The San Francisco Giants announced the signing of free agent outfielder Denard Span to a three-year deal. Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported that the deal was close.
Alex Pavolvic of CSN Bay Area reported that Span will make $31 million in the deal, good for an average of $10.3 million per year. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Span's deal also includes incentives. The deal is still pending a physical. The Giants have had a huge offseason thus far, extending star shortstop Brandon Crawford and signing two top free agent starting pitchers, Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto. As of now, San Francisco spent $326 million in new contracts this offseason, $251 million of which came via free agency. The team prioritized signing an outfielder this offseason, but it was not known of what magnitude the deal would end up being. They showed interest in many of the top outfielders, such as Alex Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes, and Justin Upton, but it appears they got their man on the second-tier market in Span. Span will man the Giants' center field spot alongside Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence in the outfield. He will add to the top of the lineup with his good speed and on-base abilities. The soon to be 32-year-old Span only played in 61 games for the Nationals last year, battling a torn labrum (hip). He hit .301/.365/.431 with five home runs and 22 RBIs in 275 plate appearances. He added 11 stolen bases in as many attempts. According to FanGraphs, he was worth 1.4 Wins Above Replacement. The Orioles, Mets, and Royals (prior to re-signing Gordon) showed interest in Span at different points in the offseason. At $10.3 million per year, the deal definitely looks like a good signing for San Francisco. This is only if he can stay on the field and produce to the level he was at prior to his hip injury. Though it does represent somewhat of a risk. For his career, Span has hit .287/.352/.395 with 37 home runs, 55 triples, 189 doubles, and 336 RBIs in eight seasons with the Twins and Nationals. He also has a 78.8 percent stolen base success rate and has been worth 23.9 fWAR. --Devan Fink
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The free agent outfield market, outside of Jason Heyward, has been slow moving.
Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon, and Justin Upton are all out there for teams to sign, but the three have yet to really develop their markets. Barring a major shakeup, they will probably all be free agents going into the new year. According to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, Cespedes' market, in particular, has begun to take shape. He reports that the Orioles and White Sox are emerging as leaders for Cespedes "for now." The Giants and Angels are also reportedly in the mix and the Rangers are monitoring the situation. Both Baltimore and Chicago have shown the need for an outfielder. The Orioles are missing depth in the corner outfield. They already agreed to sign Hyun-soo Kim out of Korea to fill one of the two sports, but as of now, L.J. Hoes is the starter in the other. In general, the Orioles' lineup will take a step back with the expected loss of Chris Davis from the heart of the order. As for Chicago, they are in a similar situation. The team showed their willingness to contend already this offseason, acquiring Todd Frazier from the Reds. Any outfielder they sign would likely be an upgrade over Avisail Garcia in right field. He hit for just a .675 OPS and 89 OPS+ in 601 plate appearances. The Giants and Angels have already been connected to free agent outfielders this offseason. The Rangers could always make a splash. Last season, the 30-year-old Cespedes hit .291/.328/.542 with 35 home runs and 105 RBIs in 676 plate appearances with the Tigers and Mets. According to FanGraphs, he was worth a whopping 6.7 Wins Above Replacement. --Devan Fink
The San Francisco Giants have agreed to sign right-hander Johnny Cueto to a six-year deal, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
Cueto will make $130 million over the six years, according to media reports, which means that he will earn an annual average value of $21.67 million. That is substantially less than what comparable starting pitchers have earned just this offseason. Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reported that Cueto will have an opt-out after two seasons. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that Cueto will earn $46 million ($23MM per year) in the two years prior to his opt-out after the 2017 season. Cueto was the last elite-level starting pitcher out on the free agent market. David Price (Red Sox), Zack Greinke (Diamondbacks), and Jordan Zimmermann (Tigers) have already agreed to their respective deals, and have made anywhere from $22 to $34 million per season. The Giants were one of many teams to show interest in Cueto throughout the offseason. It was not really known where he would end up, but many thought that after the Dodgers lost out on both Price and Greinke, they would go after him. This afternoon, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Giants were making a strong push for Cueto. The Giants had already put together an interesting offseason, signing Jeff Samardzija to a five-year, $90 million deal. Now, they went out and got Cueto. As it stands, their rotation includes Madison Bumgarner, Cueto, Samardzija, Jake Peavy, and Matt Cain. Cueto, who turns 30 in February, has put together plenty of ace-like performances over the course of his career. Last year, he pitched for both the Reds and Royals. Cueto went 11-13 with a 3.44 ERA and a 176 to 46 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 212 innings. In 2014, Cueto was named an NL All-Star and finished second in the Cy Young voting after posting a 20-9 record with a 2.25 ERA and 242 to 65 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 243 2/3 innings. The one thing that has hindered Cueto, however, is injury. While he has pitched plenty of innings consistently, Cueto has had issues staying healthy in the past. Even last season, he dealt with elbow issues, which may have cost him millions in free agency. In 2013, he missed most of the year due to a lat (shoulder) strain. This signing will pay off for San Francisco if Cueto stays healthy and pitches like an ace into the future. But, if he does prove he can stay healthy over the next two years, he could choose to opt-out. That is what makes this deal an interesting one and definitely benefits the player. --Devan Fink
Free agent infielder and outfielder Ben Zobrist is expected to agree to a deal within 48 hours, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.
