:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58310927/843547576.jpg.0.jpg)
The San Francisco Giants avoided contentious arbitration hearings with their eligible players for the 14th consecutive season, agreeing to one-year deals with Joe Panik, Sam Dyson, Cory Gearrin, Hunter Strickland, and Will Smith.
The salaries for Dyson, Gearrin, and Strickland will be along shortly, I’m sure, but we know that Panik signed for $3.45 million, which is $50,000 below the MLB Trade Rumors estimate, and Smith signed for $2.5 million, which is exactly what MLB Trade Rumors estimated. There probably won’t be any surprises with the other three pitchers. And there certainly won’t be any arbitration.
Just how bad was that arbitration hearing for A.J. Pierzynski, anyway?
A.J. PIERZYNSKI: I would like to read a poem I wrote for this hearing.
PIERZYNSKI: It’s called “Backstop”
PIERZYNSKI: Lo, mindful of the squat, the gulls above hasten my resolve
The Giants seem to have an organization mindset that roughly translates to “c’mon, you idiots, let’s meet in the middle and move on,” and I am very much a fan of this mindset. There isn’t a lot of rancor or mystery, and it seems to be better for everyone.
Edit: Hunter Strickland signed for $1.55 million, which was a touch lower than the MLB Trade Rumors estimate.
Now, I’m very curious to see what Dyson settled for, as his salary seems like something that could affect the entire 2018 roster, but the bigger news is that the Giants can focus on the other things, like, oh, FINDING AN OUTFIELD. It would appear that they’ve been preoccupied with these pending arbitration cases for the last few days, which is understandable, but if they could FIND AN ENTIRE OUTFIELD, that would probably be useful.
For now, we know that the Giants have some cold, hard figures that will help inform their budget for next season. They’re clear on what they’ll need to do to remain under the luxury tax, and other teams are clear with the salaries of different relievers the Giants might offer in a trade.
And now all the Giants need to do is get an entire outfield. They should look at Costco, where there’s a pack of three full outfields for a reasonable price, and they can stick some of that in the freezer for next year. Here’s hoping.