Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt is an all-around good guy — or dumb, depending on who you ask.
Affeldt was set to earn $4 million in 2010 as part of a two-year, $10 million contract, but someone made a $500,000 mistake. When Affeldt’s 2010 salary was rewritten into his new contract with the Giants, someone put $4.5 million instead of the $4 million he was supposed to be paid. Affeldt and the Giants both signed the contract without recognizing the mistake, and Affeldt therefore faced the ultimate moral test.
The whole story, which is detailed in Affeldt’s latest book, was told by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman. Affeldt reportedly got three opinions — from the Players Association, agent Michael Moye and Giants assistant general manager Bobby Evans — saying the contract was ironclad and that he could legally keep the extra $500,000, but the lefty decided that giving the money back was the right thing to do.
“I talked to Bobby the next day and said, ‘I can’t take that money. I won’t sleep well at night knowing I took that money because every time I open my paycheck I’ll know it’s not right,'” said Affeldt, who reportedly redid his contract with the $500,000 excised.
Affeldt’s decision to give back the money not only shows a great deal of honesty, but the pitcher thinks it may have also helped when negotiating a new three-year, $18 million contract with the Giants last winter.
Hopefully someone bought Affeldt lunch, at least.
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