Chase Headley’s Contract Is A WIN-WIN

Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Pop open the champagne bottles because there is FINALLY! something that we can toast to this off-season. As we lift up our glasses, we are toasting to the Padres and third baseman Chase Headley, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year $ 8.6 million contract, ESPN.com reports.

September 23, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley (7) hits the ball against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT

A lot of fans are still disappointed though because the contract is only for one-year, and not a multi-year one.

I just want to tell those fans to please stop complaining.

At least the Padres did something.  I actually like that this is only a one-year deal.

I really don’t think last season was a fluke year for Headley, but just in the case it was, the Padres would only be in debt to our 2012 Silver Slugger for a year instead of a lifetime. Let’s let the organization take this year to see if Headley can replicate the success of 2012.

If so, then you lock him up to a long-term deal the minute he starts making Petco Park look like Coors Field.

But, if Headley were to go completely down hill, then the Padres’ hands wouldn’t be so tied. I just want to make one-thing clear before I start getting nasty e-mails, I am not in any way suspecting Headley had a fluke year. And I whole heartily believe he is hitting his prime and will have continue success. It is just that the Padres have to really cover their butts. Historically, the Padres have had their fair share of bad contracts.

The most positive sign from all this is that the negotiations weren’t nasty.

Both Headley and the Padres were able to meet in the middle and agree to the $8.6 million price tag. Initially, the Padres had offered their best player a $7,075,000 million contract, Headley rejected their offer and asked for $10. 3 million. That is about $3.3 million a part. Being so far a part in dollar amount, negotiations or even arbitration could have turned out really ugly. Thank God it didn’t!

Instead both team’s were able to budge a little bit. The Padres will now pay Headley about $1.5 million more than what they originally wanted to, and Headley will  make about $1.8 million less than what he wanted.

This is really a win-win for both sides. Headley should definitely cash in after this contract.

This goes to show that if/when the Padres and Headley sit down at the negotiating table to discuss a long term deal there will be no sour grapes on either side. We should expect both to play nice and meet in the middle once again. Headley wants to get paid and Padres want to save money, I believe you can have it both ways.

This by far is the toast of the entire off-season.

CHEERS!