Baseball Guru
04-02-2005, 08:08 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2028447&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
Deal includes club option for '09
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics signed right-hander Rich Harden to a $9 million, four-year contract extension Saturday, a deal that includes a club option for 2009.
Harden, promoted to the No. 2 spot in the rotation after the December departures of Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, receives a $1 million signing bonus.
He will make $500,000 this season, a hefty increase from his original contract for 2005, which called for a $336,500 salary. He will make $1 million in 2006, $2 million in 2007 and $4.5 million in 2008. The club option is for $7 million and does not include a buyout.
The deal also includes escalators based on innings pitched.
"It's nice writing his name down every fifth day," manager Ken Macha said. "It's a tribute to the development he's made. I think his progress has been a steep upward curve. I'm sure this will put a smile on his face."
Assistant general manager David Forst, who handled the bulk of the negotiations, compared the contract to the deals Hudson, Mulder and Barry Zito received at similar stages of their careers.
Harden, 23, enters his third major league season after an impressive second half last year. He went 11-7 in 2004, including 8-2 with a 3.49 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break.
"There was a lot of interest on both sides to get to a deal, and his representative was very helpful in making it happen," Forst said before the A's hosted the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game. "We started talking at the beginning of spring training and all along we aimed to get something done before the season started. They worked with us and wanted to make it happen."
This was the first signing since the A's changed ownership. Los Angeles real estate developer Lewis Wolff finalized the purchase of the team Thursday from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann.
"The new ownership group was willing to work with us," Forst said. "They're learning the process just like they are everything else. As soon as we presented this to Lew, he was on board and wanted to get it done."
The A's have had initial conversations with the representative for shortstop Bobby Crosby, the AL Rookie of the Year, about a similar extension.
Deal includes club option for '09
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics signed right-hander Rich Harden to a $9 million, four-year contract extension Saturday, a deal that includes a club option for 2009.
Harden, promoted to the No. 2 spot in the rotation after the December departures of Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, receives a $1 million signing bonus.
He will make $500,000 this season, a hefty increase from his original contract for 2005, which called for a $336,500 salary. He will make $1 million in 2006, $2 million in 2007 and $4.5 million in 2008. The club option is for $7 million and does not include a buyout.
The deal also includes escalators based on innings pitched.
"It's nice writing his name down every fifth day," manager Ken Macha said. "It's a tribute to the development he's made. I think his progress has been a steep upward curve. I'm sure this will put a smile on his face."
Assistant general manager David Forst, who handled the bulk of the negotiations, compared the contract to the deals Hudson, Mulder and Barry Zito received at similar stages of their careers.
Harden, 23, enters his third major league season after an impressive second half last year. He went 11-7 in 2004, including 8-2 with a 3.49 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break.
"There was a lot of interest on both sides to get to a deal, and his representative was very helpful in making it happen," Forst said before the A's hosted the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game. "We started talking at the beginning of spring training and all along we aimed to get something done before the season started. They worked with us and wanted to make it happen."
This was the first signing since the A's changed ownership. Los Angeles real estate developer Lewis Wolff finalized the purchase of the team Thursday from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann.
"The new ownership group was willing to work with us," Forst said. "They're learning the process just like they are everything else. As soon as we presented this to Lew, he was on board and wanted to get it done."
The A's have had initial conversations with the representative for shortstop Bobby Crosby, the AL Rookie of the Year, about a similar extension.