UPDATE: The deal is confirmed
It's official. Welcome to the #Dbacks, @TylerClippard!#JoinTheEvolution pic.twitter.com/g7kaMMiRRb
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) February 8, 2016
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The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tyler Clippard have been the subject of much rumor talk lately despite the quiet nature of such speculation this late in the offseason.
Now FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting the two sides have agreed to a two-year, $12.25 million contract. Rosenthal says the deal is official and Clippard will receive a $4 million signing bonus and then earn salaries of $4.1 million in 2016 and $4.15 million in 2017.
He also adds that it's possible some of the signing bonus is deferred, although there has yet to be any word on that.
Jon Heyman also confirmed the deal.
Reports from earlier today suggested the two sides were progressing toward a deal. D-Backs general manager Dave Stewart told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that the team was talking to Clippard's representation and that he was hopeful something would get done.
Gilbert adds the deal is done and that Clippard took his physical today.
Last week it was reported both the D-Backs and Tampa Bay Rays were interested in the right-handed reliever, who was expected to land a multi-year deal this offseason. MLBTradeRumors.com predicted Clippard would sign a three-year, $18 million pact.
However, the veteran faltered in the second half of the season with the New York Mets as he dealt with back issues and fatigue. Both of those aspects were believed to have hurt his value, but the longtime reliever ended up getting a deal that fits his track record.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old is 42-29 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 612 strikeouts and 53 saves in nine MLB seasons. He has served as the closer for the Washington Nationals back in 2012 and the Oakland Athletics this past season (before he was traded to the Mets).
Clippard, once the deal is confirmed, will provide another good veteran presence at the back end of Arizona's bullpen. He'll likely serve as the setup man behind closer Brad Ziegler, but that also depends on how the club decides to utilize him.
Stay tuned for updates on this development.
