Sides appear far apart; outfielder 'optimistic' but won't rule out free agency
Byrnes has said he will give the Diamondbacks a discount compared to what he can get on the open market. It appears, however, the Diamondbacks are not willing to approach even the low end of comparable outfielder contracts mentioned by Byrnes in recent days - like the five-year, $45 million deal Juan Pierre received from the Dodgers last off-season.
"I'm going to stay optimistic," he said. " . . . But if it doesn't get done, it still doesn't mean that I'm not coming back. What it does mean is there's a much bigger chance that I won't be back. That's reality.
"Who knows? Something could happen in the off-season. But when you get to the off-season, we're talking about dealing with 29 other teams as well.
"That's why I'm hoping we can get it done now."
It may appear that Eric wants to stay but he's most likely just seeking the money he's wanting even if it means he stays with Diamondbacks.
Current stats:
AVG .309 | HR 14 | RBI 51 | OBP .366 | SLG .494
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