Three years and $13 million. Those are the terms that Ryan Dempster seeks as a free agent this winter. The reliable 35-year-old split time between the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers last season.
Dempster is said to be seeking $13 million annually. Dempsters belief that he can get that amount was likely bolstered when Dan Haren signed a one year deal worth $13 million to play for the Washington Nationals. The two pitchers are comparable but Dempster is less of a concern as far as injuries go.
There are a few teams in the mix for Dempster. One team is the Boston Red Sox who have already handed out two contracts for three years and $39 million to Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino. Another team believed to have interest are the Milwaukee Brewers but they are reportedly wanting to offer only a two year deal.
In 28 starts last season Dempster finished with a 12-8 record and a 3.38 ERA. Last season was the first time since 2008 that Dempster did not start at-least 31 games, prior to that he was used as a closer for the Cubs.
