The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to terms on a new contract with free-agent infielder Eric Chavez, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The terms of the deal are unknown at this time.
Diamondbacks re-sign Eric Chavez
Chavvy returns to AZ for at least another year.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Chavez, 36, was a solid bench bat for Arizona last season, and he'll likely take on a similar role in 2014. He is a perfect complement to the righty bats of Martin Prado at third and Paul Goldschmidt at first, so he'll probably get most of his starts when they're in need of a day off.
The six-time Gold Glove third baseman got most of his playing time in 2013 opposite right-handed pitching, against whom he batted .279/.335/.492 with nine home runs in 222 plate appearances (out of 254 PA overall). Chavez has always struggled with same-side pitching, so it’s likely he’ll continue in an extreme platoon next year.
Injuries plagued Chavez in his final few years with the Oakland A’s, but he’s been mostly healthy the last two seasons. He missed a little bit of time in 2013 with oblique and knee strains, but those small bumps were nothing compared to the shoulder, elbow, neck and foot issues that tormented him in his early-30s.
Chavez isn’t likely to earn any awards for his defense at this point in his career, but at least one of the advanced fielding metrics (FRAA) believes he’s still an average glove at the hot corner.
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