Matt Cain, Giants agree to five year extension..

[Upton]

The Giants announced that they have agreed to a five-year extension with right-hander Matt Cain, who was scheduled to be a free agent after this season. The deal is worth $100 million and includes a $5 million signing bonus.

The deal keeps Cain in San Francisco through the 2017 season and includes a club/vesting player option for 2018. There is a $7.5 million buyout on the option, bringing the total value of the deal to $112.5 million.

"Ensuring that Matt remained a Giant beyond this season was a top priority for the organization. Matt is an integral part of the team whose performance on the mound will be one of the keys to our success for years to come," Giants General Manager Brian Sabean said in a statement released by the team.

"The success of our franchise depends on developing and retaining homegrown talent like Matt Cain," said President and Chief Executive Officer, Larry Baer. "I want to commend Brian Sabean, Bobby Evans, Matt and his representatives for their hard work to keep Matt in the Orange and Black. This is an exciting day for Giants fans everywhere and a fantastic way to kick off the 2012 season."

http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_20308574/matt-cain-giants-agree-five-year-100-million

This is big for the Giants, real big. Matt Cain is a horse, going over 200 IP each of the last 5 years, and for all the media attention Lincecum gets, the true leader of the Giants starting rotation..

[Kingofalldems]

1. Agreed. He is a beast out there.

[Auggie]

2. Humm Baby!!!

In addition Upton, he plays the game like a true pro-- and a real MAN. He could have been pissing and moaning about the lack of run support over the years but hasn't. Yep, it's real big.

[Upton]

3. This was a must..

I couldn't imagine losing Cain, I was getting a little concerned the Giants were going to let this hang over their heads all season....the forcing out of Neukom and all the talk about a "rainy day fund" left a lot of questions about the direction they were heading.. Also, you know teams like the Dodgers would have had a real good look at Matt during the off season. Bidding would have probably started at around 20 mil per. When I read he had finally signed the extension, I felt like the Giants had won a playoff series..

Matt, at only 27, has already made the 7th most starts in Giants history. He's a team leader, the player rep, has the 5th best ERA among active pitchers in baseball, is one of only 7 ( Buehrle, Haren, Halladay, Sabathia, Shields and Verlander are the others) who have exceeded 200 IP the last 5 years, and according to Fangraphs, Cain's WAR of 5.2 made him a pitcher worth 23.4 million last year.

This sounds like a fair deal all around. Now, I can't wait for the season to start..