Jermaine Dye wants to play again and he told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Rays, Rockies and Phillies have contacted him about potential deals. The 36-year-old didn't play in 2010, but he hit 27 homers and posted a .250/.340/.453 line for the 2009 White Sox.
Dye drew interest last offseason, but told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he didn't like the offers he saw. "I'm not going to a bad team, and I'm not playing for $1.5MM," Dye said in April. Later in the year, he told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he stayed in shape and hoped to find a job in 2011.
Dye still has some power, so if he lowers his demands and teams are willing to stash him at DH or overlook his poor fielding, he could find a job this offseason. This time, Dye, who is representing himself, says money isn't important as long as he finds a major league deal. He is open to playing first or outfield and wants to sign with a contender.
Kevin Chambers
Kenny please don’t resign him.
moonraker45
He wasn’t good enough [ or white enough 😉 ] to play in 2010, but in 2011 now theres interest?
Randy_McWeen
he was de-cycling…im sold on that
Brandon Woodworth
Braves on a minor league deal please. Can’t hurt.
BravesRed
Not happening. He’ll most likely want a major-league deal.
CJ Montiel
Not a chance he take a minor league deal with that kind of an ego.
TheHotCorner
Not going to happen.
Mickey Koke
No, the Padres are not interested.
EdinsonPickle
An over the hill 36 year old who can’t field, and hasn’t played in a year won’t play for 1.5 million dollars.
Ok.
Tko11
He said that regarding last season…not sure whether that has changed now that he realized no one wanted him because of his outrageous demands.
EdinsonPickle
Ah, I guess I was just a year late then. I thought that was a recent quote by him.
Well hopefully his demands have come down a bit. I really don’t see him getting anything more than a minor league deal at this point though.
SplitFingeredPujol
He made those comments last offseason, so at the time it hadn’t been a year since he’d last played.
Ferrariman
he doesn’t have a job because he’s black. just ask Orlando Hudson.
bbxxj
Yeah, the Braves are preparing to release Heyward so they can play a white guy in right. Cause you know racism is rampant in the bigs…
bbxxj
And I don’t mean to be insensitive and of course there are still ignorant bigots out there, but I think MLB GMs care so much more about talent and cost than race.
CJ Montiel
Hahaha! I couldn’t believe it when Hudson was saying that last offseason. He didn’t get a job because he over-valued himself WAY too much. That kind of productivity calls for a lower contract than what he was at, it’s that simple. He chose not to play last year, plain and simple.
Guest
Jarrod Washburn must listen to a lot of rap or something.
Ian_Smell
Because he’ll be making league minimum!
Slopeboy
Life’s tough living in the real world, huh Jermaine?
SplitFingeredPujol
I’m not sure why people are so critical of him not wanting to play for $1.5MM. It’s his decision to make, not any of yours.
CJ Montiel
The Cubs offered him $3MM
SplitFingeredPujol
He also said he didn’t want to play for a bad team lol. Poor Cubs.
moonraker45
so the decision was, play for the cubs or not play at all… lol
SplitFingeredPujol
I think ol’ JD made a smart decision lol.
Cary Smith
He doesn’t have a job because he is stuck up. What happened for playing for the love of the game? ONLY 1.5 million, yeah he needs more money. And you never know when a bad team will become good. I hope no one signs him.
$1529282
I can’t believe two NL teams have contacted him. You’d be better off putting Nelly in the outfield than Dye.
Mark Townsend
Rockies want a right-handed compliment to Todd Helton at first base. Sounds like Dye is willing to play first (not sure good he would be there) so that makes him a fit for their plans.
TheHotCorner
Come on guys. You are being way too harsh on Jermaine and wanting more then $1.5M last year. Do you know how hard it is to feed a family on that amount. Heck, if you don’t believe me you can ask Letrell Sprewell since he said he couldn’t do it for $7M a year.
SplitFingeredPujol
It seems to me that a year away from the game has made him realize how much he misses it.
But the impression I got last offseason was that he was content calling it a career if he didn’t receive an offer he liked. I don’t see any problem with that.
I think his decision (and comments) last offseason are comparable to a high-end high school draftee with a college commitment. Sure, they’re willing to skip college and sign, but only for the right price. I think Jermaine was basically in the same boat. He was willing to put off retirement, but he wasn’t willing to do so for an offer that didn’t satisfy him.
phillies3426
Same with T.O. It even brought him to tears
Brian Bourque
Apparently, by staying in shape…he means playing D League slow pitch softball in Tempe, AZ. One of my friends umpired his game Tuesday night.
UnderachieversAvenue
According to multiple reports, as corresponding moves to trading David DeJesus, the Royals plan to sign Brad Hawpe to play RF, Adam Dunn to play LF and Jermaine Dye to play CF for next season. They also have a back-up plan in Jeff Francouer. Dayton Moore was quoted as saying: “We believe that outfield defense is overrated, all we need is adding more power to our lineup.”
HerbertAnchovy
Dye doesn’t deserve a job after his comments last year. Funny how money isn’t an issue this time around.
sourbob
Sounds like a last ditch effort to keep his name from becoming a verb.”What happened to _________?””His career Dyed.”dye – n – to end suddenly because of greed, stupid pride, and unrealistic expectations.
durf81
I thought it was more about not finding a starting position and only being offered a bench role was the issue last offseason, not so much the money. Can’t imagine that anyone would guarantee a starting position a year later…
friscofan101
could be a pat burrel type guy. i could see texas going after him as a safety if they cant get vlad back.
JohnnyHamer
I was about to say this until I saw your comment. Definitely see him being a Plan B for Texas if Vlad goes elsewhere.
The_Silver_Stacker
Texas plan b should be Berkman not Dye
start_wearing_purple
“Hello, Tampa Bay Rays? Yeah it’s Jermaine Dye… my agent said you had an opening? Yeah? And how much are you willing to offer me? Sorry, I’m gonna need a little more. Really? Awesome, congrats you got yourself a new hot dog vendor.”
The_Silver_Stacker
Dye will be doing what he did last year, moaning and complaining about “acceptable” offers
umair56
There are so many other players available who are like him (old, can’t field, some power). If he couldn’t find a good deal last year, he ain’t getting one now.
Kaiser_Wilhelm_II
^ Hank Blalock?
SplitFingeredPujol
Well realistically….he also said last offseason he was willing to play 1b. I would have taken him any day over adam laroche.
Mike K
I loved Jermaine in a White Sox uniform, but his excluding himself from the game last year was just stupid. Let’s look at what we saw:
– Not going to a “bad team”.
– Not signing for $1.5M.
– Not DHing.
– Not being a fourth outfielder/pinch hitter.
What does that leave for a 36-year-old who cast doubt on his future by steadily regressing and then sucking in the second half of 2009? It leaves temporary retirement. If Dye truly loved the game, he would’ve been playing somewhere last season, taking whatever opportunities he got.
Kaiser_Wilhelm_II
I’m glad to see 1-Dimensional DH types being phased out.
Glad teams seem to be using the DH spot now as kind of a rotating door to rest regulars.
Brianna
Dye is a cancer.
Look at him…
He reps himself. He wont take a pay cut. He wants to play where HE feels is best…screw the team. Oh, and he wont play for anyone but a contender. lol
This guy is a Kanye West-like piece of work. He doesnt appreciate the game, and his remarkable good fortune to be able to play it.
Let him and his joke of an ego play in his backyard.
Done.
orneryfish
If Dye wanted back in the majors, he would be down playing in the winter leagues in the Caribbean….
…showing the MLB scouts he can still do it….
….not playing slo-pitch softball in Tempe.