Rolen's new deal adds 2 years

[el loco]

Comment Email Print Share By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

The Cincinnati Reds and Scott Rolen have agreed to restructure the third baseman's contract to give the club more payroll flexibility for next season, ESPN.com has learned.

Rolen had been scheduled to make $11 million in 2010, the final season of the eight-year, $90 million extension he signed after being traded by the Phillies to the Cardinals in 2002.

Instead, under the terms of the new contract, Rolen will earn $6 million in 2010, plus a $5 million signing bonus that the sides agreed would be deferred without interest, according to a source who has seen the details of the agreement.

The club, in return, extended Rolen's contract two years, through 2012. He will earn
$6.5 million in each of those two seasons.

The Reds, who have been looking for ways to free up dollars, approached the 34-year-old after the season about reworking his contract.


And Rolen, who grew up in Indiana, agreed to the restructured deal this week.


Reds GM Walt Jocketty was the general manager in St. Louis when the Cardinals dealt for Rolen, who played in Toronto in 2008 and part of 2009. Jocketty was widely criticized in July when he traded two highly regarded prospects to the Blue Jays for Rolen, but the GM repeatedly has cited Rolen's leadership and work ethic as justification for the deal.

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