huge ego. A player like that clearly doesn’t have the burning passion to play. If I felt teams weren’t offering me enough then I would gladly ask for a $2 mil base and lots of incentives and let my abilities earn me more. Then in 2010 he would’ve been in a much better position to ask for whatever he feels his market value is. And if the offers are no more than what Vlad, Damon or Manny got then take it or retire or go more incentives again. I don’t think teams have a problem paying for current production.
Absolutely no way Bonds would draw that many walks. You guys are talking like he is still Barry Bonds of old. Now he is just old I can’t believe you guys think he would be of any use at all. Pitchers would go right at him with no fear unlike it once was.
I actually feel like if guys are going to “go right at him with no fear”, he would either hit the baseball or walk regardless. I know I made a comment about being unsure of his ability at 46, but I’m pretty sure plate discipline is something Barry can bring back with him relatively quickly. Bat speed and timing are two completely different things, but I think Barry would get plenty of free passes.
EXACTLY!!! No one would be afraid to pitch to him now!!! Guys don’t just leave baseball for a few years and then come back and play like he did, especially when he is in his mid 40’s. A lot of these guys are living in fantasy land
I’m not thinking that anyone wants the stigma he will bring. I dont disagree with the idea and think that you are right. He’s the best DH on the market and Oakland or Anaheim would make a ton of sense, but I just don’t think that any GM wants to be responsible for all the baggage and the ego he would bring.
He may be more bad than good-not really a clubhouse guy and all those extra intangibles that he brings off the field could destroy a team.
I am a chicagoan and a white sox fan, and I am really surprised he did not get a deal with some one. he had three bad months through out an awesome run in chicago, which players go through all the time, and he carried that team along with Paulie the whole time he was here. I will tell you this, I would rather have Dye and his consistency, over Carlos Quentin, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, and any other dwindling career. Is a team leader, and I guess it is easy to criticize when you did not watch him day in and day out. Look at Berkman, whom the cardinals are paying to play an average right field. He was seen as a leader in chicago, a club house guy, and I do not get why he hasn’t landed a major league contract, yet Berkman, or Nick Swisher, or some of these other guys get contracts. I think he is getting an unfair shake.
Take a look at his DIVA attitude. If he would’ve taken less money last year, he would have a job. His greed is what costed him a job. I don’t feel sorry for him one bit. Could he be a solid hitter??? Probably, but he puts himself on a pedistal.
Diva attitude? Come on now. He hit .302/.375/.567 with 20 home runs and 55 RBI before the all star break. Therefore, he got completely snubbed for the all-star game and he was a little upset about it. He hit .179 in the second half. Jermaine Dye is undervalued throughout baseball, even on the South Side. Of course, White Sox fan doesn’t want to hear that, but Dye’s never received the acknowledgment of a Konerko, Thome or Buehrle. Since 2004, Dye has averaged 32 homeruns and 91 RBI’s, but has only been selected to one all-star game (2006). Many people feel he deserved to be selected to the ’09 all-star game, but failed to get the fan’s vote for the final spot despite playing in Chicago. This has led me to believe that fans do not appreciate Dye’s talent and abilities which is why I believe he is underrated.
2008 stats- .288 BA 33 HR 91 RBI’s .538 SLG %
Average stats since 2004- 32 HR 91 RBI’s. I wouldn’t have settled for 3 million at a bench role either.
I totally agree. Even as a Tigers fan, I feel like he definitely deserved the bid over Brandon Inge, although it was a pretty cool thing in Detroit when he got the Final Vote. Regardless, I think Jermaine Dye was the superior player in the first half of 2009. Wasn’t there also talk about him getting a Gold Glove in the first half of 2009 as well? Not that it GG’s really mean anything but I could’ve sworn I heard something about it.
Dye is only worth the amount that someone is willing to pay him!!!! I do think he is a decent player, but it is his OWN FAULT that he didn’t have a job last year. He should’ve taken the best offer and ran with it.
