SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants' upgraded rotation is taking shape, with the 2014 World Series champions agreeing Monday with Johnny Cueto on a $130 million, six-year contract.
Cueto is set to join a rotation led by left-hander Madison Bumgarner and new addition righty Jeff Samardzija, who was introduced Friday after formalizing his $90 million, five-year contract -- one week after the team lost out to the Diamondbacks on Zack Greinke.
Cueto's deal was pending a physical, the team said, and contains a team option for 2022. He is likely to be introduced later this week at AT&T Park.
Under the agreement, Cueto can opt out after the 2017 season and become a free agent again. He is due to earn $46 million before the opt-out. That opt-out would make Cueto a free agent in November 2017 and avoid November 2018, when Clayton Kershaw, Dallas Keuchel, Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez and David Price all could be on the market.
A 29-year-old right-hander, Cueto went 11-13 with a 3.44 ERA in 32 starts for Cincinnati and Kansas City, which acquired him in a trade July 26. He was 4-7 for the Royals in the regular season and 2-1 in the postseason, including pitching a two-hitter that gave Kansas City a 2-0 World Series lead over the New York Mets.
Joining Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija are Matt Cain and Jake Peavy or Chris Heston, who pitched a no-hitter last season as a rookie.
Samardzija agreed Dec. 5, less than a day after Greinke joined NL West rival Arizona on a $206.5 million, six-year contract. He is eager to help the Giants compete for another championship in an even year -- 2016 -- after San Francisco captured titles in 2010, '12 and '14. The team missed the playoffs last season.
Earlier that first week of December, David Price received a $217 million, seven-year contract from the Red Sox.
Now, Cueto is the latest big-name free-agent pitcher to land a large contract.
Samardzija appreciates how these pitchers who work every fifth day are being rewarded.
"It's not easy what we do. I think a lot of it from afar is simple, right, you see it on TV, it goes over a plate," he said. "Eight other guys catch it, whoop de do. I challenge anybody that wants a slice of what Price made, or a slice of what Greinke made, to come on out and throw a ball over the plate at 96 mph to Carlos Beltran and see what happens. It's a tough sport."
