Two years. No word on the money yet. (edit: Word on the street is 2 years/$12M.)
The press release is after the jump.
The San Francisco Giants have re-signed infielder Freddy Sanchez to a two-year contract extension, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today.Sanchez, a three-time National League All-Star (2006-07, 2009) and former NL batting champion in 2006 was acquired by San Francisco from Pittsburgh this past season on July 29 in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Tim Alderson. The 31-year-old combined to hit .293 (134-for-457) with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 111 games overall with the Pirates and Giants in 2009, including a .284 (29-for-102) mark with one home run and seven RBI in 25 games for San Francisco. He was selected to his second-straight NL All-Star team this past season, and for the third time in the last four campaigns.
"We are pleased to have Freddy in a Giants uniform for at least the next two years as we continue to improve our club", said Sabean. "We saw a glimpse of him this past season and will look forward to his All-Star caliber play at the top of our lineup and in the middle of our infield. He provides a steady veteran presence and professional approach."
Since becoming an everyday second baseman in 2005, Sanchez has fashioned a .989 fielding percentage over the last five seasons (2005-09), which is the highest fielding mark among all National League second basemen during that span. He has also committed the seventh-fewest amount of errors (23) and has helped turn the fourth-most double-plays (355).
The Hollywood, CA native owns a lifetime average of .299 (817-for-2,732) with 178 doubles, 38 home runs and 300 RBI in 733 major league games with Boston (2002-03), Pittsburgh (2004-09) and San Francisco (2009). He became the 11th player in Pirates franchise history and the first since Bill Madlock in 1983 to capture a batting crown when he finished five points ahead of Florida’s Miguel Cabrera (.339) with a .344 mark in 2006.