Samardzija Agrees To $90-Million, 5-Year Deal With Giants
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) — The San Francisco Giants landed a top-tier starter to complement ace Madison Bumgarner, agreeing with free agent Jeff Samardzija on a $90-million, five-year contract Saturday a day after losing out on Zack Greinke.
The club said the deal will be formally announced once Samardzija passes a physical that's scheduled for Tuesday.
This marks the third large contract for a pitcher this week. David Price joined the Boston Red Sox on a $217 million, seven-year deal, then on Friday night Greinke chose the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Giants and three-time defending NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers, his former team. Sources told The Associated Press he agreed to a $206.5 million, six-year deal.
Samardzija won 11 games this year for the Chicago White Sox for his first double-digit victory total in eight major league seasons, going 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA in 32 starts. The 30-year-old right-hander spent the second half of the 2014 season pitching in the Bay Area with the Oakland Athletics following his trade from the Chicago Cubs. The 214 innings in 2015 were the second-highest of his career.
The Cubs made an offer to Samardzija with an average annual salary of $18 million, but the deal was for fewer years, 670 The Score's Bruce Levine reported.
The Giants won the World Series in 2010, '12 and '14 but missed the playoffs in the odd years, including this past season. A top priority this offseason was to build their rotation behind Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP.
Matt Cain was slowed by further elbow issues after surgery late in the 2014 season that cost him the postseason. Tim Hudson retired and Mike Leake and Ryan Vogelsong are free agents. Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum's future is unclear following left hip surgery Sept. 3.
San Francisco had said there was interest in bringing back Leake, but informed the pitcher that wouldn't be the team's first order of business.
Last month, the Giants signed homegrown All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford to a $75 million, six-year contract that takes him through the 2021 season and includes a full no-trade clause.
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