Season may be Cueto’s last in S.F.
Johnny Cueto is a fun guy to have around, but how much longer will he be around?
That’s a question hanging over the Giants this season, adding intrigue to Cueto’s every outing.
On Wednesday, Cueto and the dreaded Clayton Kershaw locked up in a classic pitchers’ duel that was classic until the second batter of the game pulled the thread that started the unraveling of Cueto’s sweater.
The Dodgers won 6-1 to snap the Giants’ five-game winning streak. Cueto took the loss, giving up five runs in a subpar outing.
“I don’t think he was his sharpest,” catcher Buster Posey shrugged, noting that Cueto got beat on some good pitches and got stronger as the game went on. But when you’re going against Kershaw, you don’t have the luxury of easing into the game.
It was an important day for
the Giants. Had the Giants been able to beat the Dodgers and the mighty Kershaw at sunswept AT&T, hope would have grown that the Giants truly have risen from the dead and are ready to make a playoff run.
It’s early, but six wins in a row, and seven in eight games, would have been a powerful statement.
But Clayton gonna Clayton, and he weed-whacked the Giants’ hitters, allowing three singles in seven innings and creating a lot of awkward atbats.
The only excitement Cueto stirred was when he and Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal had words on the field, emptying both dugouts. No physical contact occurred, but it was a nice show of the love these two teams have for one another.
The minor incident was a good sign for the Giants, a reminder that though Cueto sometimes looks like he’s having fun, and he is, he’s there to battle. Don’t try to steal the signs on his pitches.
Cueto wasn’t at his best Wednesday, but when he is, he’s as entertaining to watch as any pitcher in the game.
Enjoy him while you can, Giants fans. Not to be Debbie Downer, but there’s a good chance this is Cueto’s last season here. It’s the second season of his six-year contract and he can opt out after this season.
Of course, Cueto’s not going to say anything about any plans. Anything he would say now about his future can and will be held against him in a court of free-agency negotiation. And if he merely says he wants to keep his options open, he looks like a man with one foot out the door.
Cueto’s six-year deal is for $130 million. After this season, he’ll have four years and $84 million remaining on the contract. If he winds up with a season similar to the last one, Cueto’s market value will be high, even though he will be 32 next year. Rough guess, if he’s solid this season, he could opt out and sign for five years and $120 mil.
Should Cueto opt out, the Giants could bid to re-sign him. But it’s doubtful he would give the Giants a hometown discount. Cueto has said he fancies the idea of finishing his career in the American League. So if he opts out, the Giants could well wind up bidding against the Red Sox and Yankees.
This is all going to depend on how Cueto pitches the rest of the season. After Wednesday, he’s 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA. The Giants are 6-3 in his starts. Last season, a splendid one, Cueto was 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA and started the All-Star Game. His .783 winning percentage was the best of his nine-season career.
If Cueto struggles enough this season to lower his market value below $20 million a year, he might decide to stick around. Problem is, even if he’s not lights-out the rest of the season, elite starting pitchers command crazy money, and a team like the Yankees can afford to roll the dice on Cueto, despite his age.
Why worry about that now? Because losing Cueto would/ will leave a big hole in the ballclub.
If and when he leaves, Giants fans will miss Cueto’s style and his exuberance. If he doesn’t have more fun pitching than any pitcher alive, he acts like he does. As the Warriors continue to demonstrate, sports is a lot more fun when you’re watching a game played joyfully.
Cueto’s good vibes seem to play well in the clubhouse, too. Baseball players say they strive to avoid the highs and the lows, and Cueto seems to have appointed himself the team leader in avoiding the lows.
And it’s always good for team morale when a pitcher wins three out of every four games and is considered a battler.
Now forget all this and enjoy the rest of the season.