Bonanza for Bernie
D-Backs offer Williams $100 million for 7 years
Posted: Thursday November 12, 1998 10:55 PM
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Williams was "very impressed" with the offer, but added, "I'd be a fool not to look around more and see what's available out there." David Seelig/Allsport |
PHOENIX (CNN/SI) -- The Arizona
Diamondbacks have formally offered free agent center fielder Bernie
Williams a seven-year contract worth $100 million that would make him
the highest-paid player in baseball, CNN/SI's John Giannone reports.
The offer came Wednesday as Williams, the American League batting
champion and a mainstay on the World Champion New York Yankees,
visited Phoenix to tour the Diamondbacks' Bank One Ballpark.
Williams, 30, has spent his all of his eight-year major league career with
the Yankees, but his close relationship with Diamondbacks manager Buck
Showalter has long fueled speculation that he would move on to Arizona.
But on Tuesday, the Diamonbacks traded reliever Alan Embree to
the San Francisco
Giants for center-field prospect Dante Powell,
raising questions about their interest in Williams. They have also
expressed interest in signing free agent pitcher Randy Johnson,
who lives near Phoenix. "I'm very impressed, very impressed,"
Williams said after meeting with Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo. "It's
a great start. We have a lot of things out in the open the way he felt and
the way we felt. "To tell you the truth, I'd be a fool not to look
around more and see what's available out there, but this is pretty good
right now." Williams said he will take his time before choosing a
team, and would not rule out a return to New York. "There's no real
urgency to have this done in a hurry," Williams said. "I've worked very
hard in my career to get to this point and I'm not going to make any sudden
decisions." Colangelo said, "What we can do is say, `Look, here's
who we are. Here's what we have to offer. I think we compete with anyone in
baseball in terms of a city, in terms of a facility, in terms of what we
have as an organization." The Diamondbacks, with the third-worst
record in baseball in their expansion season, would seem a major comedown
for a player who just won the AL batting championship and a World Series.
Colangelo is trying to persuade Williams that this team will improve
quickly. "What we are is a one-year expansion team and we need to
catch up with a lot of people," Colangelo said. "That's a big factor
competitiveness or lack of same. We are committed. We're going to do the
things to become competitive sooner rather than later." Asked why
he is considering the Diamondbacks, Williams pointed to the ballpark, the
city, the team's vow to improve and the presence of Showalter, who once
managed him with the Yankees. "It would have a lot to do with the
relationship I've had in the past with the coaching staff and the manager,
the commitment that I've seen here to make this a better team over the
years," Williams said. "It's a great place to live, certainly a great place
to raise my family. Sometimes you need a change of scenery."
Showalter said his impact on Williams' decision probably has been
overblown. "We respect the fact that he's got some decisions to
make," Showalter said. "If I was in his shoes, or was his agent, I'd be
hoping that he'd take a look at all possible avenues. We think we have a
lot to offer, and we wanted to make that apparent today. I think we have."
Williams' agent, Scott Boras, who also attended Wednesday's
session, has a good relationship with Colangelo based on the lucrative
deals Boras' clients Jay Bell and Andy Benes signed
with the Diamondbacks a year ago. "These guys do a dymanic job,"
Boras said. "These are some of the premier facilities in baseball, and
these people understand players."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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