Third baseman Chase Headley has signed a 4-year, contract for "a little north" of $50 million with the New York Yankees, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, taking the best remaining third baseman off the free-agent market.
Chase Headley, Yankees agree to 4-year, $50 million contract
The Yankees bring Headley back, closing a hole at third base before it fully opens.
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Headley’s performance did improve after he swapped the pitcher’s paradise of Petco Park for Yankee Stadium. In 58 contests for the Yankees, Headley hit .262/.371/.398 with six home runs and also impressed with his glove at the hot corner.
An eight-year veteran, Headley has spent his entire career minus that brief Yankees’ stint, in Petco Park, making his true offensive talent level hard to measure. He finished fifth in NL MVP voting in 2012 after a career-best campaign when he batted .286/.376/.498 with 31 home runs. Since then, Headley has hit 13 home runs in each of the last two seasons.
Regardless, Headley remains one of MLB’s best defenders at third base, so his value isn’t entirely tied up with his bat, and this deal seems like it could be a bargain for the Yankees at around just $12.5 million per year.
The 30-year-old earned just over $10 million in 2014, his final year of team control, and previously had turned down multiple extension offers from the Padres before he was traded. Headley also reportedly received a five-year, $65 million offer from the Astros, but chose the Yankees’ lesser contract instead.
See More:
