Pena Extended, Boone Signed

The Wily Mo Patience extension has gone through, with a mutual option for 2009. We'll pay him $2m for 2008, and then have a $5m option for 2009. If we decline, he can decide to stay for another $2m. Good structure, better than was announced yesterday, so I'm still definitely happy with it. It's basically an arbitration avoidance deal, and if he has a breakout year, we actually get him on the cheap.

Aaron Boone was also signed to a 1yr/$1m deal, which is low risk low reward, so whatever. Boone hit .286/.388/.811 in limited time with the Marlins last year, playing some 3b and some 1b. He was a middle infielder earlier in his career, but he hasn't played anything but first or third in a few years. Also, he's Assistant GM Bob Boone's son, which is nice. Again, if he can provide a little bit of hitting off the bench, it's a good signing. If he's 34 years old and washed up, it's only $1m.

Wily Mo Extension

Updated 11:25 PM, 12/5/2007 - Apparently not quite yet. Enrique Rojas, you have toyed with my heart for the very last time. But Svrluga seems to believe that the extension will get done sooner rather than later.

From 9:42 PM, 12/5/2007 - Wily Mo and the Nationals have reportedly reached an agreement for a 2yr/$7m extension, effectively buying him out of one year of free agency for $5m. Hard to argue with that, as long as he gets enough at bats to see if he'll actually work out in our outfield.

Worst case scenario is he continues to hit .260 with 25 dingers and a delicious .320 OBP, best case is that he actually hits his theorized potential. Hey, this is an outfield in which Nook Logan and Ryan Langerhans combined to have 487 at bats last year, so let's not get picky about who we trot out there just yet.