THURSDAY: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the breakdown (on Twitter). Vogelsong will earn $3MM in 2012, $5MM in 2013, and then a $6.5MM club option with a $300K buyout for 2014 comes into play. The total guarantee is $8.3MM.
WEDNESDAY: The Giants and Ryan Vogelsong have agreed to a two-year contract with an option for 2014, reports Mychael Urban of 95.7 FM The Game (via Twitter). The deal is worth a total of $8MM, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. The Associated Press reports that the deal is worth $8.3MM (via ESPN). The team announced the agreement in a press release, noting that the club holds the third-year option.
Vogelsong, 34, was entering his final season of arbitration eligibility, so the contract will delay free agency by at least a year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected a $2.5MM salary for the right-hander for 2012, though we heard during the Winter Meetings that the Giants intended to work out a multiyear deal.
Vogelsong pitched in the bigs last season for the first time in five years, enjoying a remarkable comeback. His 2.71 ERA in 30 appearances (28 starts) earned him an All-Star berth and even a Cy Young vote. The righty was originally drafted by the Giants, and was traded to the Pirates in 2001 in a deadline deal that sent Jason Schmidt to San Francisco. Over the next decade, Vogelsong underwent Tommy John surgery, pitched in Japan, and signed multiple minor league deals before finding success last year with the Giants.
want to become like the dodgers? cubs? mets? throw commitments at one year wonders!
I’m sure this $8.3MM commitment will cripple the Giants payroll for years to come.
Vogelsong for 2 yrs is not a hindering “commitment” especially for a 4th starter. Rowand, Zito yes but Vogey for 2 yrs No
Here’s to hoping that Vogel Song’s isn’t a one hit wonder.
I’m happy for Vogey. He’s earned it. I’m also happy for some SFG news. There’s been nothing since the minor league signing of Boof on 12/29.
i was hoping the next news would be an extension…just not this one
Honestly though, if Lincecum wants something like 8/160…sorry Timmy, thanks for the memories.
Great day for Kutztown University’s greatest baseball player ever in their program!
As a former golden bear myself, I am very happy.
I get a kick out of that. They are the Golden Bears, yet Pennsylvania does not have any golden bears.
I am currently a senior there. He should come visit!
It’s low risk for both parties. Vogelsong banks one being a one year wonder, while SF gets a solid 3 or 4.
I’m ok with this so long as it’s not Aubrey Huff money! We still need to see if he can repeat!
Best #4 in the game. Contrary to the LaBumbos fan’s wishes, Vogelsong learned a thing or two about pitching in his long sojourn to stardom. Hoping this signing breaks the logjam on contract renewals for SF and that Matt the Horse gets reupped for five years and 2-CYcle Timmy gets 3 years and his third Cy. Of course it is more likely that the kid from Carolina adds a Cy this year to his Post-Season dominance as a 21 Y.O. rookie. Keep this bunch together Giants and maintain the best staff in The Show.
Matt Moore/Jeremy Hellickson >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ryan Vogelsong.
I’d take Santana as well over Vogelsong.
Given the age and very close stats last year, I’d also take Worley over Vogelsong. (Younger, Better K/9, Better WHIP, better H/9, and better SO/BB)
Also, Phillies, Angles, and Rays have a better staff in my opinion.
Way to name guys who are clearly better than him. List every 4 in the game at voggy is better than half of them it’s a 2 year deal worth 8 mill total they could have done a ton worse.
I think it’s a great deal! He deserves that deal and it’s smart to keep him in SF.
However, “Best” means better than everyone, not half.
Also, more than half the teams he’d be a number 2/3 on, so that’s not really fair. Giants, Phillies, Braves, Angels, Rays, DBacks, Rangers (if Feliz lives up to his original prospect-hype), Marlins, Nationals, and Tigers are about the only teams he’s a number 4.
He’s a 5 on the Angels, Phillies and Rays.
He was a great story in the season last year, I hope for his continue success and not for the sake of the Giants an their fans.
haha you don’t like giants fans? seem harmless to me…
ehhhhh, not a huge deal, not a bad deal. Probably better for Vogelsong for when he returns to his not-even-major-league form to have that second year tacked on.
Not terrible for the Giants since they can just let him fly and be free if he ends up with a 5.00 ERA in 2013.
He had one season of being a really good 2nd/3rd starter on a team that had two #1’s. Not something to get super excited about, but it’ll be worth 4m to keep that #4 slot locked up. He’d be a #5 but hey, Zito is holding that one down until 2013 as well.
So, I guess it’s a priority for the Giants to have the back end of their rotation figured out rather than give contracts to the guys who matter. Good plan? It’s gonna be might interesting to see the Giants rotation in 2014 since everyone but Bumgarner might be out the door.
i think its pretty safe to say bumgarner will be the only current giant pitcher that will still be on the team in 2014, no way we could possibly resign anyone..there is so much i disagree about what you said but ill leave it at that.
The Giants have close to $30M coming off the books before 2013, and a good deal more in the two years that follow. If they want to retain at least one of Cain or Lincecum, they will have the necessary capital to do so.
Well phrased; Giants aren’t letting both go
i agree i think we’ll keep cain, i was being sarcastic saying we wouldnt be able to keep anyone.
Why do you think they’ll be slashing payroll?
I think Cain stays. Timmy leaves.
$2.5 for 2012, $5.5 for ’13 and presumably a $0.25-.50 buyout for ’14, not a terrible deal for somebody who will probably regress but probably still be around or under an ERA of 4.00. Also nice to keep a fan favorite around for a little while. Even if he tanks like Huff it’s not a huge burden of a deal.
Oh, Brian Sabean. Guaranteeing money for the sake of guaranteeing money.
You have no idea whether Vogelsong will able to repeat what he did in 2011. I hope he does because he seems like a good guy but who knows.
Considering that his estimated arb award was under 3MM, there was no reason to guarantee 2013.
Estimated by… some dude at MLBTR. I wouldn’t really take it as Gospel. They paid a premium on buying out a year of FA, but it wasn’t really an overpay; Barry Zito was worth twice the value of this deal in 2009 and 2010 with a 4.25 FIP. While Vogelsong outperformed his peripherals in 2011, it shouldn’t be hard for him to scrape together that value as a starter. And if he flounders, he can move back to a bullpen role.
Really, it’s a smart move for an organization that is both top-heavy and thin with regards to pitching depth.
They bought out one free agent year. If he’s 80% of the pitcher he was last year it’s good deal.
It’s essentially a 1 year, $6 million deal for 35 year old Vogelsong in 2013. Seems fair.
Good deal. Now lock up Cain. Then the pothead.