Vernon Wells is still at his home in Arlington, Texas, Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park but the center fielder will be heading to Toronto soon to officially announce he'll be suiting up for the Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park Blue Jays well beyond next season. Wells agreed to terms on a seven-year, $126 million contract extension with Toronto on Friday, and a press conference could be held as early as Monday to announce the deal. A source with knowledge of the negotiations told MLB.com the contract would include a no-trade clause and an opt-out clause after the fourth season. Due to its size, the deal had to be approved Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park by team owner Ted Rogers.
"How can you not be happy?" Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park Wells told Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Tickets The Associated Press on Friday. "Like I said, my family comes first. Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park Obviously, this gives me an opportunity to set my family up for a couple of generations.
"That's the biggest part of this thing. And Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park this gives me a chance to do something special in Toronto that hasn't been done in a while."
From his home in Worcester, Mass., Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi wouldn't confirm nor deny that a deal had in fact been reached, saying only that Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park "nothing has been finalized from our end."
According to multiple reports, the contract includes a $25.5 million bonus, which will be paid in equal installments of $8.5 million over the 2008-10 seasons. Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park That would leave financial flexibility for Toronto to continue to Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Tickets address its pitching needs.
The source said the Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park groundwork for the current offer was established four months ago, when Wells' camp approached the Blue Jays about a seven-year deal worth $126 million -- an average of $18 million annually. Wells stood by that asking price, Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Tickets even though his Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park representatives believed he potentially could garner more as a free agent next Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park winter.
Four months ago, though, Toronto Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park wasn't Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Tickets willing to go beyond $14 million per year for four or five seasons, according to the source. Things Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Tickets changed as salaries were driven up this offseason -- Alfonso Soriano signed an eight-year, Blue Jays Red Sox Tickets Fenway Park $136 million deal with the Cubs, for example -- and discussions between the two sides Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Tickets gained momentum this week.