Before today, the projected starter at third base for the Colorado Rockies was probably DJ LeMahieu. While we all have fond memores of the time DJ LeMahieu rocked that club in Ibiza, he wasn't exactly a name-brand third baseman. You couldn't blame the Rockies for looking for some insurance at the position, perhaps with a low-cost veteran. Enter Casey Blake. From the Rockies' official Twitter feed:
Rockies agree to terms with INF Casey Blake on 1-year contract, pending a physical, as announced by GM Dan O'Dowd.
According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, the deal is worth $2 million, with a potential of $1 million in performance bonuses.
Now while Blake is a known name with a productive 13-season career, he's 38, and he's been hurt in recent seasons:
Year | Age | G | AB | HR | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | 35 | 139 | 485 | 18 | .280 | .363 | .468 | .832 | 122 |
2010 | 36 | 146 | 509 | 17 | .248 | .320 | .407 | .727 | 98 |
2011 | 37 | 63 | 202 | 4 | .252 | .342 | .371 | .713 | 99 |
But if it's a risky move, well, so was starting DJ LeMahieu or whatever other in-house options the Rockies had.