As expected, the Giants have declined their $22MM club option for next season on right-hander Johnny Cueto, tweets Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. The veteran hurler will instead receive a $5MM buyout and hit the open market.
The call on the option has long been a mere formality, as Cueto has settled in as a back-of-the-rotation arm over his past couple seasons. The two-time All-Star missed most of the 2018-19 campaigns on account of an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He had a couple of minor injured list stints this year but has generally been a capable innings eater over the past two seasons.
Since the start of 2020, Cueto has tossed 178 innings with a 4.55 ERA/4.26 FIP. The 35-year-old has a better than average 7.3% walk percentage in that time, but he’s only fanned 20.1% of opponents. Cueto doesn’t throw as hard or induce as many whiffs as he did during his peak days with the Reds, but he’s a capable strike-thrower who could upgrade the fourth or fifth rotation spot on a number of teams around the league.
Cueto shouldn’t have any problem landing a major league contract, but that deal doesn’t figure to come particularly close to the net $17MM call the Giants’ front office was left to make. It wouldn’t be shocking if San Francisco themselves remains in the market, as the Giants are also facing the potential free agent departures of Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood. They’ll need to overhaul their rotation this winter, which president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has already called the club’s “number one priority.”
Chipper Jones' illegitimate kid
Logan Webb looking awfully lonely in that SF rotation right now. Rent-a-Arm rotation worked well last year. Might as well try it again.
Baseball 1600
There’s a lot more pitching out there this offseason than there was last offseason if that means anything. Also, the Giants now actually have a reason to trade their prospects. They were ranked #2 for position players in the farm system, but they have little to no pitching prospects so it makes sense to use this surplus of position prospects this offseason.
Baseball 1600
Not surprising.
I still think he can help a team down the stretch next year as a #5 starter but he’s prone to very bad outings after a stretch of 3-4 solid ones
Al Hirschen
Would look good with the Mets
vtadave
As their POBO?
bobtillman
Phillie’s bullpen arm.
DarkSide830
nah he’s SP5
VonPurpleHayes
Wouldn’t mind him as a 5-6 to be honest, but his price tag may be higher than some other options. I’m actually excited about a rotation of Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Gibson, Eflin and TBD. It’s not perfect, but Phillies haven’t had starting pitching that good in many years. Cueto would bolster that rotation.
Bill Kane
Only if they get him cheaply. They have a lot of holes to fill.
VonPurpleHayes
Definitely
oldleftylong
And, DD is a great “hole filler”, … as long as there’s a bank and farm to drain.
Ducky Buckin Fent
I’ve always liked watching him throw.
Such a unique style. There are just so many max effort/high velocity guys in MLB that I enjoy pitchers like Cueto & Darvish who go about their day at the office in a much different fashion.
I don’t know if he is necessarily The Guy for the Yanks. But a comparable starter would be a solid & defensible addition to our rotation. We just watched the sox parlay a staff of non-ace level starters all of whom could – however – give you a chance every night into an ALCS run.
DanielDannyDano
How many starters are the Giants set to lose this off-season? Cueto, Wood, DiSclafani, and Gausman by my count. There is some very heavy lifting to be done. My guess is the Giants make priority one re-signing Gausman and go very hard after Robbie Ray. Any thoughts?
kcusgnikcufsregdod
Yes I think they’ll look to resign Gausman, who loved his time in SF. Either Gausman or pivot to someone like Stroman.
Kikuchi is someone I can see the Giants targeting on a cheap 1-2 year deal. Michael Lorenzen is another one.
Ray might be too costly and the Giants have a lot of holes to fill. They have the benefit of a boatload of cash to spend but i think they’ll spend wisely.
One other thing, they have quite a few Rule 5 eligible guys that need to be added to the 40-man, but some are no where close to being ready. I wonder if Giants look to trade them soon for a young starter. Someone like Luis Toribio, who has some trade value.
FZ and Harris will have a very busy offseason. As a fan i am excited to see what they do. But i don’t envy them right now. They’re going to be busy.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
You have the money, may as well go for both Stro and Gausman
Datashark
stro would be a mistake. I bet the check-in on Greinke as the aging vet they always seem to add whose near the end.
