Actual footage of David Simpsons first BBA HR
Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the Twin Cities River Monsters today re-signed legendary rightfielder David Simpson to a one-year, $6.5 million contract.
The relationship between Simpson and the River Monsters appeared to be strained at the end of last season, when the River Monsters publicly announced that they were not going to pick up the team options they held on Simpson.
Yet a slow-moving free agent market and a 5-14 start by the River Monsters seem to align the two sides in a common goal.
GM Alan Ehlers has this to say,
"We love David and everything he brings to the table. Last season, he put up five and a half WAR. Even in a declining state, he should be a very productive player. We're happy that he's part of the team again. His jokes seem to lighten up the clubhouse, and he's the kind of veteran leadership that this team needs right now."
While Simpson said this,
"I always wanted to come back to Twin Cities. This has been one of my homes throughout my career. I've been lucky enough to play with California, Jacksonville, and Twin Cities about an equal amount of time. It's going to be hard to decide if one day I happen to go to the Hall of Fame, which hat to wear. Continuing my run here in Twin Cities could lead me in that direction."
Where exactly Simpson is going to play seems to be the key question. This offseason, the River Monsters traded for D.H. Afonso Trinidad. With Simpson's diminished defensive skills, it seems like D.H. is the only position he could play. So this signing could push Trinidad to third and third baseman Felix Ramos to second base to cover for the injured Dick Walton. This is obviously not the most ideal defensive alignment, but it does get a lot of bats in the lineup.
We wish David Simpson the best of luck as he finishes out the twilight of his career, hoping to one day add a championship onto his long list of accolades.
