Best viewed in IE 4.0+
 
Rotohelp  
January
30th
2005
Out of the Frying Pan
Rotohelp
Bottalico Neck

by Jessica Polko

Houston signed OF-S Lanced Berkman to a one-year, $10.5M contract last week. When teams and players exchanged arbitration figures, the Astros offered $10M while Berkman requested $11M, so the two compromised at the mid-point of the two numbers. The two sides plan to continue discussing a multi-year deal, at least through the end of spring training, but this contract allows them to avoid arbitration. Without a longer deal in place, Berkman will achieve free agency following the 2005 season, and he seems inclined to test the market unless Houston comes through with a competitive offer this spring.

Berkman possesses excellent plate discipline, considerable power, and useful speed, making him a valuable asset for any club. Unfortunately for the Astros, his recent knee injury appears to have introduced additional risk into signing him to a multi-year deal while Berkman's salary expectations remain unchanged. Despite the likelihood of a full-recovery early in the season, I still would prefer to negotiate with a healthy 28-year-old than one who just incurred an injury that could make his knee a trouble spot for the rest of his career.

Click here to read the previous article.

I can't please all the people all of the time, but I am more than willing to read the comments of the pleased, the irate, and everyone in between. You can send your opinions to jess@rotohelp.com.
Advertise on
Rotohelp
All content ©2001-18 Rotohelp, Inc. All rights reserved. PO Box 72054 Roselle, IL 60172.
Please send your comments, suggestions, and complaints to: admin@rotohelp.com.