Report: Marlins, Chen agree to 5-year, $80M deal
The Miami Marlins have been relatively quiet on the free-agent market this offseason, and with spring training just around the corner, they've made their first big splash.
Miami has agreed to a five-year, $80-million deal with left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The contract comes with a vesting player option that could push the total value to $96 million, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
The vesting option is based on innings pitched, adds Buster Olney of ESPN; Chen must reach 180 innings pitched in 2020 or a combined 360 between 2019 and 2020 for the option to kick in. The contract also reportedly includes an opt-out clause after the second year.
A source told Rosenthal that Chen is getting an $8-million signing bonus, $6 million in 2016, and $14 million in 2017 and he would walk away from $52 million if he decided to opt out after the second year of the deal.
Chen must still pass a physical for the deal to be finalized.
Adding the southpaw to Miami's rotation gives the Marlins a veteran presence to go along with ace Jose Fernandez and youngsters Jarred Cosart and Adam Conley. The team also recently added the experienced arm of Edwin Jackson.
Chen, 30, was one of the top free-agent starters still available, after a season in which he posted a career-low 3.34 ERA while striking out 153 over 191 2/3 innings for the Baltimore Orioles.
Signing Chen will require Miami to surrender a pick in next year's draft after he rejected the Orioles' $15.8-million qualifying offer in November.