Judd Strikes it Rich, Signs $42 Million Contract

By KYLE KEOUGH

DOUBLE DAY DAILY



The first wave of big-name free agents signed earlier today, with outfielder Otto Judd leading the way. The former Oakland Oak signed a five-year contract worth an estimated $42 million today in what became the largest free-agent signing of the early offseason.



Judd's $42 million deal was perhaps a bit bullish when contrasted with early forecasts made by your's truly about his pricetag--a deal between $30-40 million was expected--but the free-spending Stars got themselves a 29-year-old with 494 career RBIs. Judd, a two-time Gold Glove winner and All-Star, is the second consecutive big-splash free agent signing made by the Stars in as many seasons.



SP Matthew Brown became the first elite starting pitcher to sign, as he re-signed with Louisville, where he has spent the entirety of his career. Brown, now locked into a deal through season nine, is owed $11,250,000 this season, followed by $6.3 million per season for the subsequent four seasons. It appears that while specifics of the deal aren't available, Brown's deal is worth $31.25 million over five seasons; with a season-one signing bonus, that price balloons up to $36.25 million.



Brown (43-21, 3.81 career numbers) was estimated to receive a deal valued at as much as $50 million, so the $36 million signing is a bit of a surprise. Also, it was expected that Brown would sign later in the signing period, but it seems Louisville had little competition for him. This means that teams embroiled in starting-pitching bidding are likely looking first into the services of premiere starters Tom Lofton and Rafael Mercado.



The steal of today's signings could be former Maumee Brandon Stairs. The 30-year-old 2B signed with the Cleveland Cubs for a 3-year deal worth $23.25 million. This is a far cry from the almost $60 million deal I expected Stairs to fetch. Apparently, other GMs weren't as high on Stairs' upside as a great offensive second baseman in the AL.


For the Cubs, Stairs could prove a huge bargain, as he offers them the centerpiece bat they've sorely lacked since trading Billy Meyers and parting with Phil Parrish. Cleveland's once-anemic offense can now boast Vic Fernandez and Brandon Stairs in the middle of its lineup.