Derrek Lee may get $10 million from the Baltimore Orioles
It hasn’t been a long time since former Chicago Cubs’ first baseman, Derrek Lee, moved to the Baltimore Orioles on a one-year deal. The 35-year-old ball player is said to be the key to Manager Buck Showalter’s campaign in building the O’s as a formidable
team in Major League Baseball (MLB). 2011 presents a lot of challenges for the American League ball clubs. Many rosters have been reconstructed to suit the needs of the New Year, and additions are still being made to accommodate the changes occurring in the
game.
The Orioles are reportedly paying Lee somewhere in the region of $8-10 million. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun had reported earlier that the hitter was going to be earning $8 million from the contract. However, new reports from Tim Brown of Yahoo!
Sports claim the deal is packaged with incentives, and hence is valued at more than $10 million. The O’s seem to be involved in some effective deals this season. Luke Scott, who is another new signing, will provide Baltimore with much needed power on the plate.
The O’s are said to be campaigning strongly for an amendment to their squad. Showalter made a mark in the American League East division last season when the regular season entered the second half. Buck conducted himself well in front of the crowd in
Baltimore. He managed to post a better record than the team’s division rivals; New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox. The influx of runs provided by the gaffer reflected a determined roster looking to rectify its mistakes
in the first half of the Major League Season.
The team will be looking for stronger options next season, and one theory behind bringing in Lee is that a bigger signing will be made during 2011’s off season. The Milwaukee Brewers’ Prince Fielder is rumoured to be the candidate for the first baseman
position. The $10 million price tag may seem too high at the moment, but Showalter needs all the help he can get before April brings forth a new season.
Lee was playing for the Atlanta Braves in the second half of the 2010 season. He moved from the Cubs during the trading window. He posted an average of .260. Furthermore he was able to drive in 80 Runs Batted In (RBI) and scored 19 home runs.
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