Red Sox Agree To Terms With Renteria
Four-time All-Star agrees to four-year deal with 2009 option
MLB.com
December 17, 2004
BOSTON, MA -- The Boston Red Sox and shortstop Edgar Renteria have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with a club option for the 2009 season. Senior vice president/general manager Theo Epstein made the announcement. Terms were not disclosed. Renteria passed a physical today.
The 29-year-old is a four-time All-Star (1998, 2000, 2003, 2004), a three-time winner of the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award (2000, 2002, 2003) and a two-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient (2002, 2003).
"Edgar Renteria has proven himself to be not only one of the best shortstops in baseball but one of the most complete all-around players in the game," Epstein said. "His blend of speed, power, defense, durability and leadership makes him a terrific addition to the ballclub."
A native of Barranquilla, Colombia, Renteria has hit .289 with 83 home runs, 565 RBI and 237 stolen bases in 1,296 career games over nine seasons with the Marlins (1996-98) and Cardinals (1999-2004).
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, who has played in 149 or more games in six of the last eight years, batted .287 with 37 doubles, 10 homers, 72 RBI, 17 steals and 84 runs scored for the National League champion Cardinals in 2004.
The right-handed hitter enjoyed his finest big league campaign in 2003, when he established career highs with a .330 average, 194 hits, 47 doubles, 100 RBIs, 65 walks, 96 runs, a .394 on-base percentage and a .480 slugging percentage. He also slammed 13 homers and stole 34 bases in 157 games for the Cardinals in 2003.
The fourth Colombian to play in the Majors, Renteria became the first Colombian to play in an All-Star Game in 1998. In 1997, he became forever a part of World Series history with an RBI single that scored Craig Counsell in the bottom of the 11th of Game 7, lifting the Marlins past Cleveland for their first World Championship.
The '97 postseason appearance was the first of five in Renteria's career. He batted .333 (5-for-15) with three doubles and an RBI in the 2004 World Series against the Red Sox. Renteria grounded back to pitcher Keith Foulke for the final out of Game 4, as the Sox won their first World Championship since 1918.
The Red Sox have pledged a donation to the Team Renteria Baseball Academy, which Edgar founded to promote the growth of baseball among underprivileged youths in his native Colombia.
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