Tim Wakefield Update – Likely Back with Team in 2010
Good news Red Sox fans – all indications are that the Red Sox will retain the services of Tim Wakefield for the 2010 MLB schedule. The Red Sox hold a $4 million club option for Wakefield for the 2010 campaign. GM Theo Epstein and the club has to exercise that option within 5 days after the end of the World Series. That means at some point before next Monday or Tuesday, we should have a commitment that the Red Sox want Wakefield back for next season.
As we previously reported, Wakefield underwent successful back surgery to repair a herniated disc in the middle of October. After winning 11 games during the 1st half of the season and being named to his 1st career All-Star Game, Wakefield could only make 4 starts in the 2nd half of the season. The back flared up too many times and too often, and he wasn’t any good to himself or his team by trying to keep pitching. Wakefield has said that he never really considered retiring. He has 189 career wins – 175 of which have come in a Red Sox uniform. He is just 11 wins shy of 200 victories for his career and he is just 17 wins shy of matching Cy Young and Roger Clemens for the most wins (192) in a Red Sox uniform. Could he reach both milestones. Maybe in 2010, 2011? Does he have 2 years left in the tank at the age of 43? Wakefield had some answers for us:
“It [retiring] never crossed my mind. I was fully confident in what our doctors were telling me as far as having surgery in the offseason, and once we got to the offseason, I was very ecstatic to get this thing done and get on the other side of the rehab… I do have some goals in mind. I obviously want to get to 200 wins and I want to try to become the all-time leader in wins in Red Sox history… I’m looking forward to getting to my rehab and getting ready for next year… I still feel like I can contribute. I still feel like I can compete at the highest level. I want to continue to play as long as my body allows me and as long as the Red Sox want me around… I’m playing because I think I can still contribute to us winning a championship.”
Gotta love Wakefield’s attitude. He has what it takes to compete at this level and hopefully he can eat some innings up as the Red Sox continue to develop some young arms to take his spot in the rotation in the near future. I’m sure Manager Terry Francona will love to have Wake back for another year or two. What a great way to go out for Wakefield if he can win 11 games in 2010 and then help his club win a 3rd World Series title in 7 MLB seasons…