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Erbakan signed to long-term extension!
With a few years of arbitration eligibility left for Bobby Erbakan, he and the team decided to get things settled contractually for the foreseeable future and let him join fellow 25-year old Chad Brown as two of the pillars the future of the team will be built upon.
Rumor has it that Erbakan and his agent originally were seeking a 9 year contract but when management came back with an 8 year offer that eliminated an asked for player opt out and suggested a team option for the final year rather than a player option, Erbakan countered with a shorter (5 year) term at a higher annual salary. Apparently the team then offered a 7-year deal while actually even sweetening the pot a bit in terms of annual average dollar amounts and Erbakan decided this was acceptable.
With the team largely turning towards younger players among non-pitchers- Joe McPhillips in center field, Jonathan Koch at second, Mike Foster at third- the feeling is that Erbakan and Brown will lead the way on the field while Andrew Kennedy, who inked a 6-year deal earlier this season and is also 25, will provide a great deal of leadership in the clubhouse as well as being perhaps the best pure hitter on the club.
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