Santa Monica, Ca. – Center Fielder Sean Goldman and the Golden State Dodgers agreed Wednesday to an $11.5 million, one-year contract extension through 2007.
The 34-year-old Goldman, who gets $9.4 million this year under his previous contract, receives a $2 million signing bonus payable in installments and a 2007 salary of $9 million. The deal contains a $9 million team option for 2008 with a $500,000 buyout, and the option would become guaranteed if he has 100 plate appearances in 2007.
With performance bonuses and escalators, the extension could be worth $22.35 million over two years.
"I'm willing to dedicate myself to get a championship with the Golden State Dodgers. It would be nice to get another one with a new team to go along with my previous 2 championships with the San Diego Marlins and the Valley Yankees"
Goldman, the 1999 MVP with the San Diego Marlins in which he lead his team to capture an N.A.B.A. Championship that year, has a .460 batting average in his 3-year career with the G.S. Dodgers and is one of just four Center Fielders to get 15 or more hits a season 3 times. He is the only center fielder hit 4 home runs in a Fall Season.
Goldman was signed by the Dodgers as a free agent in June 2004. In his first season with Golden State Dodgers, he lead the team in batting average, hits, runs, RBI’s and homeruns.
To me, he's got Hall of Fame credentials. He's as competitive as anyone," Dodgers manager Jason Kent said. "You look at his last 3 years and he plays a lot, plays hurt, plays through just about everything. I think he's one of the best players on the club."
After mulling this spring whether he would play beyond the end of his initial contract, Goldman made up his mind Tuesday to keep playing.
"I've been wracking my brain, pulling my hair out thinking about it," Goldman said. "I've been talking to people in the game and my family, most importantly. It came to a head last night."
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