Sticking Points 2034.9: Kharlamov Finally Healthy

[aaronweiner]

Up until he joined the Carolina, now Rockville franchise, Valeri Kharlamov had never suffered a major injury or been out of action for more than three weeks at a time as a professional ballplayer. So it came as a rude shock to both Kharlamov and the franchise who paid him over $100 million to play baseball that Kharlamov immediately suffered a concussion that kept him out for three months in 2031, then broke a hamate bone that kept him out another two months in 2032.

"I thought, wow, they paid me all this money and I'm just sitting on my butt waiting for my brain to catch up with my body," said Kharlamov. "I didn't know if I'd ever make it back."

Last year Kharlamov was relatively healthy and outstanding defensively, but showed very little of the explosiveness at the plate that made him a superstar. This year, however, the Russian has been a rocket. Kharlamov, playing strictly in a platoon role, has been fantastic this year, posting a .343/.424/620 slashline, some of the best number of his career. Better still, since being put into the platoon role, he hasn't suffered a single injury that's kept him out of action.

"I guess I'm getting old," joked Kharlamov about his platoon role. "But if it's going to keep me on the field, I like the idea of being platooned."

The platoon makes a lot of sense; Kharlamov's concussion has lost him some of his otherwordly eyesight against lefties, and some of his bat speed was lost with the hamate injury. He has trouble catching up to good lefty stuff. However, his defense is as good as ever and he's still one of the best two-way second basemen in the league.

The question now is whether Kharlamov is hitting enough that he plans on opting out of the last two years of his contract, which would pay him $17.1 million per year. Kharlamov has the ability to become a free agent after this year if he chooses.

"That's between me and my agent and my family, but for now I can't think of a reason to leave," said Kharlamov. "There isn't a team in Indianapolis anymore and we're in first place here, so I might just stay."

[udlb58]

No longer the superstar he was 5-7 years ago, but undoubtedly a key veteran presence for a young team looking to break through. Glad that signing is working out as planned.

[RonCo]

Very little is more disheartening than losing a superstar mega-bucks FA just after signing him. Carolina was San Antonio before San Antonio.

[aaronweiner]

The amusing thing is that his injury probably got me a few spots in draft position, but he lumped along with it too, so that sucked.