Something is obviously wrong with the guy and it isn't just a slump. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned how much this appears similar to the LaRoche situation last year. The biggest difference is we didn't just reward LaRoche with a $100m extension.
On January 14, 2010, LaRoche agreed to a 1 year,
$4.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His deal includes a $7.5 million mutual option with a $1.5 million buyout. On January 4, 2011, LaRoche agreed to a 2 year contract with the Washington Nationals:
$7 million in 2011 and
$8 million in 2012, with a mutual option for
$10 million in 2013. His 2011 season ended with labrum surgery on his left shoulder with career-low batting numbers of 0.172 BA/0.288 OPS/0.258 SLG.
It sounds like the same situation: player signs for big pay raise and continues to play poorly through an injury. They were both embarrassed to have taken the money, when they were unable to earn it at the time. So the
team suffers in the meantime.
What is
completely idiotic about the current situation is batting
Zim-with-1-N third, when they know he cannot perform as any batter should in that slot.
