The San Francisco Giants have reportedly agreed to a five-year contract with free agent pitcher Jeff Samardzija on Saturday worth $90 million, according to ESPN. The Giants previously were interested in signing Zack Greinke along with the Dodgers, but Greinke signed with the Diamondbacks and now Los Angeles could go after names like Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake or Hisashi Iwakuma in free agency.
Jerry Crasnick at ESPN reports that the deal will be official after Samardzija takes a physical with the team on Tuesday. The 30-year-old pitcher was considered to be one of the top "second-tier" options on the market behind players like Zack Greinke and David Price. Samardzija had an up and down season with the White Sox this year and now will join a rotation that includes Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain in San Francisco.
Samardzija went 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA this season with the White Sox and he previously made the All-Star team in 2014. The Giants have now announced the deal to the media, but it still will not be official until Samardzija has a physical. Jon Heyman at CBS Sports reports that Samardzija will have a limited no trade clause in his contract. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Giants both were interested in signing with Greinke, but Greinke opted to sign a $206 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports reports that the Giants are still looking for starting pitching despite signing Samardzija to a deal. Rosenthal reports that the Giants are interested in retaining Mike Leake after acquiring him in a trade this year, while the team also likes Hisashi Iwakuma. The Mariners are hoping to bring back Iwakuma and if the pitcher signs with another team, he will net the team a draft pick after declining their qualifying offer.
The Dodgers reportedly made a five-year offer to Greinke, but the team was not willing to go to six years or meet his annual salary demands. The Dodgers now could consider making moves with Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake or Hisashi Iwakuma in free agency after missing out on Greinke and David Price. Jon Heyman reported last month that Cueto could be an option for the Dodgers if they let Greinke go and now Cueto is considered to be the top pitcher left on the market.
