Diamondbacks free agent A.J. Pollock officially agrees to deal with Dodgers
Jan 26, 2019, 12:50 PM | Updated: 4:10 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' A.J. Pollock (11) celebrates a win against the Los Angeles Angels with Steven Souza Jr., left, and Nick Ahmed, middle, after a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks defeated the Angels 5-4. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Diamondbacks free agent center fielder A.J. Pollock has officially agreed to a deal with the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers announced the deal’s for four years with a player option for an additional year.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the deal gives Pollock a $12 million signing bonus and guarantees him $45 million for the first three years with an opt-out clause after 2021. He’s guaranteed $55 million over four years or $60 million over five years, if he stays with the club.
Because his new Dodgers contract is worth more than $50 million, Pollock’s former team, the Diamondbacks, will receive a compensatory draft selection after the first round.
The D-backs were not thrilled about the announcement.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) January 26, 2019
The Diamondbacks’ 2009 first-round pick debuted for Arizona in April of 2012 and leaves the team after spending a decade with the organization that drafted him out of Notre Dame.
RELATED STORIES
Over seven seasons with the D-backs, Pollock appeared in more than 113 games only twice (2013, 2015), and various injuries played a large part in that.
Over the last couple of years, elbow, groin and hand injuries limited his availability as he attempted to return to his form from 2015, when he played in a career-high 157 games, hit .315 and became an All-Star for the first time.
After playing 12 games in 2016 and 112 in 2017, Pollock’s start to last season looked MVP-worthy with him slashing .293/.349/.620 just more than six weeks into the year before a slide injured his thumb and kept him out from mid-May to the start of July. The outfielder finished 2018 batting .257 with a career-high 21 home runs, but his production at the age of 30 looked beyond what Arizona could pay.
Like fellow D-backs free agent Patrick Corbin, Pollock turned down a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer from Arizona.
Pollock is the latest long-time D-back to leave the organization. Former first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, while Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals.
