The San Francisco Giants have signed right-handed starter Jeff Samardzija to a five-year deal worth $90 million, per multiple media reports. With top starting pitching options such as David Price and Jordan Zimmermann off the market, the Giants jumped on Samardzija in hopes that he'll be able to regain ace form during his stint in the Bay.
Samardzija joined the Chicago White Sox last winter via a trade with the Oakland Athletics. He struggled all season long in 2015, posting a 4.96 ERA with a 163/49 K/BB ratio over 214 innings pitched. He led the league in hits allowed (228), earned runs (118), and home runs allowed (29).
Samardzija receives a limited no-trade clause in the deal. The SF Giants are banking on the fact that the 2.99 ERA Samardzija posted in 2014 in his time with the Cubs and Athletics is indicative of how he'll perform over the course of his prime.
Soon to be 31 in January, Samardzija received interest from several teams over the course of the past few weeks. Before the Chicago Cubs landed John Lackey on a two-year deal yesterday, there were considered to be a favorite to reunite with their former draft pick.
Chicago's NL Central rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, also were coming on strong in recent days. However, Samardzija is headed to a Giants team that has made revamping an oft-injury prone starting rotation its #1 priority during the 2015 offseason.
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