If Dye can put his ego aside, the Phils should pick him up as a platoon partner for Brown.
that actually sounds like something they’d do…they rushed Brown up last year while Werth was in his way, stopping him from getting the precious PA’s that he could have gotten in AAA so the Phils obviously wouldn’t mind continuing to take starting time away from the young stud. From the way I am taking this article however, Dye won’t want a platoon job. It’s either a full time job, a double figure multi-year salary, his own parking space and a welcome gift basket or nothing at all
Francisco is cheaper RH platoon player, is already on the roster and is a much better presence in the clubhouse. Now, if Francisco is hitting .220 on June 1, then you may see the Phils place a call to Dye.
next time he speaks about this, “hints at” hopefully will be changed to “announces”
You need to think rationally. Did your sources happen to skip their medication when they made their suggestion that day?
Barry Bonds is 45 years old, has not played in three years and most likely off the PED’s now. If you think he’s going to get into baseball shape in 6 months after missing 3 years of competition, seek therapy my son.
@ Spandemonium_ is_ back_again
This is sad. Great guy who worked hard to come back from a severe injury, won a WS MVP, and can’t get a look. Take a second and think about some of the idiots that continue to get contracts in baseball. Not saying he’s a great player, but he should still be in baseball.
He turned down multiple offers last year!!!!! Don’t feel sorry for this guy!!! 10 million a year he wanted
This!!!! Dye could easily have gotten a job last year if he was willing to take $2MM instead of holding out for $10MM.
Not so. He could get a look if he agree to a minor league deal near the veterans minimum with lots of incentives. Dye’s problem is that he cannot accept that his skills have eroded and he’s not the player he was in his prime. Happens to every MLB player. Dye’s ego is his biggest obstacle to getting back into the big leagues, not MLB teams.
By the way, Alfonso Soriano will make close to $20 million this year. Just saying.
isn’t it crazy to believe that his contract isn’t even the worst in baseball?
I don’t see why he won’t take less money/a minor league deal. A lot of managers are old school and will think “he’s one of the best 25 guys, he should make the team”.
I’ve always loved Jermaine Dye but he needs to get a clue. The only team that I see as desperate enough to give him a major league contract worth too much money is the Nationals. Although I wouldn’t blame them really. I’m assuming Jermaine Dye would be a better option in LF then Bernandina and better at 1st than Morse.
It is a shame his career has came to this. There is no man “in the know” or not that could convince me that Jermaine Dye isn’t better than Jay Gibbons or Marcus Thames.
There is no doubt Jermaine will forget more baseball than I will ever know…
But how asinine is the argument he is trying make?
1) “All these pitchers get hurt, miss the whole year and get major-league deals,”
In a marketplace with limited supply of quality pitching…it easy to see how some of these clubs extend offers to guys coming off Major Injuries. Chris Carpenter has the hardware and Jayson Werth now has the money to prove it.
2) “That’s what I don’t get.”
Not only is it terrible English, but it is bad logic. The ol’ saying is Hitting is all about timing and Pitching is all about upsetting the timing. Which is a given. Once a hitter has been away from “live pitching” for a whole year is tough. Let alone more than one full year and you are closer to 40 then 30. No cage or side session can simulate an MLB at bat.
(Josh Hamilton is the exception; he missed parts of multiple years and still was able to perform at an elite level. Scout’s compared Hamilton to Fred Lynn with “light tower power” and even some compared him to Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Joe D and the Splendid Splinter might seem a bit much, but his play when “right” / healthy he can do it all exceptionally well.
In my opinion, Jermaine needed to play…and see live pitching every day. Independent ball, NPR Japan, Mexico, Winterball in the PR. But his pride wouldn’t let him. And with his resume why not. Five Tool Guy, All Star, Gold Glover, and World Champion.
