Cain Cashes In

After 7 years of outstanding service, Matt Cain finally cashes in
with a record breaking contract.

1.338 Innings Pitched (including playoffs)
2x All Star
World Series Ring
3.35 Career ERA
1.20 Career WHIP

Those are just some of the numbers in the 7 year career of Giants No.2 Starting Pitcher Matt Cain. Cain, the longest tenured Giant (7 Years) was set to become a Free Agent in 2012 and was seeking a 5 Year deal worth more then $100 Million. Cain and his agent spent the off season going back and forth in negotiations with the Giants, before setting an April 6th Deadline to get a new deal done. Cain is set to make $15 Million in 2012, with the 5 year deal starting out in 2013. The contract will include a vesting option in 2018, meaning the deal could escalate up to a 7 year deal worth as much as $141 Million over 7 years. The contract also comes with a full no trade clause, meaning Cain can nix any deal he is involved in. Cain will make roughly $22.5 Million per year. Before the right hander agreed to the historic deal, the previous record for most money given to a RHP was Kevin Browns 7 Year/105 Million dollar deal in 1998 after signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cain was drafted by the Giants with the 25th Overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft out of Houston High School in Tennessee. He spent 3 seasons in the minors before making his Major League Debut on August 29th, 2005 against the Colorado Rockies. Cain gave up only 2 Runs on 3 Hits over 5 innings, but walked away with the loss. The performance and result are an example of what Matt Cain has dealt with in his 7 year career as a Giant.  Despite his career 3.35 ERA, Cains' career record stands at (69-73) which to the casual baseball fan, Cain would appear to be just an average pitcher, but that's not the case with Matt Cain. In the past 3 seasons, Cain has never posted an ERA below 3.2 , while still averaging over 170 Strikeouts per season. The problem for Cain isn't his command, which he holds a career 1.2 WHIP (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched), a 3.2 BB/9, and a 7.4 K/9 Rates. The problem is lack of run support, as for most of his career Cain has dealt with a lot of 2-1 and 1-0 losses. The biggest part of Cains' game is how reliable and capable he is as a workhorse pitcher. Cain has 5 straight seasons of 200+ Innings Pitched, and he has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact quite the opposite, when you compare his numbers from 2010 to 2011 Cain made big strides. In 2010 Cain recorded a 3.14 ERA, while this past season he recorded a career best 2.88 ERA (minimum 200 IP). While Cain is the Giants No.2 SP he is sitting behind 2x Cy Young Winner Tim Lincecum, but there is no question Cain could be the Ace for at least 10 teams in the Majors. Overall, Matt Cain is one of the most durable pitchers in all of baseball, and he is worth the money the Giants gave him, especially as he continues to improve.

Hamels, who becomes a FA after this season
is in for a big raise.

This deal not only is great news for Matt Cain, it also means a big pay day is coming for SP's like Cole Hamels, Zach Greinke and Cains' teammate Tim Lincecum. Let's start off with the guy who a lot of comparisons will be made to, Cole Hamels. The 28 year old lefty from Philadelphia will likely be the biggest name in the 2012 Free Agent class and should cash in big time. Hamels has similar numbers to Cain, and before this deal was seeking a similar 5 Year/100M dollar deal, now as a left hander and the only Elite SP on the market, that number is going to go up. After purchasing the Dodgers for 2 Billion in the offseason, ownership while be looking to make a big splash, and Hamels can be that guy. As for Brewers SP Zach Greinke, he is set to enter Free Agency after the 2012 season. Greinke is also 28 years old, and while he has a slightly higher ERA he will likely be seeking 100 Million as well. The biggest winner in all of this though is Giants Ace Tim Lincecum. Lincecum, also known as "The Freak" signed a 2 year extension with the Giants earlier in the offseason that will pay him 18 Million in 2012, and 20.5 Million in 2013. Once Lincecum becomes a Free Agent, the 2x Cy Young Award winner and 4x All Star will be seeking a reported $200 Million over 7 years. "The Freak" would become the first pitcher to ever surpass 200 Million. The question will be, who wants to give a 29 year old SP with a unique delivery and small frame, a record contract over a 7 year duration. It will be the headline story when it happens, but until it does the Giants can just relax knowing they no longer have to worry about losing both their stars in the near future.