The Giants have re-signed pitcher Ryan Vogelsong to a 1-year deal. The move comes just weeks after the club declined to pick up his $6.5 million option on November 4th, instead paying him $300,000 in the process. The new deal is reported to be worth $5 million guaranteed, with performance bonuses that if reached could make it worth more than the $6.5 million he was scheduled to earn under the option.
Assistant general manager Bobby Evans said the deal is pending a physical, expected to happen next week. The team declined to comment further until that physical is completed.
The deal seems a good compromise for a 36-year-old who really struggled in 2013. He went 4-6 with a 5.73 ERA in 19 starts with a 1.56 WHIP and 67:38 K:BB ratio in 103 2-3 innings pitched. It was an injury-shortened season for Vogelsong, who missed time when suffered broken bones in his finger and hand when hit by a pitch in May. When he returned to the lineup in August, he struggled to find the velocity on his pitches, especially his fastball. As a result his strike rate declined considerably.
Vogelsong was coming off good seasons where he won 13 games in 2011 and 14 in 2012 along with being a big part of the Giants rotation on their march to the World Series. His era in those seasons was 2.71 and 3.37, while his WHIP was 1.25 and 1.23 respectively. Prior to joining the Giants he was considered a journeyman pitcher, bouncing around Japan as well as the Phillies and Marlins minor league systems.
Vogelsong is expected to be on the backend of the Giants rotation that also features Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Tim Hudson.
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