Carl Crawford and Tampa Bay Rays Nix Extension Talks
February 25, 2010 · Bronx Baseball Daily · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Here is some good news for Yankee fans hoping to see Carl Crawford signed by the Yankees next offseason.
According to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, contract talks between Crawford and the Tampa Rays have been tabled until the end of the season.
“We had an opportunity to exchange ideas with the club about a contract extension for Carl and it was clear to all of us that an immediate agreement was not going to materialize,’’ Crawford’s agent Brian Peters told the St. Petersburg Times this afternoon.
“Thus, we all agreed to table discussions until the end of the year. We’d like to minimize distractions for Carl and the club and keep the focus on baseball, so we don’t plan to comment upon Carl’s contract status again until after the season.”
“I have said before that I’d love to sign a contract extension with the Rays and I hope that things work out that way,’’ Crawford said. “This organization has been great to me and I love playing here.
“For now, I just want to put all my efforts into helping the Rays return to the World Series, and to win it this time. There will be plenty of time after the season is over to talk about a new contract. To avoid potential distractions for me and my teammates, this is all I’m going to say about my contractual situation until after the season.”
Thoughts : It’s bad news in one sense, the Rays would like to keep Crawford and he would like to return. But it’s good news because if each side really wanted to get it done, they’d work until it got done. Contract talks can occasionally be distracting, but they don’t have to be and a lame-duck status for Crawford could potentially be more distracting especially once the Yankee and Red Sox beat writers come to town.
How much do you think Crawford could earn on his next deal? Will it be in the four-year $52 million range or closer to the seven-year, $120 million range? Thoughts?
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