Chipper Jones, Braves finalized extension

好久沒注意MLB，尤其最喜愛的 John Smoltz 離隊後我連MLB.TV也不打算訂了，不過4/5對上去年的冠軍費城人就有電視轉播可以看，希望以後ESPN能多關照一下。

Chipper signed extension from 2010 to 2012, with 2013 vest option.
$3M signing bonus
2010-2012: $13M/yr, plus incentives
** $750K/season for 135 games played,another $750K for 140 games
2013: $9M vesting option, with escalator clauses.
** The option vests with 123 games played in 2012, or 127 games averaged in 2011-2012, and if it doesn’t vest the Braves could exercise a $7M team option. Escalators could push the vesting option as high as $13 mill.
That could push the total to a max of $61 million over four years.

今年即將滿37歲的Chipper得到勇士隊的尊敬，也許一年平均大約$14M的薪資對一個去年的打擊王並不算多，但一個年紀大、有傷病史、近五年平均每季出賽只有124場的三壘手，這應該是勇士最大的誠意了。我想Frank Wren大概是因為Smoltz的例子得到教訓，不敢再冒險得罪球迷吧。

記得當時不少人挺Frank Wren，覺得Smoltz又老又傷不值得花那麼多錢簽(他馬的$2M)；同樣的邏輯，Chipper這份合約的風險也不小，怪了，這次怎麼沒有人嫌Frank Wren出手太大方呢？

BTW, 2010的薪資 Lowe($15/M) + Chipper($14M) + Vazquez($11.5M) + Kawakami($6.67M) 約為$47M，這大概就佔了Braves近一半的薪資，2011年的狀況也差不多。掰了外野大砲、掰了Huddy、掰了Soriano and ... Francoeur with ego, I guess.

Thank God, 至少可以看到 Chipper 穿著斧頭退休了。