The veteran reliever, Tony Watson, has found his third team as it was announced today that Watson has signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. The deal carries a base value of between $7 and $9 million, according to conflicting reports.
Tony Watson Contract: 3 years,
$7 million. #SFGiants— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 17, 2018
Tony Watson’s deal with the #SFGiants comes with a guarantee of $9 million, source says. It includes escalators and performance bonuses that could ultimately increase the value to $14M over 2 years or $21M over 3 years.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) February 17, 2018
Tony Watson Signs with San Francisco Giants
Watson’s Career Profile
Drafted in 2007 in the ninth round with the 278th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates during the June Amateur Draft, Watson would have to wait for four years before making his debut. He would debut on June 8th, 2011. In his rookie season, Watson would appear in 43 games, pitching a 3.95 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched. In the 2014 season, Watson would be nominated to the All-Star Game. During that season, Watson would pitch a stunning 1.63 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 77.1 innings pitched. In the 2016 season, Watson would move from the closer role to the setup role after the acquisition of Mark Melancon. While pitching for Pittsburgh, Watson accumulated a 2.68 ERA with 380 strikeouts in 433 innings pitched.
On the 2017 trade deadline day, Watson would be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange the Pirates acquired pitcher Angel German and third baseman Oneil Cruz. During his time in Los Angeles, he would be a part of the championship roster, unfortunately coming up short in the World Series against the Houston Astros. In his career, Watson has an incredible 2.68 ERA with 398 strikeouts in 453 innings pitched.
The Impact Of The Signing
The Giants gain a very reliable reliever who has averaged a very good ERA over his career. Not once having an ERA at 4.00 or worse, Watson has been able to keep his ERA in check his entire career. For the Dodgers, they lose a member of their National League championship roster who, although it may not seem like it, was the acquisition that they needed. With a 2.70 ERA and a record of 2-1 with the Dodgers, he is a presence that will be missed. But for Watson, he will now look to see if he can complete the championship cycle for his new team.
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