As expected, the San Francisco Giants and right-hander Tim Lincecum were able to reach a contract agreement. The deal, which was announced yesterday afternoon, is for two-years and worth $40.5 million.
The new contract buys out Lincecum’s final two years of arbitration and provides the right-hander with a limited no-trade clause. According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle the clause allows Lincecum “to select a certain number of teams each year to which he can reject a deal”.
A contract agreement hit the horizon when it was reported this weekend that Lincecum and the Giants were nearing a two-year pact. The negotiations were within $4 million, and most anticipated a deal being struck within the next week.
While Lincecum’s new deal is not the long-term agreement he and his representation are reportedly seeking, it does make him the fourth highest paid active pitcher in Major League Baseball. Only C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Johan Santana have a higher average annual salary that Lincecum.
Both Lincecum and the Giants have said they remain open to discussing a long-term agreement in the near future.
Since joining the majors in 2007, Lincecum has maintained a career ERA and WHIP of 2.98 and 1.188 with 9.9 SO/9 and 3.3 BB/9. The 27-year-old’s won two Cy Young awards and has been named to the All-Star game four times.
For more on the Giants, be sure to check out Around the Foghorn.