Posted at 9:56 a.m., Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Padres' Young agrees to four-year, $14.5 million deal
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — Padres pitcher Chris Young, who's flirted with no-hitters and been tough on the road, agreed today to a $14.5 million, four-year contract that would be worth $23 million if the team exercises a 2011 option."Chris has emerged as one of the elite pitchers in the game and I believe he will be a cornerstone in our rotation for many years to come," general manager Kevin Towers said. "His professional demeanor on and off the field exemplifies what it means to be a Padre."
The 6-foot-10 Young gets a raise for this season, from $600,000 to $750,000, plus a signing bonus of $500,000.
He's due to earn $2.5 million in 2008, $4.5 million in 2009 and $6.25 million in 2010. The club option for 2011 is worth $8.5 million and could increase depending on accomplishments.
Young, a 27-year-old right-hander, is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts this season, including a 1-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.
A baseball and basketball star at Princeton, he was acquired from the Texas Rangers in a six-player trade with the Texas Rangers on Jan. 4, 2006. The Padres also got first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Terrmel Sledge in that deal.
Young was 11-5 with a 3.46 ERA last season, when he came within two outs of the Padres' first no-hitter on Sept. 22 against Pittsburgh. He also took a no-hit bid into the eighth against Colorado in May.
He also became the first Padres starter to win a postseason game since 1998 when he won at St. Louis in Game 3 of the division series, throwing 6 2-3 shutout innings with nine strikeouts. The Padres lost the series in four games.
Dating to June 25, 2005, Young is 9-0 with 16 no-decisions in 25 starts on the road. Only one other pitcher in big league history went undefeated in 25 straight road starts, with Allie Reynolds also accomplishing the feat during the 1948 and 1949 seasons.
