Nov 9, 2009

MLB's Diamondbacks Buy Out Tracy

Arizona Declines $7 Million Option On Infielder Chad Tracy

The Arizona Diamondbacks have decided Thursday to forego the $ 7 million option for the 2010-2011 MLB season on infielder Chad Tracy, and instead they will buy him out for $1 million allowing Tracy to become a free agent. Tracy was selected in the seventh round of the 2001 amateur draft, and the Diamondbacks had high hopes for his career which began to flourish in 2005 when he batted .305 with 27 home runs in a breakout year for the infielder. Tracy followed up in 2006 with a .281 batting average with 20 home runs and career-best 80 RBI's which led the Diamondbacks to believe the left handed hitting infielder would be one of their anchors for the future. As a result, Arizona signed Tracy to a 3 year $13.25 million contract before the 2007 MLB season with a $7 million club option for the 2010 MLB season.

Unfortunately, things did not turn out as planned for Tracy or the Diamondbacks from that moment forward. Tracy had to have a microfracture surgery on his right knee in September of 2007. Later doctors discovered a blood clot moving up his leg that could be life threatening, and after being put on blood thinners which eventually solved the problem, Tracy was relegated to the bench until May 2008 ,and has never been able to regain his hitting form since. Although he accumulated a .280 batting average with 78 home runs and 318 RBI's over parts of six seasons with the Diamondbacks, he batted just .237 with 8 home runs and 39 RBI's in 98 games this year. At that point it was a good baseball bet that Arizona would find him expendable, especially for $7 million dollars, considering the fact that the betting odds of him ever returning to peak form since his injury are slim and none. The move was a necessary one for Arizona which should have a positive impact on the club if they can find someone who can consistently produce to take his place. Now that the club has an extra $6 million available for other talent, the betting odds are pretty good for that to occur.

By Bryan Jackson
Staff Writer
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