San Francisco Giants Roster News 2015: Free Agent Jeff Samardzija Agrees to a Five-Year $90 Million Deal
After getting snubbed by Zack Greinke, the San Francisco Giants might have gotten the second best available talent in free agency after agreeing in principle with right-hander Jeff Samardzija for a five-year deal reportedly worth $90 million. However, the deal hasn't been made official yet because he still has to pass the physical scheduled on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old baseball pitcher did not have a good year with the Chicago White Sox after getting traded from Oakland. However, the Giants are more than willing to gamble on the veteran, hoping that he could redeem himself next season as a reliever to Madison Bumgarner. He produced averages well below his usual numbers, but that alone shouldn't be the basis of his rising stock.
With him on board, San Francisco will have someone who can help Bumgarner win games for them. The starting pitcher actually is the only one in the league to have thrown in 200 innings in a single season last year. For Samardzija, durability won't be a problem because he himself has pitched a lot, even reaching 213 for three successive seasons.
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The way Giants GM Bobby Evans is saying, it certainly looks like they offered the former college football player a contract because of his resilience. "Even in tough times he still put 200-plus innings on the board. You look at his track record, you look at his presence that he brings on the mound… you realize this guy is a force to be reckoned with," he said.
The team also believes that the reason why he had a mediocre season last year was because of the fact that he didn't have stability, playing for three different teams in two seasons alone.
With undeniable talent and a fierce fastball that topped 97.9 mph, the Giants will definitely see a valuable asset once he starts working out with highly touted pitching coach, Dave Righetti.
