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Padres To Sign James Shields
By Charlie Wilmoth [February 9, 2015 at 1:05am CST]
The Padres have agreed to terms with James Shields on a four-year deal likely between $72MM and $78MM, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter links). The deal also includes a club option. Shields is a client of PSI Sports Management.
This weekend, it emerged that the Padres had offered Shields a deal similar to what he’ll evidently receive, with other reporting indicating that Shields, a California native, was interested in pitching in San Diego. The Cubs, Marlins and Blue Jays had also recently been connected to Shields.
The deal continues an enormous offseason makeover for the Padres, who have added Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks to boost their offense. Shields will head a rotation that was already fairly productive in 2014, when the Padres enjoyed good seasons from Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy and Odrisamer Despaigne. Shields also improves their pitching for the future, as Kennedy will be eligible for free agency following next season and Cashner can become eligible after 2016.
It’s not clear how well Shields will maintain his value. His new deal will carry him through his age-36 season, and he’s pitched at least 200 innings in each of the last eight years, including at least 227 in all of the last four. There’s also the question of how well the Padres’ revamped defense (which doesn’t figure to be nearly as good next year as the Royals’ was in 2014) will be able to support Shields.
In the grand scheme, however, the Padres have added an impact player at a reasonable price. Shields is a very good starting pitcher whose calling card is his ability to limit walks (with an excellent 1.7 BB/9 in 2014). His strikeout and ground ball numbers aren’t as exceptional (and his strikeout rate has declined in recent seasons), but they’re certainly good enough, given his control. Shields also has an extremely clean health record thus far and a reputation as a good teammate. And like most pitchers, he should benefit from PETCO Park and a move to the National League. MLBTR ranked Shields the third-best free agent available this offseason, and yet his total price will be a bit more than a third of Max Scherzer‘s and about half of Jon Lester‘s. That’s partly a function of their respective ages and the structures of their contracts, but regardless, the Padres’ financial commitment to Shields should be relatively bearable even if Shields is a disappointment. The addition of a club option could also be a coup for San Diego, depending on its cost.
Shields rejected the Royals’ qualifying offer, so the Royals will add a pick at the end of the first round. The Padres, meanwhile, will lose their top overall pick, No. 13 overall.
Padres To Sign James Shields
By Charlie Wilmoth [February 9, 2015 at 1:05am CST]
The Padres have agreed to terms with James Shields on a four-year deal likely between $72MM and $78MM, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter links). The deal also includes a club option. Shields is a client of PSI Sports Management.
This weekend, it emerged that the Padres had offered Shields a deal similar to what he’ll evidently receive, with other reporting indicating that Shields, a California native, was interested in pitching in San Diego. The Cubs, Marlins and Blue Jays had also recently been connected to Shields.
The deal continues an enormous offseason makeover for the Padres, who have added Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks to boost their offense. Shields will head a rotation that was already fairly productive in 2014, when the Padres enjoyed good seasons from Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy and Odrisamer Despaigne. Shields also improves their pitching for the future, as Kennedy will be eligible for free agency following next season and Cashner can become eligible after 2016.
It’s not clear how well Shields will maintain his value. His new deal will carry him through his age-36 season, and he’s pitched at least 200 innings in each of the last eight years, including at least 227 in all of the last four. There’s also the question of how well the Padres’ revamped defense (which doesn’t figure to be nearly as good next year as the Royals’ was in 2014) will be able to support Shields.
In the grand scheme, however, the Padres have added an impact player at a reasonable price. Shields is a very good starting pitcher whose calling card is his ability to limit walks (with an excellent 1.7 BB/9 in 2014). His strikeout and ground ball numbers aren’t as exceptional (and his strikeout rate has declined in recent seasons), but they’re certainly good enough, given his control. Shields also has an extremely clean health record thus far and a reputation as a good teammate. And like most pitchers, he should benefit from PETCO Park and a move to the National League. MLBTR ranked Shields the third-best free agent available this offseason, and yet his total price will be a bit more than a third of Max Scherzer‘s and about half of Jon Lester‘s. That’s partly a function of their respective ages and the structures of their contracts, but regardless, the Padres’ financial commitment to Shields should be relatively bearable even if Shields is a disappointment. The addition of a club option could also be a coup for San Diego, depending on its cost.
Shields rejected the Royals’ qualifying offer, so the Royals will add a pick at the end of the first round. The Padres, meanwhile, will lose their top overall pick, No. 13 overall.
