James Shields can opt out of his Padres deal after two years
James Shields said he joined the San Diego Padres because they’re a team ready to win — but if that doesn’t happen, Shields has an escape route.
His contract with the Padres, which was finalized Wednesday, allows Shields to opt out after two years and return to free agency, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Here’s the thing, though: The four-year, $75 million deal Shields signed with the Padres pays him $10 million in 2015 and $21 million the next three years (plus a $2 million buyout for 2019). So if Shields wanted to opt out, he’d be leaving a nice chunk of change on the table. With or without taxes.
As Rosenthal notes, opting out doesn’t seem like the wisest strategy for Shields:
But who knows? Perhaps Shields goes to the National League and starts producing Clayton Kershaw-like numbers and he figures he can get a big payday again. It’s unlikely, but you can’t predict baseball.
More than anything, the opt-out seems like an insurance policy for Shields in case things turn toxic in San Diego and its headline-grabbing offseason overhaul ends up being like the 2012 Miami Marlins’.
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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
