On-Base Perception
Newsday's new all-encompassing baseball blog on the Yankees, Mets, MLB and more from around the sport.
posts Next postMets prospect rankings
Mariano Rivera, Yankees finalize 1-year, $10 million deal
Photo credit: Kathy Kmonicek | Yankees closer Mariano Rivera sits in the dugout before a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers. (April 29, 2012)
Mariano Rivera’s one-year, $10-million deal with incentives, agreed to Thursday, became official Friday when the 43-year-old passed his physical.
“Like I’ve been saying, I didn’t want to go out like that,” Rivera, in a statement, said of the torn ACL suffered May 3 that cost him his season. “I didn’t want that to be the last image. But it wasn’t an easy decision because there’s more than just baseball with me. I have to consider my family and the church, too. But I feel like we have a great group of guys and a team that can compete for a championship. I’m not just coming back to play. I’m coming back to win.”
The incentives included in Rivera's contract would allow the closer to recoup a portion of the money he lost last year because of his injury.
With the signing of Rivera, the Yankees have accomplished their major offseason goals as far as their pitching staff goes, having already signed Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte.
Tags: Mariano Rivera , Yankees
