12:49pm: The Blue Jays have announced the signing (on Twitter). It's a three-year, $9MM contract with a $3MM club option for 2016.
12:05pm: The Blue Jays have agreed to sign Maicer Izturis to a three-year, $10MM contract according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). The deal includes a club option for a fourth year. Izturis is represented by Peter E. Greenberg & Associates.
As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca points out (on Twitter), this is the largest contract GM Alex Anthopoulos has given to a free agent. The one-year deals worth $4.5MM given to Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero last offseason were the previous record holders. Our Transaction Tracker has the breakdown of Anthopoulos' free agent signings.
Izturis, 32, hit .256/.320/.315 in 319 plate appearances for the Angels this year, his worst full season as a big leaguer. He won't hit for any power, but Izturis makes a lot of contact from both sides of the plate and is a capable defender at all three non-first base infield positions. He's also a threat to steal double digit bases. Izturis has hit .264/.327/.360 in 1,051 plate appearances across the last three years overall.
The Blue Jays figured to target infield depth this winter since Kelly Johnson is a free agent and Yunel Escobar is a trade candidate. They briefly had Mike Aviles after acquiring him from the Red Sox for manager John Farrell, but he's since been flipped to the Indians. Izturis did not rank among Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agents.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
three years???
Good deal. ~3.3Milli per year is very good for a utility guy who can start a few games
Awful.
I like the deal, except its one year too many.
The 3rd year or the option year?
I would of done two years with third year option
Wouldn’t have got done without the third year.
Not a bad deal. Perhaps it might be one guaranteed year too many, but given the dearth of available middle infielders as free agents this year, it is a players market.
very true.
Worst thing that happens is the team has a very serviceable bench option in a few years a la JMac.
Didn’t see 3 yr with an option coming. I think this is good for the jays. Money is great. 1 to 2 as a starter than super utility for 2. Good guy to have on your bench. Beats kj or anyone else available.
Agreed, It’ll be good to have reliable depth a few years down the road. Something we clearly lacked this season.
I think Scutaro would be the best INF utility option available, but Maicer is a close second.
Scutaro is likely looking for twice as much as this. His value is sky high with his post season and lack of depth of FA infielders
Scutaro as an utility after the way he played in SF?
You mean how he played in September and October?
Do a comparison of their career #’s (BFullmerFan summed it up nicely on a DrunkJaysFan comment)… for cost, Izturis mightr be as good, or better
Dollars wise its fine, length is too long but then again the dollar value doesnt make it a big deal. Like it overall. A solid #9 switch hitter with good D.
That is good news. I will take a reliable hitter, as Izturis has been for most of his career, over KJ any time. Plus defender as well.
What’s with AA’s fascination with the Angels? Or, are these deals payback promises for the Wells trade?
Why would he have to pay back the Angels by signing one of their unrestricted free agents? I realize it’s an effort at comedy, but put a little more into it next time…
good luck, mighty maicer!
3.3 mil/year for a guy who plays a low offence postion with high upside. How is this bad? Abritration players probably would get paid more
High upside? He’s 32.
and fills the void left by omar who was 45, even better upside, eh jacks.
Just because one player has more upside than another doesnt mean he has “high upside.”
“Izturis has hit .264/.327/.360 in 1,051 plate appearances acrossr the last three years overall.” Spell check please
Meh. Decent deal.
Never been a big fan of this player but 3/10 is hard to pass up for a starting SS with major league experience and some success.
Except he’ll be playing second base even if Escobar is traded with Hech being the SS of the future.
2B or SS doesn’t make any difference. He played all over in LAA. I still think he’s mediocre… Still a decent deal for the $$$.
Is yunel escobar a lock to leave Toronto? And is izturis now the starting second baseman on paper?
I would say no to Escobar being a lock to leave, and yes to the starting 2nd baseman. I don’t think you sign a guy to a 3+1 contract with the anticipation of him coming off the bench.
no and yes, at this point
The team is reporting that it is actually a 3 year, $9M deal, plus a club option
MLB just tweeted it’s 3 years for 9MM with a 4th option year at 3MM
Eh, I’d say its better than having McCoy at 2nd base next year, and now Hech can either be on the bench or start in AAA. Come on Jays, time to hire a manager and get those starters!!!
p.s. wish this guys name was Erick Aybar that we just signed, but oh well.
Is it me or do the bluejays like angel players
I think this signing means hechevarria will get his chance to start at SS or 2B. If it doesnt go well and hes sent down then they will give the starts to izturis. hechevarria’s glove is too good to put at 2B. Think best option is
hech SS
escobar 2B
izturis UT
Would escobar make the move if hes still in the picture?
JCIAP is right on this one. After this deal, Hech will likely start in AAA.
i like it
former Expo farmhand! gotta like that. my only concern is ‘injury-ness.’ might have to be nursed a little in regards to playing time
really stupid on Blue Jay half to sign player with no coach… Shouldn’t their priority be getting a manager in place, instead of building their roster as who know is their coach want Maicer Izturis
The coach coaches, the GM gives him the team to coach. A good coach (manager) should be able to work with what’s given to him.
Well considering that everyone is trying to sign free agents, and the Jays are the only team looking for a manager, there’s no reason to rush the search for a coach. They can take as much time as they want because no one else is in the market, unlike the free agent market where they need to be on the ball.
Could be the number two hitter.
Doesn’t strike out.
Can hit and run.
Run the bases well.
Plays defense at multiple positions.
Professional attitude.
Jays need more players like this.
Would have preferred two years with an option, but not bad considering the market.
Can he hit though? Not a great average last year and he doesn’t have much pop in his bat. Seems closer to a 9 hitter than a 2 for me.
Well that’s one year. If he couldn’t hit – or rather if the Jays thought he couldn’t hit, I don’t think they’d have signed him for more than a year.
He’s not a player you expect to have pop, but he can do a lot of the little things well – something the majority of the Jays lineup could not do – like make productive outs.
I don’t know why the Jays would go after a free agent to bat in the 9 hole, but crazier things have happened.
.330 career OBP. That would make him 3rd on the Jays, so he should be hitting 1 or 2, not 9.
If Escobar’s staying and Heche’s starting at SS, then I don’t mind Izturis off the bench as a utility man. As a starter for a team that should be looking toward the playoffs, I think AA could have done better. Ryan Theriot comes to mind.
Izturis is better than Theriot.
Izturis is too inconsistent with the bat in order to warrant starting duties.
One guaranteed year too many. Players like Maicer Izturis are a dime a dozen but since the money involved won’t cripple the Jays and he plays multiple positions, I like this