It's officially the off-season and the biggest news coming out of Portland in the early going is that former All-Star, Former Golden Bat, and the oft-injured Rich Dares has decided to opt-out of the remaining 4 years of his original 6 year contract and test free agency. Dares signed a 6 year deal after the 2059 Championship Season with the Lumberjacks that included an opt-out after year two combined with a pair of team options for years 5 and 6.
Dares joined Portland in the off-season prior to the 2059 season on a very team friendly deal. The struggling middle infielder signed on for 1 year worth just $2 million. After putting up a 5.9 WAR that season and playing a huge role in the Lumberjacks' Brewster run that season, the Lumberjacks signed Dares to an extension to keep him in Portland. Over the next two seasons, Dares continued to produce in ways he hadn't previously in his career. He put up a 3.3 WAR in 2060 followed by a 2.7 WAR this past season. His 11.9 WAR over the last 3 seasons in Portland is actually .1 WAR better than his career WAR of 11.8. For those that can't do the math, Dares was a negative player prior to joining the Lumberjacks organization.
Combined with that piece of information and the fact that Dares has suffered a multitude of injuries over the last 2 years, 31 injuries to be exact, it should be "buyer beware" on bidding on Dares this off-season.
Dares' contract fate does seem to be a topic among BBC GMs. There seems to be conflicting opinions on what Dares could sign for this off-season. His 11.9 WAR over the last 3 seasons could mean some team could go all in and offer Dares more than the $9.5 million he was set to make over the next 2 seasons guaranteed. On the flip side, Dares being 33 years of age with a history of injury woes may make teams a bit skeptical to sign the middle infielder to a deal of his liking. Combined with the league wide drop in Salary Cap and financial flexibility, Dares may find free agency to not be to his liking.
Inside reports from Dares' people are indicating he is seeking a 6-year deal that would pay him roughly $12.5 million per season.
