Grady Sizemore will remain with the Indians in 2012, announced the team today. Sizemore receives a $5MM base salary and $4MM in incentives on a one-year deal, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. He has a chance to reach the value of the option the Indians turned down, with the incentives kicking in at 450 plate appearances according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Sizemore would get $500K for winning the Comeback Player of the Year award, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. A corresponding 40-man roster move is a few days away, according to the team.
The Indians chose a $500K buyout over Sizemore's $9MM option in October, and with at least eight teams showing interest it seemed that he'd play elsewhere for the first time in his big league career. Sizemore, 29, is a risky player given his health issues the last three years. From 2005-08, he was one of the game's best players for the Tribe, garnering MVP votes in each season.
Since 2009 Sizemore has missed time due to injuries to his elbow, abdominal wall, and left knee, the last of which required microfracture surgery in June of 2010. He had surgery for a sports hernia this year, and a right knee injury culminated in an October arthroscopy. He's expected to be ready for Spring Training. Sizemore's agent, Joe Urbon of CAA Sports, says his client will continue to play center field for the Indians.
Sizemore ranked 26th on my top 50 free agents list. With six of the 50 having signed so far, five of the 5,020 entrants in MLBTR's free agent prediction contest have four correct picks.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported Sizemore's likely return to the Indians on Friday, with SI's Jon Heyman declaring it official this morning.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
good for both sides…
What a boring story.
We found a way to make it fun…LOL
I really like the move. Theres always going to be that risk that he isn’t going to be healthy, but if he turns out to be, we got a huge bargain.
You say Grady Sizemore; most people think adult film star. Just sayin’…
Staring in “Fast Balls”
and “Going Deep”
Don’t forget “Four bases, one swing.”
“BB: Butts on Balls”
LOL: Two Balls; One Strike
That is the REAL SF treat !
“Backdoor Slider” “High and Tight” “Sizemore: in the hole” “Tape Measure Blast” … oh I could go all day!
“Balls in the Gap”, “Working Inside”, “Hit and Run”.
Never realized how ronchy baseball really is….
Hopefully they don’t pound him inside too much this year. He’s gotta protect the inside part of the plate, especially with two balls on him.
Hometown discount. Have to believe there were better deals out there. Seems like everyone in the AL Central is making deals except the Sox. Get to it K-Dubs.
MLB trade rumors should have a poll, “In what part of the season will Grady Sizemore be out for the entire year?”
O Spring Training
O 1-50 games
O 51-100 games
O 101-150 games
O 150+
Sometime just after you guys trade for him….lol
Aw crap.. I chose the Giants.. 0 for 5..
LOL
Waste of money -could have taken 5M towards Kubel – what are they thinking
If there is ever a time for Sizemore to return to his glory days it will be this year. With the monetary incentives added in the contract plus a stellar performance could help him cash in on the last chance for a big-time multiyear contract with another team. Even if he had more guaranteed money at another city, there is likely a comfort level for playing on the Tribe another year while getting his bearings straight.
Hopefully Sizemore will Beltre (Beltre: verb; to excel in a final year of a contract in order to maximize the money you will receive the following year by fooling would teams) in this single year contract to help the Tribe’s anemic offense and be able to cash in big with some other big spending team. Or if the Tribe is out of it, there is always the promise of prospects and next year.
Tease!!
Shoulda gone to Philly…..Have fun watching the playoffs again this year……
Being a fan of a team that has choked big time for the past two years I find it funny that you are calling out someone who wants to play for the Indians.
I had fun watching the filth choke in the first round.
Choked….yup……still a great team….yup…..will contend for WS
again next year….yup…….Indians will still
suck…..yup………Have fun rooting for the “Dynasty” team that you
root for….loser……..not worth putting up a different comment
A filth fan calling someone a loser. How ironic.
Best record in the MLB…….5 straight East titles….Sad when Jealousy just eats ya up inside……Yeah, it sucked losing that last 2 years, but there was A LOT more good than bad….We’ll be back next year, AGAIN…….Will your yet unmentioned team be anywhere near the playoffs ?
Eh, I just get a feeling him and Ubaldo will be packaged together and traded to the Phillies next july.