Zobrist has received interest from plenty of teams around the league due to his versatility, but the Giants, Nationals, Dodgers, and Mets appear to be the final four teams left in play. Zobrist is likely holding up the decisions of many free agent infielders. Other players are probably waiting for him to make a decision before they commit to a team, seeing how he sets the tone for the market. While he is aging, Zobrist should be able to command a high annual average value in his next contract, due to his bat and good defense at many different positions. MLBTradeRumors.com predicted Zobrist would sign a three-year, $51 million deal. All four teams could use Zobrist in many different ways, but it appears that he wants to be utilized most at second base, according to Morosi, which could really put the Mets and Nationals at the top of his list. For what it is worth, the Nationals GM Mike Rizzo noted in his meeting session today at the Winter Meetings in Nashville that he viewed Zobrist as a second baseman. Zobrist would like to make a decision before the Winter Meetings conclude on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted. Last season, the 34-year-old Zobrist hit .276/.359/.450 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in 535 plate appearances with the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics. Follow @DevanFink on Twitter for more up-to-the-minute updates as the Winter Meetings unfold. --Devan Fink
The San Francisco Giants agreed to terms with right-handed starter Jeff Samardzija to a five-year deal today, as Alex Pavolvic of CSN Bay Area reported.
Samardzija will make $90 million, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports. Samardzija's $18 million average annual value (AAV) on the contract is significantly less than what was earned from other starting pitchers on the market, like Zack Greinke ($34 million AAV), David Price ($31 million AAV), and Jordan Zimmermann ($22 million AAV). It does, however, put him ahead of John Lackey. The Giants did want starting pitching on the free agent market, as they had money to spend. San Francisco showed interest in everyone from Greinke to Mike Leake, but even after signing Samardzija might not be done spending to upgrade their rotation. The Giants rotation currently includes the likes of Madison Bumgarner, Jake Peavy, Matt Cain, Chris Heston, and Samardzija. Samardzija, who turns 31 in January, is liked more for his skill-set than anything else. He is a big, tall right-hander (6'5", 225 lbs) that can throw in the mid-90s with his fastball, touching 97 to 98 mph at times. His health is consistently praised as well. The only issue is that Samardzija has not been able to consistently use his talent like an ace. Last season, Samardzija pitched for the White Sox, going 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA and 4.23 FIP in 32 starts. He threw 214 innings and posted a 163 to 49 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Samardzija gave up the most hits, earned runs, and home runs in the American League. The year before, 2014, Samardzija was a completely different pitcher. He was an ace, being named to the National League All-Star team with the Cubs. In 219 2/3 innings, he posted a 2.99 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 with Chicago and the Oakland Athletics. Samardzija may benefit from a return to the National League, where his ERA is nearly a half-run lower. He has only made two starts in AT&T Park, giving up five earned runs in 12 innings pitched, striking out 16 and giving up just one home run. With the signing of Samardzija, the Giants will lose their first round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft because he was issued a qualifying offer. The White Sox will get a compensatory selection. --Devan Fink |
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