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Carmona, who grew up in Dominican Republic, has no regrets on deal
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Apr 11, 2008
CLEVELAND: Why did Fausto Carmona give up two years of free agency to sign a seven-year deal with the Indians on Thursday?
Players often choose security over the last dollar, when they cannot entertain multiple bids for their services. But that doesn't take into account Naranjo Ato Viejo Yamasa, the rural town in the Dominican Republic, where Carmona grew up with his parents, three brothers and three sisters on a small farm.
Forty-eight million dollars is a lot of cash in Cleveland or even New York. But in Naranjo Ato Viejo Yamasa, it is almost an unimaginable amount of money.
But that is how much Carmona can earn under the terms of a four-year deal that guarantees him $15 million plus three separate club options.
Carmona, 24, signed a one-year contract in spring training for $457,800 after his breakout season of 2007, when he compiled a 19-8 record and 3.06 ERA,
second lowest in the American League.
But early in March, negotiations began on a multiyear deal. They were completed the last few days of spring training, but the nuts and bolts of the agreement — including a physical exam — were not wrapped up until a few days ago. The announcement was withheld until the team returned home from its six-day trip to Oakland and Anaheim.
Carmona will receive a $750,000 signing bonus and a boost in his 2008 salary to $500,000. In the next three years, he will make $2.75 million, $4.9 million and $6.1 million. The first of three club options will be worth $7 million, the second $9 million and the last, in 2014, will pay Carmona $12 million.
However, there are escalators in the deal that can boost the value of the first option to $8 million and the next two to $11 million and $14 million, respectively.
By that time, Carmona's parents might want to redecorate a room or two in the new house he is building for them in the Dominican Republic.
''Fausto has a big family and a lot of nieces and nephews,'' said Carmona's agent Jorge Brito, who was present at Thursday's news conference at Progressive Field. ''He doesn't talk a lot about it, but they are very important to him.''
First base coach Luis Rivera, who attended the announcement as Carmona's translator, added, ''Fausto is pretty humble. He does a lot of things for people, a lot of things for his family that most people don't know about.''
Agents are paid to think about the future value of their clients in uncertain markets and how much the market will bear several years down the road. So maybe Brito would have preferred to forego the final two option years and let Carmona take his chances as a free agent earlier.
Asked if the final two option seasons were the toughest part of the deal to accept, Brito said, ''The sixth and seventh year, yes. It weighed (on us) a lot to give up those free-agent years. . . . But my job is to present Fausto with the good and the bad. He made the final decision.
''I believe that Fausto is capable of someday getting a (Randy) Johnson type of contract. And I feel that Fausto will be in a good position when he does become a free agent.''
Conceivably, Carmona's value could rise to the level of C.C. Sabathia's or even beyond, considering what the market might be for premier pitchers seven years from now. Sabathia can become a free agent in October and is expected to command at least $20 million per season.
According to Brito, Sabathia has had a great influence on Carmona.
''The Cleveland Indians are the only family that Fausto has known in baseball,'' the agent said. ''He came through the minor leagues with many of these players and is very comfortable with the guys he is playing with.
''That was something we discussed. Being able to play with them has meant a lot. Fausto also looks up to C.C. Sabathia. He has been something of a mentor to Fausto, so he is hoping that C.C. is here for a long time.''
Signing Carmona to a long-term deal gives the Tribe insurance in the event Sabathia leaves and takes his No. 1 starter designation with him. But Carmona insisted he wasn't contemplating being a replacement for Sabathia as the staff ace.
''I'm not thinking about that,'' Carmona said. ''I want C.C. to stay and be No. 1.''
Carmona hasn't forgotten his painful stint as a rookie closer in 2006, when he blew three saves and a tie in a week.
''I feel very proud about the contract,'' Carmona said. ''I want to thank the Cleveland Indians organization who believed in me and trusted me. I know I had a bad year in 2006, but they stuck with me.''
General Manager Mark Shapiro corrected Carmona, saying, ''Fausto didn't have a bad year, he had a bad 10 days.''
For the record
Carmona's new contract matches the largest guaranteed deal in history for a pre-arbitration eligible starter. Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals also received $15 million. In addition, the guaranteed portion of the contract is the most ever for a pitcher with one-plus years of major-league service time.
Answering the critics
Casey Blake heard it from all four corners of the earth last year: He can't hit with runners in scoring position and a .190 average proved it. His sixth-inning double with David Dellucci on second Wednesday gave him three hits in nine at-bats with a runner on second or third, a .333 average.
It's far too early to know whether Blake will make everyone forget 2007, but he thinks the entire conversation is off the mark.
''I think it's a bogus stat,'' he said. ''If the score is 10-1 with runners on second and third and someone gets a single, he gets credit. But if you double home a guy from first, you get no points.
''Last year, Eric Wedge called me into his office to make me aware of it. He said just have good at-bats and that I cared too much, so I needed to pretend nobody was on base.''
On the disparagement he hears from fans, Blake said, ''It's just people being human. Fans want all players to be great. If somebody isn't, they think he should do something about it.''
Silver lining?
Despite losing 9-5 to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, Wedge saw encouraging signs from his struggling lineup.
''I felt like we took better swings and had a better approach, and that's a good sign,'' the manager said. ''I just hope we can take that into the weekend.''
Other stuff
The Indians won only two of six on the trip to Oakland and Anaheim and have lost six of their last eight against the Angels. . . . The Tribe's 12 hits in Wednesday's loss is a season high. . . . Jhonny Peralta was 5-for-9 with two doubles, two home runs and three RBI for the three-game series. . . . The Tribe's team batting average (.239) is 13th in the league; the club is eighth in runs (37).
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: Why did Fausto Carmona give up two years of free agency to sign a seven-year deal with the Indians on Thursday?
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