According to Dan Roche of WBZ-TV, the Sox have re-signed Sox’ elder statesman Tim Wakefield to a two-year deal, guaranteeing the pitcher $3.5 million in 2010 and $1.5 million in 2011. MLB Trade Rumors, citing WEEI’s Rob Bradford, states that the deal could approach $7 million should the knuckleballer reach all his incentive landmarks.
This contract is a departure from past negotiations between the Sox and Wakefield, where the team held a renewable $4 million option on the pitcher’s services. The transaction demonstrates that the Red Sox brass have lost a modicum of confidence in Wakefield and his ailing back, as he recovers from his latest surgery and enters his age-44 season.
While it is discouraging that the team has lost enough faith in Wake to discontinue his $4 million option, the good news is that he will once again be donning the Boston red come April. Hopefully, he will be able to top his 129.2 inning total from 2009, which was his lowest single-season mark since his rookie season in 1992.
Given Wake’s effectiveness last season, the Sox can reasonably expect good production out of their aging starter. His 4.58 ERA and 4.58 FIP suggest a quality pitcher still remains, so long as he can stay out of the trainer’s room. However, his accumulating injuries suggest that he cannot be relied upon to consistently take the mound.
While it’s unfortunate that the Sox ended their previous arrangement with Wakefield, it is a good move for the team, as they can save a couple million here and there, allowing the team to spend money elsewhere. In addition, there is a very good chance that this is Wake’s final contract, so any leverage he gains by 2012 through performance and inflation will likely make little difference.
While $0.5 million this season and $2.5 million in 2010 may not seem like much, the money saved will go a long way toward keeping young talent around in arbitration and signing bench players to add depth. Even for teams with $100+ million payrolls, every penny counts.
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Two more years of this guy. Is this guy ever gonna go away? I guess the FO is struggling finatially because they structured the contract so that they’d be paying less. Granted Wakefield has become injury prone, but his contract was very economical to begin with.
He's a good choice for a 5th starter and I doubt this prevents them from going after a Sheets/Bedard type to back up a guy who just had surgery. As long as you have the depth Wake is the perfect guy to have at the back of our rotation. I have absolutely no problem with this deal and I don't think this indicated the team is in financial trouble, probably more likely they see this as Wake's last contract and want him to attain the all-time wins for the Sox.
Good insight about the all time record holder. Yes. He deserves the shot. Very happy he is back. Wake + Harden = One Full Year of good to great pitching.
Is this a good time to open the annual discussion re: 2010 the perfect season for the 6th man rotation?
Beckett does MUCH better with extra rest.
Wake could last longer pitching every 6th day.
Harden might last a full year with built in R&R.
Buchholz’s first full year in the Bigs could wear himi down less.
Matsuzaka is fully used to this schedule.
Lester? I don’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt.
This should lead to more innings by the rotation and less by the Pen. Worth discussing?
Wakefield has consistently been an above-average 4th or 5th starter. Even with his innings decreasing this season he was still worth more than his contract, if I'm reading Fangraphs correctly. This new signing is an unconditionally good thing for the Red Sox–even a partial season of Wake was worth more than the 4 million and with definitely be worth more than this contract.
Go Wake, get that wins record!
Unless the team had signals that Wake was on the way out, I don't understand this contract. BP at one point marked this as the worst contract ever signed… for a player. Wake needs to be worth less than a win to be worth $4, which is something along the lines of 3/4 of a season as a decent #5 starter. If his back is really giving out and it's not getting better, I can understand it, but barring that, the Sox just traded for consistent performance of a #3-#4 starter at half the market rate in order to save a couple million dollars. From the outside looking in, this isn't a good move.
Wake has gone on record as saying he's done after these 2 years, and if that's true this isn't a bad deal.
From my understanding, he only said that after he signed the contract. If he gets healthy and doesn't fall off a cliff otherwise, he'll be worth way more than $4 million on the market two years from now.