They need to resign Gausman, ignore everything about Ray, and go after some mid-line FA SP who they believe they can push to higher level like Gausman.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
Why would Stro be a mistake? 3.02 ERA in 2021
claude raymond
syndegaard, Paxton, gray, stroman ray.Pick 2 Avoid QOs.
claude raymond
I had to rush my last post. I was hoping for feedback. I feel like signing syndegaard and paxton would perfectly epitomize Zaidi signings. Free agents needing to reestablish themselves and their values (eg. Gausman, Desclifani, Wood, Sanchez, Kazmir etc).
leftykoufax
5 million buyout, nice payday.
Central Valley
Without Posey, their pitching staff is going to have a major drop off. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.
foppert
I think the evidence presented on Posey’s regular days off this season, suggests it won’t be major.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
Actually, Casali was praised quite a bit by Giants pitchers and caught most of the Giants’ shutouts this season so sure they won’t be quite as good but they won’t have a huge drop off
Datashark
Casali was very good – dont overlook his talent and he will mentor Bart very well. I am a little taken aback that Posey will not become a mentor for Bart or any other C out in their system.
citizen
I’m sure Jeff sumardja is available.
giantsphan12
@citizen, if you’re going to keep posting the same post about Jeff Samardzija, learn how to spell Samardzija (or at least how to copy/paste as I just did)! Sheesh!!
vtadave
Any of course, Kevin Gossman, John Cuetto, and Tony Delasfina are also possibilities.
ltully789
Don’t forget Alix Would
giantsphan12
I’m good with Gossman and Tony Aquafina. Wouldy is welcome too. 🙂
Bart Harley Jarvis
And I think it’s a tight race between Curwin Glassmart and Tina Delscalapini for the Sigh Jung award.
solaris602
Shark is still waiting for a 2021 contract. His agent wants a minimum of 2/20 covering ‘21 and ‘22. Why would someone pay him for a year he didn’t pitch? One could argue the Giants did just that during his tenure in SF.
Brad Scott
Cueto is a quality pitcher who can give a team a lot of good solid innings. He also fields his position well, can handle a bat, and is a terrifc person & teammate. Definitely the kind of guy every team should want. My best guess: 2 years at $10M per with an option for a 3rd.
mlb1225
I wouldn’t sign him with the expectation of getting “a lot of good solid innings”. He hasn’t pitched at least 150 innings since 2016. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea to sign him, just that it’s a bad idea to sign him expecting 150 innings or 25+ starts.
Jean Matrac
It seems to me you must be counting the short 2020 season in his falling short of 150 IP. Last season he pitched 63.1 innings which led all Giants pitchers, and projects to over 171 IP. I admit that’s counting on him staying healthy, but I wouldn’t assume injury either. Lynn led all pitchers with 84.0 IP, 11 more than Cole and Bauer tied for 9th with 73.0.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
Are you talking about the same Cueto?
Crunchtime1969
I’ll be watching him in Mazatlán in a couple of years. LMB. I saw Fernando pitch here once. He autographed the bill of my Padres cap.
Buehler........Buehler
In other news water is wet, no surprise here
crazybaseballgal
When Cueto was on he was so fun to watch. He had a couple of great seasons w the Giants but some that were really rough. Injuries, etc. I wish him the very best. It was time
5TUNT1N
One of the funnest pitchers to watch in baseball, was more fun when his stuff was better but Johnny knows how to pitch and have fun. I respect that! Thanks for your time Johnny Cueto!
Sadface
Greinke should be available too. I mean no way the Astros resign him but he had some decent outings last season. Maybe still a number 4 or 5 on some teams.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
He should consider a move to the bullpen. He looked good coming out of the bullpen for the Giants this season, mind you he didn’t have many opportunities in relief
tonyinsingapore
Former mid-nineties and now a multi-delivery junkballer that pitches just well enough to fool a manager into pitching him some more…
Sez the 4th generation Reds fan…
jimmyz
Really hoping the Pirates sign him and the crowd at his first home game at PNC Park chants his name and he jokingly drops the ball on purpose. As a Pirates fan I’d even want the opposing batter to hit a homer on the next pitch too.
brucenewton
Yanks like older pitchers who, once upon a time, were all-stars. Fully expect them to sign Cueto.