Adam Eaton. Photo Credit: Rob Tringali/Getty Images.
The Chicago White Sox have now invested in centerfielder Adam Eaton much like they did with their ace Chris Sale back in 2013 and Jose Quintana in 2014. Both Sale and Quintana signed five-year extensions worth $32.5 million and $21 million, respectively.
The White Sox have now invested five-years in center fielder Adam Eaton, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three-team, five-player trade that sent Tyler Skaggs to the Los Angeles Angels and Mark Trumbo to the Diamondbacks.
The White Sox got what they wanted and more in Eaton, who batted .300 for Chicago in 2014, while leading the league with 10 triples and driving in 35 runs. He was also a finalist for the American League Gold Glove for center field.
Eaton, 26, has now agreed to be a member of the White Sox through the 2019 season with club options for 2020 and 2021. Over the next five years the White Sox leadoff hitter will make $23.5 million, beginning with $810,000 this season quickly rising up to $8.4 million in 2019.
Assuming the club picks up the options for 2020 and ’21, he’ll make an additional $19.5 million over those two seasons. The club has a $1.5 million buyout if they were to decline either option.
This contract replaces the $560,000 contact Eaton would have been under this season. He would have been arbitration eligible in 2016 and this, like both the deals made with Sale and Quintana, takes Eaton through all his arbitration years.
Having young, impact players under these deals that get them through their arbitration eligibility gives the White Sox the ability to spend money on the free agent market like they did this past offseason. The spent a significant amount of money to sign free agent players like David Robertson, Zach Duke, Adam LaRoche and Melky Cabrera.
Eaton is a most definitely a team player, saying he knows that he’ll end up working more than the contract is actually worth. According to general manager Rick Hahn,
“Adam specifically said that was important to him. It was one of the many considerations he undertook … that it puts us in position where it does give us that flexibility and puts us in a position where we can use our funds toward other needs when they arise.”
As for Eaton, he’s excited to be a part of a team he believes in and believes he can help win, even if it means taking a slight pay cut for the greater good of the organization.
“I’m going to be making quite a bit of money, but with that being said, this is the cheaper route for the team,” Eaton said. “I think I’m going to play more than that contract is worth, but again, we want to win here and there’s money to go elsewhere. The next three, four, five years, if I can be a savings to bring some guys in, that’s key for us. I want to win, that’s first and foremost, and not just once. I think we’ll be able to do that.”
The White Sox are lucky to have players like Sale, Quintana and Eaton, to whom the success of the team and the ultimate goal of the game are more important than they’re own self interests.
The post White Sox Invest In Adam Eaton appeared first on Baseball Hot Corner.