The San Francisco Giants and Ross Stripling have come to an agreement on a contract. The deal is for two years, $25 million, with an opt-out after the first season.
The Giants recently signed pitcher Sean Manaea to a similar deal on Monday. San Francisco is bolstering up their starting rotation which already includes Logan Webb and Alex Wood.
Stripling posted a career-high ten wins last season for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 134.1 innings pitched, he struck out 111 batters. It was a solid season for the right-hander.
San Francisco Giants fans are excited to add Stripling to their rotation. They believe it was a great deal for the team.
"This feels like an absolute steal for the Giants, wow," one fan explained.
"Sweet!!" responded another fan.
Fans can't get over how good of a deal this is for San Francisco. They think it is a steal for the ball club.
San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is more than familiar with Stripling. He was the LA Dodgers' general manager during Stripling's stint there.
Ross Stripling further complicates a Carlos Rodón return to the San Francisco Giants
The emergence of Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling further questions San Francisco's ability to re-sign All-Star pitcher Carlos Rodón. After the team signed Manaea, it was reported that they were still interested in Rodón, who is currently a free agent after opting-out of his two-year, $44 million deal with the Giants.
The Miami, Florida native is searching for a long-term contract after proving himself the past two seasons. Coming off a career-high in innings pitched, Rodón struck out 237 batters in 178 innings.
Unlike Stripling, Rodón is looking for a deal nearing six-plus years. Teams are hesitant to sign him long-term, given his injury history. The 30-year-old had Tommy John surgery in 2019. After returning, he faced some arm fatigue late into the 2021 season when the Chicago White Sox needed him in the playoffs.
Since then, he's been on a mission to show teams that he has what it takes to go deep into the season.
One team that is reportedly interested in the left-handed pitcher is the New York Yankees. They're expected to make him an offer soon, which could be around $200 million for six-plus years. Recent reports have also suggested that the St. Louis Cardinals are the other team that is in for Rodón.
While we can't rule out a Rodón return to the San Francisco Giants, it seems unlikely as having him would make for a crowded pitching staff.
As the Carlos Rodón market gets hotter, it will be interesting to see if the Giants remain interested in the hard-throwing left-hander.