Tribe picks up '06 option on Belliard
11/04/2005CLEVELAND -- In what seemed all but a formality, the Indians picked up the option on second baseman Ronnie Belliard's contract.
"I like to look at it that Ronnie picked up his own option, rather than us having a choice," general manager Mark Shapiro said Friday. "In the market that we're in, no decision is independent; they're all interrelated.
"That was the only delay. The decision to pick up Ronnie Belliard's option was made over the course of the season."
The 2005 season, Belliard's second with the Tribe, was even better overall than his first season. In 2005, he batted .284, hit a career-high 17 home runs and knocked in 78 runs, numbers that improved on his .282 average, 12 homers and 70 RBIs in '04.
In signing the 31-year-old Belliard, Shapiro now has one less player to negotiate with on the free agent market. He offered no hints, however, on where his contract talks with pitchers Kevin Millwood, Bob Howry and Bob Wickman, among the six Indians free agents, were going.
Shapiro's decision to keep Belliard, who signed with the Tribe as a free agent after the 2003 season, allows manager Eric Wedge to keep his defense up the middle intact. With Belliard, Wedge will be getting a proven commodity, a player who is a solid, sometimes flashy fielder who has been a big contributor with his bat and in the clubhouse.
From his arrival, Belliard has been better than expected on defense, which was viewed as a weakness in his game.
"I think sometimes a player gets labeled and it sticks with them for different, superficial reasons," Shapiro said. "From the time we've had him, this guy has kind of represented the style of play that's a lot of what we're trying to do.
"He plays hard -- every single day."
Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/
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