Report: Yankees agree to 4-year, $52M deal with Chase Headley
The New York Yankees will have a familiar face at third base next season and his name is not Alex Rodriguez.
Chase Headley reportedly agreed to a four-year, $52-million contract with the Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The deal is pending a physical before it can be made official.
Headley does not have no-trade protection, but would receive an additional $1M payment if #Yankees trade him to any of 29 other clubs
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 15, 2014
New York had been interested in a reunion with Headley following the conclusion of the season, as the team has major concerns about Rodriguez's ability to play third base due to his age, injury history and having missed all of the 2014 season. Signing Headley likely means A-Rod will begin the season either as the Yankees' designated hitter, or on the bench, while Martin Prado shifts over to second base.
The San Francisco Giants were reportedly high on Headley and were said to be very aggressive in their pursuit earlier this month. However, the Giants were reluctant to offer the switch-hitter a four-year deal, which appears to have been their undoing in getting a deal done.
Headley's first and only All-Star campaign came in 2012, when he slashed .286/.376/.498 with 32 home runs and 115 RBIs, but he's had trouble replicating that same offensive success over the past two seasons.
In 135 games in 2014, Headley slashed .243/.328/.372 with 12 home runs, 49 RBIs and 122 strikeouts. He missed 14 games in April with a calf strain and battled lower back pain in June, while still with the San Diego Padres. He was traded to the Yankees in late July in exchange for minor-league pitcher Rafael De Paula and infielder Yangervis Solarte.
Headley, who was the second best free-agent third baseman on the market this offseason, received one-year and $43 million less than Pablo Sandoval's deal with the Boston Red Sox.