Giants finish upgrade of rotation with Cueto
Before he was formally introduced during a news conference Thursday, Johnny Cueto ran into veteran reliever Sergio Romo, who told him what it’s like to play for the San Francisco Giants.
Romo shared his insider’s perspective on the nightly full houses at AT&T Park, the city’s welcoming environment and the fans’ passion for the team.
Noting Cueto’s abundant dreadlocks, Romo also figured Cueto would fit on a team whose hirsute performers have become part of fan culture, from Tim Lincecum’s flowing hair to Brian Wilson’s jet-black beard to the manes of Madison Bumgarner and Brandon Crawford.
“I’ve got my little gimmick with the beard, and he’s got his gimmick with the dreads,” Romo said. “So I go, ‘Good luck walking around and not being recognized. You better get your smile ready.’ ”
Oh, Cueto was flashing his pearly whites with hardly any prompting, clearly thrilled to be joining a club that has won three World Series in the last six years, playing in a pitcher-friendly ballpark and, not insignificantly, landing a six-year, $130 million contract that allows him to opt out after two seasons.
The deal completes a major upgrade of the Giants rotation, which ranked seventh in the National League with a 3.95 ERA, and might have thrust them into the favorite role as they enter another even-numbered year. San Francisco won its championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
To have a chance for another shot at October glory, the Giants needed to boost their starting corps, and they went hard after Zack Greinke before he opted for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ sixyear, $206.5 million offer.
The Giants responded by signing Jeff Samardzija for five years at $90 million, but that still left question marks because of Jake Peavy’s history of injuries and Matt Cain’s difficulty bouncing back from elbow woes.
Slotting Cueto behind Bumgarner gives San Francisco a formidable one-two punch and a rotation featuring five pitchers who have all been All-Stars.
Despite his struggles with the Kansas City Royals, for whom he registered a 4.76 ERA in 13 starts after being traded in late July by the Cincinnati Reds, Cueto owns the second-lowest ERA in the majors since the beginning of the 2011 season at 2.71. He also sandwiched two excellent postseason starts, including a complete-game two-hitter in Game 2 of the World Series, around a clunker.
“Johnny finished second in the Cy Young in 2014,” Giants general manager Bobby Evans reminded reporters. “There’s a reason why he was on the mound in the World Series this year with Kansas City, because of how effective he is and his ability to pitch deep in the games. That’s partly because hitters don’t know what’s coming even when they face him the third time through.”
In 7½ seasons with the Reds, Cueto went 48-22 with a 2.91 ERA at Great American Ball Park, remarkable numbers anywhere, let alone at a stadium that so obviously favors hitters. He has a 1.69 ERA in three starts at AT&T Park, regarded as the opposite of his former home yard.
The Giants think the new setting and the ability to work with pitching coach Dave Righetti and catcher Buster Posey will bring out the best in Cueto, who turns 30 in February.
“It’s not easy to pitch in Cincinnati,” Cueto said in Spanish. “Every pitcher who pitches there asks me, ‘How do you do it, Cueto?’ I enjoyed pitching in that ballpark, but now I’m with the San Francisco Giants organization and this is a pitcher’s ballpark, so I’m happy about that.”
Although his English is less than fluent — he speaks to the media through an interpreter — Cueto displays a happy-go-lucky personality that made him popular with teammates in Cincinnati and should play well here.
The Giants wouldn’t mind promoting him as a modern-day version of the Dominican Dandy, countryman Juan Marichal, who played 14 years of his Hall of Fame career in San Francisco. However, Cueto’s pitching motion, full of twists and turns and what he calls la mecedora (the rocking chair), brings to mind another Latino pitcher, Cuban-born Luis Tiant.
The style is also reflective of Cueto’s personality.
“I’m just being myself,” Cueto said. “I like to pitch relaxed. I make those moves depending on the hitter and his timing. I try to throw them off with the rocking chair and that crazy stuff I do.”
If he comes close to his Cincinnati performances, they will go crazy for him in San Francisco.