James Shields reportedly has a $110M offer on the table
They call pitcher James Shields “Big Game James,” but if the latest rumors come to fruition, people should start calling him “Big Bank James.”
Shields, one of the top free agents on the market who is not yet signed, reportedly has an offer on the table worth $110 million over five seasons, which far exceeds the $90 million estimates we were hearing just a few months ago. Who’s making such an offer to a 33-year-old pitcher? Therein is the fun part. We don’t know. It’s the good ol’ mystery team.
In his latest column, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, takes a gander at the market for Shields, which is strange in its quietness and anonymity. He says the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox are now both unlikely landing spots for Shields, but someone out there is willing to pay big bucks. Rosenthal writes:
Though the front-runners for Shields are not known, a number of executives tell FOX Sports they expect the free-agent right-hander to land a contract of at least five years, $100 million. Two execs say it is their understanding that Shields has a five-year, $110 million offer and is looking for an even higher guarantee. But others say that if Shields actually has such an offer, he should take it.
Shields’ agent, Page Odle, has consistently declined comment throughout the free-agent process and did not respond to an email on Sunday.
The talk of Shields and $100 million does not mean that he indeed will land such a deal. Third baseman Chase Headley reportedly received a four-year, $65 million offer from an unidentified club early in free agency but wound up re-signing with the Yankees for four years, $52 million.
Shields, like Max Scherzer, is among the last remaining top free agents on the market. In fact, on Jeff Passan’s Ultimate Free Agent Tracker, only seven of the top 50 players are still available if you take away international players who may not even sign. Shields is No. 4, Scherzer is No. 1. After those two, the next best available starting pitcher is Ryan Vogelsong, No. 50, since Aaron Harang signed with the Phillies on Monday.
So, it makes sense that a team needing another starting pitcher — say the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers or New York Yankees — might be more interested in Shields now, since Scherzer is going to be even more expensive. Shields, however, comes with his own worries.
He’s 33, and committing to five years would mean you’re paying for decline years. He’s also thrown more than 200 innings in each of the past eight seasons, making him similar to a high-mileage used car. They don’t necessarily break down, but you never know. He’s also not a traditional “ace,” even though he was the No. 1 pitcher for the Kansas City Royals last season. He’s more of a top-notch No. 2. Yet, here we are, Shields is reportedly getting an offer that’s higher than anybody figured.
Like one of Rosenthal sources says, we have to wonder, if Shields really does have an offer worth $110 million on the table, why doesn’t he already have a pen in his hand?
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
