"I've been through a lot of stages in my career, having been on teams that won, on teams that were supposed to win, teams that are young," Eckstein said. "But knowing the direction this club is going, I want to be a part of that.

"I want to be a guy who can help these young guys out. I don't think this club is as far off as some people think. They've got to learn how to play the game the right away, because next year, there's not going to be any excuses. These guys are starting to step up."