Ned Colletti and the Los Angeles Dodgers are on a veteran shopping spree this winter, and that continued Monday on the first day of baseball's winter meetings in Dallas, Texas. The Dodgers signed utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. to a two-year, $6 million contract on Monday, and are also reportedly close to a deal with starting pitcher Aaron Harang.
Hairston, who turns 36 in May, hit .270/.344/.383 in 120 games with the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers. He is a versatile player who in the last three seasons has started 86 games at third base, 81 games at shortstop, 72 games at second base, 32 starts in left field, 14 starts in center field, and five games in right field.
Hairston will earn $2.25 million in 2012 and $3.75 million in 2013, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Hairston told SB Nation's Amy K. Nelson that he was "very happy" with the deal and that said that he chose Los Angeles because he would be "close to home and with the second half the Dodgers had, and with our additions, we have we'll be a very deep team."
As for Harang, the Dodgers are reportedly close to a deal reportedly in the two-year, $12 million range per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. But the deal is not done yet. It would continue the Dodgers' trend so far this winter of back-loaded two-year deals for veterans, with spotty performance in 2011:
- Harang turns 34 in May, about to sign for roughly 2 years, $12 million
- Chris Capuano, 33, signed for two years, $10 million
- Mark Ellis, 35 in June, signed for two years, $9.25 million
- Hairston, 36 in May, signed for two years, $6 million
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers placed outfielder Jamie Hoffmann on outright waivers, and he was claimed by the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers have a full 40 players on their 40-man roster, and will have to make a corresponding move once the Harang deal becomes official.
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