The Padres have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with third baseman Chase Headley, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Excel Sports Management client will earn a $10.525MM salary in his final season prior to free agency, Sherman reports.
Consistently considered to be a trade candidate due to his looming free agency, the Padres' tight budget and the Padres' sub-.500 finishes in each of the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Headley has seen his name circulate on the rumor mill more than nearly any player in the past 18 to 24 months. However, San Diego GM Josh Byrnes told me back in November that the team was comfortable doing a one-year deal with Headley and entering 2014 with him as the third baseman, even without an extension.
The Padres reportedly wanted to offer Headley an extension that would make him the highest-paid player in franchise history early in the 2013 campaign. The news caught Headley off guard, as he'd informed the team that he did not want extension talks to spill beyond Opening Day.
Headley turned in a solid season in 2013, batting .250/.347/.400 with 13 homers, eight steals and excellent third-base defense, but that production was a far cry from his 2012 season. In 2012, Headley broke out with a .286/.376/.498 batting line, 31 homers and a career-best 17 steals to go along with his great glove-work. Headley likely didn't want to sign an extension after seeing his stock tumble, especially when a fractured thumb and a balky knee that required offseason surgery likely contributed to his 2013 decline.
Headley's $10.525MM salary is $525K higher than MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected. With Headley taken care of, San Diego has only Andrew Cashner remaining as an unsettled arb case, as shown in our Arbitration Tracker.
I’m happy about this. I’m interested to see how Headley does this year. I’ve got mixed feelings about keeping Headley or trading him. This season should clear that up.
It’s a really tough question on Headley. If he repeats 2013 I would have no issue with him walking. He’s still a valuable 3 WAR type player but his contract will most likely outweigh his value.
For a team like the Padres I just don’t see it. Unless you are getting a hometown discount, let Headley walk (or better yet – trade him).
I see the padres trading him if he has a solid first half. Who do the padres have in terms of depth for 3rd base in their system?
I would imagine Gyorko moves back to 3rd if they were to trade Headley.
250 hitter with 13 home runs and 8 steals. Why would anybody want to trade for such average production?
Apparently you haven’t followed his entire body of work throughout his career. He’s a well above avg 3B.
Great glove. Don’t forget that.
He’s a 3 WAR player with bad offensive production. He has a ceiling of a 5-6 WAR player. That puts him in line to earn $15M+/season.
I don’t know about calling Headley’s 2013 season solid. Troubled perhaps, but not solid.