Monday, November 28, 2005
Jays expected to give Ryan richest deal ever for a reliever
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Toronto Blue Jays will give free-agent closer B.J. Ryan the largest contract ever signed by a relief pitcher today after he completes a physical examination this morning.
Then their focus will shift to A.J. Burnett and, increasingly it appears, outfielder Brian Giles.
The Blue Jays are expected to hold an afternoon news conference to announce that Ryan has signed a five-year, $47-million (all figures U.S.) contract that includes a $10-million bonus divided between the first two years of the deal, with $6-million in the first year and $4-million in the second.
Ryan's base salary in 2006 will technically be $2-million and will rise to $5-million in 2007 before climbing to $10-million in each of the last three years of the contract. Ryan made $2.6-million last season.
It's the heftiest contract given out by Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi in his four years with the team and has shaken up what had been a slow-developing free-agent market. It's a bold stroke that suggests progress has been made in getting Ricciardi signed to a contract extension of his own, since he has just two years left on his current deal and is seeking an extension through 2010.
On another front, the Blue Jays made what are described as "significant inroads" this weekend in their pursuit of free-agent outfielder Giles, according to a person familiar with negotiations.
Ricciardi has told people that he would like to have either Giles or starting pitcher Burnett signed this week so he can go to the winter meetings in Dallas, which begin Sunday, ready to trade to add another hitter or starter.
"We've had a number of conversations with the Blue Jays and all of them have been positive," Giles's agent, Joe Bick, said last night. "But the truth is we just found out last Wednesday that there was no chance of getting anything done with the San Diego Padres [Giles's former team] and now we're moving forward and looking at our other options. Toronto's one of them."
Ryan, who will turn 30 on Dec. 28, had 36 saves in 41 opportunities for the Baltimore Orioles this past season in his first year as a full-time closer. An intimidating 6-foot-6, 250-pound left-hander, Ryan had 12.80 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, going 1-4 (2.43 earned-run average). He has logged only 3811/3 innings in his career because he has been used as a reliever and has had little in the way of health issues.
Ryan turned down a three-year, $18-million offer from the Orioles last week. It was the second time he rebuffed the team, turning down a three-year, $15-million offer in the spring.
The last relief pitcher to receive a contract of more than five years in length is believed to be Bruce Sutter, who had a six-year, $10-million deal with the Atlanta Braves in the mid-80s. Mariano Rivera, considered the gold standard among active relievers and a future Hall of Famer, made $39.99-million in a four-year deal with the New York Yankees from 2001-04 and has one year remaining on a two-year, $21-million contract with the Yankees.
Ryan had four-year offers from three other teams, but the Blue Jays were the only club prepared to go to a fifth year. The signing was first announced Friday night by the New York Daily News on its World Wide Web site after Ryan's Chicago-based agents, John Courtright and Pat Rooney of SFX Sports, had informed both the Mets and Yankees that their client was signing elsewhere.
The Blue Jays called the reports premature. But the deal had matured enough by yesterday that Ricciardi was comfortable discussing it in general terms.
"This is a guy we've seen pitch against us for four years," Ricciardi said. "He was an all-star last year, and he'll be going into his prime. I feel very good about this."
It's no accident that Ryan's signing bonus is spread over two years, since there are two years remaining on owner Ted Rogers's three-year payroll commitment of $210-million, which included the $53-million spent this past season. The Blue Jays are expected to have a payroll of $75-million this season.
Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
The Toronto Blue Jays will give free-agent closer B.J. Ryan the largest contract ever signed by a relief pitcher today after he completes a physical examination this morning.
Then their focus will shift to A.J. Burnett and, increasingly it appears, outfielder Brian Giles.
The Blue Jays are expected to hold an afternoon news conference to announce that Ryan has signed a five-year, $47-million (all figures U.S.) contract that includes a $10-million bonus divided between the first two years of the deal, with $6-million in the first year and $4-million in the second.
Ryan's base salary in 2006 will technically be $2-million and will rise to $5-million in 2007 before climbing to $10-million in each of the last three years of the contract. Ryan made $2.6-million last season.
It's the heftiest contract given out by Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi in his four years with the team and has shaken up what had been a slow-developing free-agent market. It's a bold stroke that suggests progress has been made in getting Ricciardi signed to a contract extension of his own, since he has just two years left on his current deal and is seeking an extension through 2010.
On another front, the Blue Jays made what are described as "significant inroads" this weekend in their pursuit of free-agent outfielder Giles, according to a person familiar with negotiations.
Ricciardi has told people that he would like to have either Giles or starting pitcher Burnett signed this week so he can go to the winter meetings in Dallas, which begin Sunday, ready to trade to add another hitter or starter.
"We've had a number of conversations with the Blue Jays and all of them have been positive," Giles's agent, Joe Bick, said last night. "But the truth is we just found out last Wednesday that there was no chance of getting anything done with the San Diego Padres [Giles's former team] and now we're moving forward and looking at our other options. Toronto's one of them."
Ryan, who will turn 30 on Dec. 28, had 36 saves in 41 opportunities for the Baltimore Orioles this past season in his first year as a full-time closer. An intimidating 6-foot-6, 250-pound left-hander, Ryan had 12.80 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, going 1-4 (2.43 earned-run average). He has logged only 3811/3 innings in his career because he has been used as a reliever and has had little in the way of health issues.
Ryan turned down a three-year, $18-million offer from the Orioles last week. It was the second time he rebuffed the team, turning down a three-year, $15-million offer in the spring.
The last relief pitcher to receive a contract of more than five years in length is believed to be Bruce Sutter, who had a six-year, $10-million deal with the Atlanta Braves in the mid-80s. Mariano Rivera, considered the gold standard among active relievers and a future Hall of Famer, made $39.99-million in a four-year deal with the New York Yankees from 2001-04 and has one year remaining on a two-year, $21-million contract with the Yankees.
Ryan had four-year offers from three other teams, but the Blue Jays were the only club prepared to go to a fifth year. The signing was first announced Friday night by the New York Daily News on its World Wide Web site after Ryan's Chicago-based agents, John Courtright and Pat Rooney of SFX Sports, had informed both the Mets and Yankees that their client was signing elsewhere.
The Blue Jays called the reports premature. But the deal had matured enough by yesterday that Ricciardi was comfortable discussing it in general terms.
"This is a guy we've seen pitch against us for four years," Ricciardi said. "He was an all-star last year, and he'll be going into his prime. I feel very good about this."
It's no accident that Ryan's signing bonus is spread over two years, since there are two years remaining on owner Ted Rogers's three-year payroll commitment of $210-million, which included the $53-million spent this past season. The Blue Jays are expected to have a payroll of $75-million this season.
Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
