Vero Beach, FL (AP) - After intense, but brief, media speculation, the Vero
Beach Bums apparently will not trade ace pitcher Willie Adams. Instead,
the Bums announced yesterday, Adams has negotiated a new long-term contract
with the team.
"When the rumor started that we were going to trade him, Willie was angry,
to say the least," said Bums owner Jason Gohlke. "He came into my office
pretty steamed, but I assured him we had no intention of trading him. I
realized it was time to let him know we were committed to winning and
committed to keeping him around, so we ripped up his old contract and
locked him up for the next 6 years."
According to anonymous league sources, Adams' shocking new contract is
worth up to $14.4 million per year, including performance bonuses based on
strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched. This would make Adams the
highest-paid player in baseball. Interestingly, no mention was made of a
no-trade clause.
"We're still going to keep our options open," said a Bums source on
condition of anonymity. "If the killer deal comes in, we're not afraid to
pull the trigger on anyone. We're not actively shopping anyone, however.
We're confident we can win with this team, and there's no reason to break
it up right now."
