AGRI Biz

Adrian Beltre signed with the Red Sox yesterday on a one-year contract. This deal was somewhat surprising given how focused Beltre and agent Scott Boras were on getting Beltre a multi year deal. Take it away, John Tomase: "The Red Sox have always liked Adrian Beltre. For much of free agency, they just didnÆt like his price. "But that changed when Beltre decided one year in Boston was worth more in the ...

Jayson Werth will become a free agent after this season and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki ponders what kind of deal Werth might command. His guess: four years/$64 million (or something similar): 3. Can the Phillies sign Jayson Werth to a contract extension? Jason Bay could sign a four-year, $64 million contract with the Mets. You've got to think Werth will be able to command a similar contract once he becomes a ...

Over the next couple of days, Jorge Says No! will be highlighting some of the forgotten free agents. You know, the guys that aren't getting much publicity or action on the open market even though they could have a lot to bring to the table. Next up, Aubrey Huff. Aubrey Huff's 2008 season stats: .304/32 HR/108 RBI/96 R/.360 OBP/.912 OPS. Pretty impressive stuff, right? During the 2008 season, Huff was one of ...

It looks like Queens was more appealing than Beirut after all for Jason Bay. Free-agent outfielder Jason Bay has reached agreement on a four-year, guaranteed $66 million contract with the New York Mets , a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com Tuesday. The agreement will become official once Bay passes a physical exam sometime next week, the source said. The deal includes a vesting option year that could increase Bay's overall payout ...

What a difference a month makes. On Aug. 30, Ronnie Belliard was traded from the Nationals to the Dodgers, who were in the middle of a pennant race and were looking to shore up their middle infield. In the five months prior, Belliard was only getting sporadic playing time with the Nationals and when he was playing, he wasn't producing. His .246/5 HR/22 RBI/.296 clip in 187 at-bats with ...

The Giants have finally made a move to improve their horrific offense. Welcome aboard, Mark DeRosa. As ESPN the Magazine's Buster Olney reported last week, DeRosa, who turns 35 in February, has been on the verge of accepting a two-year contract offer from the Giants since before Christmas. That offer, according to SI.com, is for a total of $12 million over the two seasons. DeRosa can play on either corner in the ...

Way back in 2006, J.D. Drew made the controversial decision to opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the hopes of landing a more lucrative contract on the free agent market. Drew was due to make $33 million over the next three years with the Dodgers, but thanks to an opt-out clause in his contract, he was allowed to leave the Dodgers for the almighty dollar. ...

Over the next couple of days, Jorge Says No! will be highlighting some of the forgotten free agents. You know, the guys that aren't getting much publicity or action on the open market even though they could have a lot to bring to the table. First up, Todd Wellemeyer. For most of his career, Todd Wellemeyer was a average relief pitcher with great stuff and limited success in the ...

A few weeks back, I profiled why a swap of Eric Byrnes for Luis Castillo would make sense for both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Mets. The Mets would finally complete their never ending quest to get rid of Luis Castillo while the Diamondbacks would fill their need at second base, make their offense better, and save money in 2010. This deal would be a classic salary dump for ...

Shortly after the season ended, Trevor Hoffman and the Brewers came to terms on a one year/$8 million contract that kept Hoffman in Milwaukee through 2010 and potentially even 2011, thanks to a mutual option. Hoffman, 41, put together a stellar season with the Brewers in 2009 by finishing with 37 saves and an incredible 1.83 ERA. Given the year Hoffman had with the Brewers in 2009, and his ...