Free agent Jerry Hairston Jr. is returning to the Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com.
The Web site reported late Tuesday, Jan. 6, that Hairston and the club had agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $2 million. It's an incentive-laden deal that could be worth $4 million.
An announcement is expected today. The Royals and Cardinals also were competing to sign Hairston.
It appears that Cincinnati plans to make the versatile Hairston its starting shortstop because Alex Gonzalez won't be ready, the Web site reported.
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4 comments:
I like it. He is not going to play as well as he did last year, but he is a good utility guy. And hopefully he can stay healthy and play all over the field. I think he is a better option at SS rather or not Gonzalez is healthy.
Hairston rated near the bottom defensively for any shortstop that played more than 35 games their last season.
Gonzalez did not play well defensively for us the one year he was there either and now you have added injuries and a year without playing at all. On top of that, he offers nothing offensively. I don't love Hairston being our starting shortstop, but I think its better than the alternative. I do like him as a utility guy who can play a lot of positions and get on base.
Don't forget, Hairston was on the Mitchell report and has been linked to steroids. How much can he hold up? My sources with the Reds have both told me that they aren't going to know if Gonzalez will be healthy until he starts to play.
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