RC Breaking News: DeJesus agrees to long-term contract!
The Royals and David DeJesus agreed to a five-year contract with a team option for the 2011 season on Wednesday, ending months of speculation about the team's interest in making a long-term commitment to their starting centerfielder. According to the Kansas City Star, the deal is worth a guaranteed $13.5 million, although the total package could be worth as much as $20 million if the option is picked up.
Needless to say, RC is thrilled with this development for a couple of reasons. First, the amount of guaranteed money is more than reasonable for a player of DeJesus' talents. Second, the Royals not only gained cost certainty through DeJesus' arbitration years, but also have a chance to lock him up for the first season in which he's eligible to become a free agent, one of our criteria for giving him a guaranteed salary.
RC would like to congratulate the Royals and DeJesus on getting this done and ensuring that one of the Royals' finest players will be patrolling the Kauffman Stadium outfield for the foreseeable future.
posted by Kevin @ 3:10 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Now, who was the A-hole who reported that Baird didn't think this was the right time to sign anyone long-term?
This is just fantastic news. I'm pumped!
Also encouraging is that the Royals will pursue long-term deals with other young players who step up and prove themselves in 2006. I'd say Andrew Sisco, Ambiorix Burgos, and Zack Greinke (if he comes back and succeeds) are very much on that list.
$2.7 mil./yr a year is a BARGAIN for the peak years of an above average MLB center fielder.
I hope they're not tempted to overpay for him when this contract is up, because they'd be getting a worse version of DeJesus (most likely) and at a MUCH greater cost (again, most likely.)
Yes, that means they'll need to develop another CF in the next 5 years, but that's the key to being cost-efficient.
-sumajestad
Between Michael Tucker, Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, and DeJesus, the Royals have done an outstanding job of developing outfielders with the speed-and-defense skillset, so I don't have any doubts that they'll be able to do it again.
And I completely agree: this contract is a bargain for the Royals, especially if DDJ takes another step with his power.
Does anyone know the contract structure?
I think the Royals would actually be smart to [i]front-load[/i] contracts of guys they know will be part of their future. That way, when/if they are competitive they'll have more room to improve the team, salary wise.
i'm not criticizing. helps my fantasy team too. way to be DD, you earned it.
AJB
"i'm not criticizing. helps my fantasy team too. way to be DD, you earned it"
Unfortunately, unless you're in a pretty rigid league, DeJesus likely won't. :P
-sumajestad
I don't usually leave a comment on here very often, but I have a question I was hoping that Dave could answer. Why did Baird trade for German with the Rule 5 draft pick and act like he had a great chance of being the starting second baseman come Opening Day, and then just a few days later sign Grudzielanek? Also, why is anyone besides German even being CONSIDERED for the backup infielder job, and I do remember you supporting German quite a bit and even you saying you wouldn't mind him starting at 2B for us this season. He could've developed to be a poor man's Chone Figgins.
Because Allard Baird has ADD. That's why the youth movments are always immediately followed by signing free agents on the wrong side of 30.
Nothing negative can be said about this signing, from any angle. It was the exact right move at the exact right time and for the exact right price.
Good job, Baird.
"Because Allard Baird has ADD. That's why the youth movments are always immediately followed by signing free agents on the wrong side of 30."
Almost every time a person criticizes the players the Royals added this winter, I've seen that statement in the argument somewhere, almost verbatim. And frankly, I'm getting tired of it.
Here's the deal, folks: the players the Royals added are part of the youth movement, not a signal that the youth movement is over and that the organization is going to proceed with veteran players in an attempt to salvage seasons. The team has identified the homegrown talent they're going to go with, and Sanders, Grudzielanek, Elarton, Redman, and Mientkiewicz were brought on board to supplement those players, not take playing time away from them.
The bottom line is that the Royals are still committed to developing young players, but at the same time recognize the importance of surrounding them with veterans for support, both on and off the field.
Sadly, there are a lot of uninformed analysts who're spending a lot of time writing about a team's supposed "misguided" moves that they know absolutely nothing about. (Baseball Prospectus, I'm looking in your direction.) The result is the widespread incorrect belief that the Royals are a rudderless ship, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
Fair enough Kevin. I think my frustration is more due to past failed youth movements (Roberto Hernandez, Doug Henry, Chuck Knoblauch) than the current incarnation.
Still, I question the signing of Doug Mientkiewicz when we have Justin Huber. Of signing Mark Grudzielanek when we have Ruben Gotay. Of trading two pitchers (neither of which were great, but still this team must hoard pitching) for a mediocre pitcher making $4 million, when we have a surplus of guys who can likely put up similar numbers.
Its nice to have a guy like Reggie Sanders or Matt Stairs around, especially if they're not really blocking anyone. I just worry that these signings have less to do with the long-term best interest of the franchise and have more to do with (a) saving a general manager's job and (b) showing taxpayers that the owner is investing in the ballclub so that a certain vote goes a certain way.
If the Royals didn't believe that Huber and Gotay needed more time in the minor leagues, Mientkiewicz and Grudzielanek wouldn't have been brought on board.
There's really nothing to worry about, because Allard Baird is never going to put his job ahead of the direction and future successes of the organization. Every one of those moves was made with the team's long-term interests in mind.
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