Tribe signs Carmona to long-term deal

The Indians have signed Carmona to a historic long-term contract that has the potential to be seven years long. The first four years of the pact are guaranteed, with three individual club options for 2012, '13 and '14 tacked on. The deal will be announced at a press conference at Progressive Field on Thursday afternoon.

The value of the four-year guarantee was not immediately known. But it is known that if the deal goes the distance, Carmona will earn $43 million over the seven years, with escalators pushing its potential value to $48 million.

It is the highest-ever guarantee to a pre-arbitration-eligible starting pitcher and the highest-ever guarantee to a starting pitcher with only one full year of service time. It is similar to the contract the Rays recently gave to starter James Shields, albeit with a higher potential value.

A good move by the Tribe front office and also shows fans they are not afraid to spend money on quality.

Full story - MLB.com