Arizona Diamondbacks Trade and Roster Rumors 2016: A.J. Pollock Locked in on Two-Year Deal
The Arizona Diamondbacks and 2015 Gold Glove winner A.J. Pollock agreed to a two-year contract to avoid arbitration. The said deal is reportedly worth $10.25 million, which was agreed upon last Monday by both parties.
The first round pick of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft hit 20 home runs last season and produced 76 RBIs, while accumulating a batting average of .315. He also led the Diamondbacks in hits with 192. In an interview with MLB.com, he said that he's excited to be in Arizona once again and that he wants to help the team win this upcoming season. Obviously, that's the kind of thing any player will say if given the kind of figures he got from the Diamondbacks.
The duo of Pollock and Pau Goldschmidt is a good reason for D'backs fans to be utterly excited about the new season. The two are a consensus top 10 when it comes to the best versatile players in the National League.
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They're also young, suggesting that Arizona's future is bright with those two. This is true considering that the team also made valuable acquisitions during the offseason, in the process obtaining the services of two highly touted pitchers in Shelby Miller and Zack Greinke.
With a retooled roster and young up-and-coming players, the club certainly will now be able to compete with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West title. In just one short offseason, this division has become one of the most exciting to watch.
There really wasn't any doubt that the Diamondbacks will retain Pollock's services for 2016. Aside from making his very first All-Star appearance last season, the American center fielder transformed himself into one of the best defensive players in the entire league. He was paid just $519,500 last season as part of his rookie contract, but his rising stock allowed him to negotiate for a bigger payday.
