Wells offered $120 million extension

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ROB GILLIES

Associated Press

TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays have offered All-Star center fielder Vernon Wells a contract extension worth more $120 million.
"We like him a lot and we're going to try to keep him," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Wednesday.
Ricciardi declined to give specifics. Wells told the Globe and Mail that it would be worth between $126 million and $136 million and extend for seven or eight years. That would make it the sixth-largest contract in baseball history, trailing only Alex Rodriguez ($252 million), Derek Jeter ($189 million), Manny Ramirez ($160 million), Todd Helton ($141.5 million) and Alfonso Soriano ($136 million).
"The guy is a Gold Glover. He's a .300 hitter, a home run hitter and an RBI hitter who bats third in our lineup," Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey said. "It would be very nice to sign Vernon Wells to a long-term contract."
Wells hit .303 with 32 homers and 106 RBIs this year and is due $5.6 million next season. If they can't reach an agreement, the Blue Jays might trade Wells, but Ricciardi didn't put a timetable on when he'd like to get it done.
Toronto also agreed to a $750,000, one-year contract with infielder John McDonald, who hit .223 with a career high three homers and 23 RBIs in 104 games last season. He's expected to share time at shortstop with Royce Clayton.
 
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