Think about all the times in sports you’ve heard an athlete or coach say it’s “not about the money” when the opposite is true. For Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, that statement actually applies.
Weaver signed a five-year $85 million extension with the Angels Tuesday, turning down the potential to earn much more on the open market ($100 million seemed highly plausible). Making matters more surprising is that Weaver’s agent is Scott Boras, who is notorious for having his clients test the free agent market. Weaver did not want to do that, telling Boras he wanted to remain in Southern California with the Angels where he was comfortable.
“How much more money do you need?” Weaver said Tuesday. “I’ve never played this game for money. I play it for love and for championships.
If $85 million is not enough to take care of my family and other generations of my family, then you’re stupid. I play baseball for the love of the game, for the competitive part of it.”
After seeing homegrown talents like Frankie Rodriguez and John Lackey leave the Angels in free agency recently, seeing Weaver turn down more money to remain with the team is surprising. It’s also a pleasant surprise that he turned down the option to earn what he’s worth. Even if guys don’t need the extra money, their ego often tells them to get paid what they deserve.
