The San Francisco Giants have re-signed starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong to a one-year contract, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The specific terms of the deal have not yet been announced, but Heyman reports that it could be worth up to $6.5 million if the right-hander hits all of his incentives.
Giants re-sign Ryan Vogelsong to one-year deal
The starting pitcher spent the last three seasons with San Francisco.
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The 36-year-old Vogelsong struggled in 2013, going 4-6 with a 5.73 ERA. However, a closer inspection suggests reason for hope. He posted a 7.19 ERA through his first nine starts while allowing an eye-popping 11 home runs in 46⅓ innings, and was then hit by a pitch in May which fractured his hand. After missing nearly three months, he returned to post a respectable 4.55 ERA in his final 10 starts of the season, thanks in part to a more reasonable four home runs allowed in 57⅓ innings. The team declined his $6.5 million option for 2014, but have opted to bring him back at a lower base salary.
Vogelsong was originally drafted by the Giants in 1998, but his career never really took off. He washed out of the majors after 2006 and spent several years playing in Japan, but then mounted a comeback for the ages in 2011. Five years removed from throwing his last pitch in the majors, "Vogey" returned to the Giants and went 13-7 with 2.71 ERA. He followed that up by going 14-9 with a 3.37 ERA in 2012 regular season, and then went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in four postseason starts en route to a World Series victory.
With the signing of Vogelsong, the Giants now have a formidable starting rotation for 2014. Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner are still under contract for several years, Tim Lincecum was re-signed to a two-year, $35 million deal in October, and free agent Tim Hudson signed a two-year, $23 million pact earlier in November.
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