ST. LOUIS -- It didn't take Jim Edmonds long to fall in love
with St. Louis.
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| Edmonds |
The Cardinals center fielder, acquired in March from the Anaheim
Angels, agreed Friday to a $57 million, six-year contract
extension. The deal runs through 2006 and includes a $10 million
club option for 2007.
"We could not be more pleased than we are today," Cardinals
general manager Walt Jocketty said. "Jim is certainly one of the
game's top players and to know he will be a major part of both this
team and the community for many years to come is a real tribute to
Cardinals fans."
Edmonds, 29, was leading the major leagues in several offensive
categories, including batting (406), slugging percentage (.972) and
on-base percentage (.532). He has a .295 career average.
"It's been a pleasure to play here for the first month, and I'm
looking forward to staying here for the rest of my career,"
Edmonds said. "Hopefully I can last out the seven years."
Edmonds is making $4.5 million this season and would have been
eligible for free agency after the World Series. The deal contains
a $2 million signing bonus and calls for salaries of $6 million
next year, $7 million in 2002, $8 million in 2003, $9 million in
2004, $10 million in 2005 and $12 million in 2006. If the Cardinals
don't exercise their option, they must pay a $3 million buyout.
As part of the deal, Edmonds will make a $1 million contribution
to Cardinals Care, the Cardinals charity that benefits area youth
organizations. He also gets the power to submit a list each year of
23 teams he can't be traded to without his consent.
The deal is the longest in team history and it came together
quickly, with the parties hammering out an agreement Tuesday night
in San Francisco.
Jocketty said he doesn't remember a negotiation going as
smoothly as this one did.
"There's no doubt that Jim could have commanded more had he
tested the free agent market, but his desire to remain a Cardinal
weighed heavily in his final decision," Jocketty said. "He feels
that the team's chances of remaining competitive for the next
several years are very good."
Like teammate Mark McGwire, who has salaries of $9 million this
year and $11 million next year as his $38.5 million, four-year deal
winds up, much of Edmonds' salary is deferred -- $1 million of each
year's salary is deferred without interest.
"I wasn't trying to get a dollar for every person through the
turnstile and a free house and a free plane and all that stuff,"
Edmonds said. "I just want to play baseball and have a place where
I knew I could be for a while. I knew what I wanted and it made it
pretty simple, pretty easy."
Jocketty didn't think a six-year deal was a huge risk, even
though Edmonds has been with the team less than two months.
"It could end up being a bonanza for us," Jocketty said. "You
have to take some risks, but I think based on what we've seen and
the talent he has, he should be a very significant player for a
number of years."
All of the Cardinals regulars are signed at least through next
season. Earlier this year, the Cardinals signed second baseman
Fernando Vina to a $15 million, three-year deal. Prior to the
season, they signed shortstop Edgar Renteria and third baseman
Fernando Tatis to contract extensions that run through 2003. | |
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