I was away from my computer for a few hours and the Giants go and make a big splash signing Madison Bumgarner to a big extension that buys out his arbitration years plus one free agent year with options covering two more.
The guaranteed money looks like it is $35 million (he is likely going to just miss being a super two which would kick it up to $40 million) but I haven't seen anything on what the salary is for the option years is. I will hold off on doing an in depth analysis for when the full details are available.
Regardless this is a pretty big change for the Giants who had been comfortable going year to year with their cost controlled players. If Bumgarner continues to improve like he has shown this could be a huge bargain for the team down the road. In addition it sets up Bumgarner for a while which must be comforting seeing as teammate Brian Wilson's career took a hit with his elbow needing season ending surgery.
All in all this looks good for both sides and with Bumgarner's age he should still have the opportunity to go out and get another big deal when this expires at his age 29 season.
Giants Press Release:
The San Francisco Giants have signed left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner to a five-year extension through 2017 with a club/vesting option for 2018 and a club option for 2019, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today. The five-year extension agreement covers Bumgarner through his arbitration years and his first year of free agency.
“Preserving our core pitching for the long term remains a top priority for the Giants and today’s extension certainly helps further that goal,” said Sabean. “Madison has already proven that he is one of the best left handed pitchers in the game today and we are confident that he will continue to succeed for many years to come.”
Bumgarner, who is currently the second youngest player on the Giants’ 25-man roster at just 22 years old, has been a vital piece to the Giants’ starting rotation since being called up to the big leagues in 2009. Since then, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound left-hander has posted a 21-20 record with a 3.12 ERA (117er, 337.0ip) in 57 games (54 starts) over parts of four seasons in a Giants uniform.
Last season the North Carolina native finished 11th in the National League with a 3.21 ERA and he reached the 200.0 inning plateau for the first time in his professional career. His 8.40 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 2011 was the third-best ratio among all NL left-handed pitchers behind Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw (9.57) and Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee (9.21).
Since 2010, Bumgarner has posted the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.71), third-lowest ERA (3.17), fifth-highest strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio (7.76).
At 20 years and 38 days old, Bumgarner became the franchise’s youngest pitcher to start a game in his Major league debut since the Giants moved West in 1958. A year later he became the fifth-youngest pitcher to start a World Series game and fourth-youngest to win a World Series contest at just 21 years and 91 days old.
Drafted by the Giants in the first round (10th overall) of the 2007 First-Year Player draft, Bumgarner has gone 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in his first two starts this season. He’s scheduled to pitch tomorrow night against Phillies’ right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton.
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