The Giants wasted no time making their first set of offseason moves, as they re-signed Javier Lopez and exercised Jeremy Affeldt‘s option for the 2012 season. Lopez’s contract is worth $8.5MM over the next two years, while Affeldt’s option is worth $5MM.
The Lopez deal buys out what would have been his first two free agent years; he’s essentially a LOOGY (something useful, obviously, but not of great value), so it’s a bit peculiar that the Giants handed him such a deal. Since coming over to the Giants in the John Bowker/Joe Martinez trade in 2010, he’s tossed 72 innings over 97 appearances, posting a 157 ERA+. His peripherals aren’t particularly good, as his highest single-season K/9 is 6.79 (this year), and he’s averaged a little more than four walks per nine innings pitched over his career. The one thing that does separate him from the pack is his elite home run prevention skills — he has yet to allow a home run in a San Franci...
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