A couple teams were interested last year during the pennant race, but neither team felt he could get up to game speed and impact the race. So he sat out the entire year and offseason. I do not believe he played any organized ball since he was released.
Apparently he didn’t see the memo about Cliff Lee’s resurgence after returning from the minors. Jonny Gomes, Jayson Werth, Pat Burrell and Shane Victornino all were in similar boats. Released with no major league offer and accepted a lesser role and made it back. And got paid. Is Pat Burrell better than Jermaine Dye?
Yeah, him not getting a deal this offseason doesn’t surprise me in the least.
But he put up great numbers in 2008, and his 2009 season was a disappointment, but he still clubbed 27 HR and got on base at a decent clip.
He received 3 MLB offers after the 2010 season so I’ve got no sympathy for him, he wanted more cash, despite being a horrible defender and posting a .590 OPS in the 2nd half. Wasn’t he injured though?
So I don’t really feel bad for him, but just one below average year at the plate shouldn’t scare AL teams looking for a DH, in my opinion. The racist claims are insane, but it just puzzles me that he hasn’t gotten a big league offer. The Braves didn’t even check in, and they love defensive liabilities in LF.
I think he should go ahead and accept a minor-league deal and build his value back up though, lots of guys had to do that in his situation. I mean, it’s his decision but it kind of bothers me when I see an athlete hold out for more money despite the fact that people can live a lifetime on what’s being offered to just play a game. But I understand the concept of market value well enough though, but I’m sure he’s overvaluing himself. He does have a point about lesser players getting much better offers though. $10 million for Ben Sheets? And he missed all of 2009. Dye just kind of sucked in 2009. Lance Berkman got $8 million to play a position he hasn’t played since 2007, and he sucked there then and was coming off a worse year than Dye. Kyle Kendrick just got $2.4 million. For christ sake, the Royals have Melky Cabrera as a starter.
A lot of your points were true. Lesser players received MLB offers from teams. You can’t compare pitchers to hitters though. The Berkman contract puzzles me, but Dye priced himself out of the market last year and now no one wants to guarantee him anything. He made that mistake, now he has to live with it. He is a decent player, but his second half stats in 09 were not even close to being worth 10 million. In sports, it is all about “What have you done for me lately?”
i wouldnt mind the phillies giving him a look but i guess when your borderline HOF minor league deals seem like major league insults.
I know the borderline HOF might be stretch
Jermaine Dye is a STUD in MLB 2K10. That’s about the only place he gets signed
and everyone knows that game is awful!
I can’t wait for the Show 11
EXACTLY.
Jermaine…get a clue
maybe they are just not that into you
I believe in Jermaine Dye.
A year later the guy still doesn’t get it, I hope no one signs this clown
There is nothing quite like letting the league know youre still alive and available by letting them all know youre considering retirement.
He should stick it out a bit. Bernie Williams and Barry Bonds havent retired yet either.
I do think its possible that Bonds could be a sericeable DH and or PH even at 45. I do think Dye is worth giving a low salary major league contract…BUT, the problem is that neither would accet the lesser role. If a team tells Dye we’ll pay you $1 million and you’ll be a RH pinch hitter and maybe occasionally play OF or 1B or DH to give someone the night off….do you think he would take it? Probably not. So, now he’ll have to retire. It’s not that these older guys are void of talent, its hard for them to accept that they aren’t on that level anymore. In his defense, when Ben Sheets gets 10mil from the usually business savy A’s then you do have to wonder. It one thing if they would have given him 2mil with incentives coming off injuries but 10mil…..thats a chuck of change for a guy thats been injury riddled most of his career.
Last year, at the height of the recession, Dye said he wouldn’t take a ‘chump change’ deal like the $3 million he was offered by the Cubs and 1 other team. (The Cubs quickly signed Xavier Nady to the same contract). $3 million per year is ‘chump change’ at a time people are losing their jobs and houses. Dye is a pompous azz.