Free agent signs 6 times with the same team
Posted by Andy on March 1, 2011
Here's a challenge for you...can you identify a player who (according to the transactions listed on his Baseball-Reference.com page) signed as a free agent with the same team six different times?
If so, can you find one who also had a break from his MLB service of at least 6 years?
Click through to find out who meets both criteria.
The player in question is Jason Wood.
His transaction ledger reads as follows:
- June 1, 1988: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 56th round of the 1988 amateur draft, but did not sign.
- June 4, 1990: Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 39th round of the 1990 amateur draft, but did not sign.
- June 3, 1991: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 11th round of the 1991 amateur draft. Player signed June 8, 1991.
- October 17, 1997: Granted Free Agency.
- October 27, 1997: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics.
- July 18, 1998: the Oakland Athletics sent Jason Wood to the Detroit Tigers to complete an earlier deal made on June 23, 1998. June 23, 1998: The Oakland Athletics sent a player to be named later to the Detroit Tigers for Bip Roberts.
- October 15, 1999: Granted Free Agency.
- November 17, 1999: Signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- October 15, 2000: Granted Free Agency.
- January 10, 2001: Signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- October 15, 2001: Granted Free Agency.
- March 8, 2002: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- October 15, 2003: Granted Free Agency.
- November 19, 2003: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- October 15, 2004: Granted Free Agency.
- January 10, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- October 15, 2005: Granted Free Agency.
- December 20, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- October 4, 2006: Granted Free Agency.
- November 9, 2006: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- October 16, 2007: Granted Free Agency.
- October 24, 2007: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- September 29, 2008: Granted Free Agency.
That's 6 straight years that he signed as a free agent with the Marlins, which doesn't even count the 2 times before that with the Pirates or the time before that with the Athletics.
His Pro Sports Transactions ledger shows that these deals were all minor-league deals, and I'd image that there are other players who signed 6 straight minor-league deals with the same team.
Note that Wood appeared in the majors in 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, and 2008. That 6-year period with no major league appearances is a pretty long drought. Last year, we had a blog post about long layoffs from the majors when Cory Aldridge resurfaced after a 9-year absence. Wood didn't get mentioned then, though.
March 1st, 2011 at 9:48 am
Jason is now managing the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Rangers High-A affiliate in the Carolina League!
March 2nd, 2011 at 8:33 am
Living in Buffalo, NY, the first name I thought of was Jeff Manto - he had a series of transactions where he'd be playing in Buffalo (in Cleveland's system), another team would claim him to play in the majors, he'd get released, and Cleveland would resign him and send him back to Buffalo. It's how he became the modern-era home run leader for the Bisons.
Checking his register, he signed with the Indians on four separate occasions, and was traded there once for a total of five.
March 2nd, 2011 at 9:43 am
I don't know the answer, but it made go pull up Harold Baines's transaction history. He spent most of his (almost but not quite HOF-worthy) career bouncing from the ChiSox to Baltimore.
- Originally drafted by Chicago
- Signed as FA with Baltimore four times
- Signed as FA with Chicago three times
- Traded from Chicago to Baltimore once, and traded from Baltimore to Chicago once (in total he was traded 6 times)
March 2nd, 2011 at 10:17 am
A break from MLB service in general, free agent or not?