Alex Wood signs with the giants

by



[ad_1]

The Giants secured a veteran left-handed starter to balance their rotation on Thursday, signing Alex Wood to a one-year, $ 3 million contract that includes an additional $ 3 million in performance bonuses. Wood, a former Dodgers pitcher, will reunite with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who was previously

The Giants secured a veteran left-handed starter to balance their rotation on Thursday, signing Alex wood to a $ 3 million one-year contract that includes an additional $ 3 million in performance bonuses.

Wood, a former Dodgers pitcher, will reunite with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who was previously Los Angeles general manager. A 2017 All-Star, Wood averaged 3.45 in 188 appearances (138 starts) in eight Major League seasons with the Braves, Dodgers and Reds.

Wood, 30, had to deal with shoulder issues last year and pitched primarily to relieve the Dodgers, posting a 6.39 ERA in 12 2/3 innings in the regular season. He ended the shortened 2020 season on a high note, pitching two perfect innings against the Rays in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series to help the Dodgers secure their first championship in 32 years.

“I saw it at its best,” Zaidi said on a Zoom call with reporters. “When he’s got the health to go there every five days, he can play a really important and valuable part in a starting rotation. What was encouraging about Alex last year, despite having had a few health setbacks, was that he ended the season very healthy. He started the playoffs incredibly well, including in the World Series.

“For me, watching him play like that in the playoffs really reminded me of when I saw him at his best. … We have a lot of optimism that he can continue this in 2021 and play a really big role in our rotation next year.

Wood is set to join right-hander Johnny Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and Logan Webb in the Giants’ rotation in 2021. Tyler Beede is also expected to enter the mix once he completes his recovery from Tommy’s surgery. John, probably around May.

The Giants were looking to add more left-hander options after losing Drew Smyly, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Suárez this winter, making Wood a natural fit for Zaidi, who first acquired the southpaw in a trade to three teams and 13 players between the Dodgers, Braves and Marlins in 2015.

“I’m happy that this time the acquisition was a little easier, a one-year contract in the Major League,” Zaidi said with a laugh. “The trade we made with the Braves to acquire it in Los Angeles had a lot of moving parts, so it’s a much simpler deal.”

Zaidi went on to cite Wood’s “funk, deception and competitiveness” as the key traits that made him an attractive target again this year.

“He’s actually the most efficient when he keeps the ball on the ground,” Zaidi said. “It’s a bit of a contrast to the direction of the game, with an emphasis on jumps and misses in the zone with high fastballs. It has unusual delivery, deceptive delivery, and a kind of pitch style that is becoming a little less common. I think all of these things are really working in his favor.

Wood will earn bonuses for games launched in which he records 10 or more outs, including $ 125,000 for 12 and 14 of these games, $ 250,000 for 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 such games and $ 500,000 for 26, 28 and 30 of these games. Zaidi said the contract structure was intended to provide some protection for Wood in the event he was used as a block innings pitcher behind an opener.

The Giants now have 40 players on their 40-man roster.

Maria Guardado covers the Giants for MLB.com. She previously covered Angels from 2017 to 2018. Follow her on Twitter.



[ad_2]

Source link