Remember when the Dodgers signed Juan Uribe in the 2010 off-season and there was a collective "Nooooooo" from the Dodgers fanbase? Of course you do.
Remember when Juan Uribe hit .199/.262/.289 in his first two seasons as a Dodger and was boo'd at home games, earning the nickname "Booribe?" Of course you do.
Remember when Juan Uribe hit the eighth-inning, game-winning, series-clinching home run in Game 4 of the NLDS to save Clayton Kershaw's short-rested start, and keep the team from heading back to Atlanta for Game 5? Of course you do.
In 2013 Uribe had a resurgent year, capped off with an incredible moment. But is it enough to make up for the horrible seasons he had in 2011 and 2012?
Nobody even wanted him on the roster last year, and many even hoped he would get cut. Now there are talks of what kind of deal the Dodgers should give him to keep the third baseman around for 2014.
He may have salvaged the contract from being one of the worst for the Dodgers, with Ned Colleti as general manager, but it was still a bad deal overall. It is not clear what caused his turnaround, but relying on him to reproduce the .278/.331/.438 line from his contract-year seems sketchy at best.
With all the injuries and unknowns the Dodgers faced last season, Uribe provided the team with a solid bat in the lineup and stellar defense that put him in the Gold Glove conversation. His absence at third base is one of the biggest off-season questions the Dodgers face.
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Obviously a one-year deal would be worth the gamble to see if he really is this good, but he would be foolish to settle instead of cashing in on his 2013 success. He is going to take this one good year and spin it into a multi-year deal.
The way the market is nowadays, a team is going to give him 3 years, 15-18 mil, but I don't want to see the Dodgers being that team.
