Colorado Rockies Agree to Terms with Outfielder Brad Hawpe on a Three-Year Contract

By admin - Posted on March 6th, 2008

Deal includes club option for 2011

03/04/2008, TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has agreed to terms with outfielder Brad Hawpe on a three-year contract, which supersedes the one-year agreement he signed on February 15. The new deal spans three seasons (2008-10) and includes a club option for 2011. Financial terms were not disclosed, per club policy.

Brad Hawpe, 28, hit .291 (150-for-516) with 29 home runs and 116 RBI in 2007, his second season as the Rockies' everyday right fielder. The left-handed hitter set career highs in nearly every offensive category last season, including highs in home runs, RBI, walks, runs and slugging percentage. Since 2006, his 200 RBI rank second among National League right fielders (Jeff Francoeur, 208).

Recently, Brad Hawpe was identified as "The 2007 Major League Clutch Hitter of the Year" in Bill James' book, The Bill James Gold Mine 2008. Previous winners of that honor include Albert Pujols (2006), Andruw Jones (2005) and David Ortiz (2003-04). Hawpe set the Rockies' club record last season with 66 two-out RBI. He hit .315 with runners in scoring position and .377 with runners in scoring position and two outs. With the bases loaded, he went 9-for-20 (.450) and hit his first career grand slam. As the James book reads, "No major league player in 2007 had as many big hits as Brad Hawpe - and nobody was close."

Hawpe hit .282 (11-for-39) with one home run, a triple, and four RBI in his first trip to the postseason last year. He started all 11 games in right field for the Rockies and hit safely in eight of those contests. The Rockies' 11th round selection in the 2000 June draft, Hawpe owns a .282 career average with 63 home runs and 256 RBI in 445 major league games.

Source: MLB

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