The arrival of owner Paul Dolan at the Indians spring training camp Wednesday has some speculating that he will soon weigh in on contract negotiations involving ace right-hander Justin Masterson.
Masterson and his agent reportedly pushed forth an offer to sign for between three and four years for $40-60 million, according to various published reports. He can become a free agent after this season and is unlikely to continue negotiations past opening day unless strong progress is made.
He has yet to prove himself in back-to-back seasons, however, despite earning his third consecutive opening day nod in 2014. He peaked in 2013 by going 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA and giving up just 156 hits in 193 innings. He struck out a career-high 195.