The work of Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn hasn’t slowed down even in spring training, as the team worked out a long-term contract extension with center fielder Adam Eaton on Friday.
According to the White Sox’s official Twitter, Eaton’s new deal is for five years with two option years that could run through the 2021 season:
Per Scott Merkin of MLB.com, the value of Eaton’s deal over the first five years is $23.5 million:
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Eaton’s two option years could be worth $20 million, bringing the total potential value of the deal to $43.5 million:
Hahn shared his thoughts about Eaton with CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes:
These guys are hard to find and you have a guy who addresses several needs of being able hit at the top of the order, get on base, run and play defense at a premium position. We have a kid here who we think is going to be an essential part of our success over the next couple of years and is a rare piece in this game, a top of the order player who plays in the middle of the diamond, plays a premium position and brings you plus offense and the ability to get on base and run.
Eaton also expressed his excitement: “To be in company with those guys, being signed early, it’s a thrill for me. With that being said, I kind of touched on it earlier, we’ve got a good group of core guys who are going to be here three, four, five years. It’s exciting.”
Like many MLB teams, the White Sox have made locking up their core young players a high priority. They signed starting pitcher Chris Sale to a five-year extension in 2013 after he was coming off of a breakout season, and they did the same for left-hander Jose Quintana last March.
Hahn recently spoke about the process of negotiating with young players about long-term deals and what the team is looking for with Merkin on MLB.com:
It’s a combination of feeling, one, that the player is a key part to what we have going here and want to make sure we are able to have him longer than the normal six-year control period. And second, probably almost as important if not more important, is the belief that the guaranteed money wouldn’t change the player’s approach to their preparation for the game.
The White Sox have put together a terrific core of young talent, which also includes 2014 American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu and Jeff Samardzija. They figure to be significant players in a competitive AL Central that also features defending AL champion Kansas City, Detroit and Cleveland.
Eaton, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team trade in December 2013, came into his own last year at the age of 25 with a .300/.362/.401 slash line that included 10 triples and 15 stolen bases. He’s a prototypical leadoff hitter, capable of getting on base at a high clip, and he plays solid defense in center field.
This contract buys out all of his arbitration years, and the option years could keep him in Chicago two years after he would have been eligible for free agency. It’s a smart move by the White Sox, which seem poised to make a playoff push for the first time since winning 85 games in 2012.
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