Throughout the 2017 season, Giants’ general manager Bobby Evans and manager Bruce Bochy insisted that they expected right-hander Johnny Cueto to opt in to the remaining four years of his contract this offseason, and play a pivotal role in the franchise’s future success.
On Saturday, Evans and Bochy finally learned they could count on Cueto.
The 31-year-old Dominican Republic native will reportedly remain with the Giants through the 2021 season after opting in on his contract, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Today was last day for Cueto to opt out of deal. Per source, he did not. He’s sticking with Giants.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) November 5, 2017
The Giants signed Cueto prior to the 2016 season to form a potent one-two punch with Madison Bumgarner atop the team’s rotation, and in his first season with the club, Cueto met, and in many cases, exceeded expectations. He finished 18-5, recorded a 2.79 ERA and finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting.
Cueto pitched so well last season that it was almost a foregone conclusion he would opt opt of his contract following the 2017 campaign to command a larger sum on the free agent market. However, after an up-and-down 2017 season that was loaded with injuries and inconsistencies, Cueto wasn’t armed with as much flexibility.
With four years and $84 million remaining on the original six-year, $130 million deal Cueto signed, the right-hander ultimately decided to opt in on his contract and remain in San Francisco through the duration of his deal.
This season, Cueto finished with a 4.52 ERA in just 147.1 innings after blister issues and a forearm strain sidelined him for a month and a half following the All-Star break. Cueto insisted that part of his struggles were due to spending part of Spring Training taking care of his ill father, and he said at the end of the year he hoped he would have a full spring to prepare for the 2018 season.