Word out of San Francisco is that Matt Cain and the Giants are making strong progress towards a deal.
The Giants and Matt Cain appear to have positive momentum in contract extension talks, based on this passage from Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com:
From what I’ve been told, the two sides have reached greater common ground in recent weeks. Cain wants to stay and the Giants have the wherewithal to keep him. Those tend to be the most important factors. It’ll be a surprise to many, both in the organization and out, if Cain’s deal doesn’t get done before the season starts.
Well, Let's just start from the position that Matt Cain was the other half with Cole Hamels for the biggest free agent pitchers of next off-season. The pitchers are very similar statistically, having had post-season success, and a $15 million salary this season. Cain is 27, Hamels is 28, and other than that, the only difference is what hand they throw with. Cain is expected to get no less than $100 million in any deal he signs.
All of this brings me to Hamels impending free agency, and yet another examination of his worth. Last year when the Angels got Weaver to sign a deal in the $85 million range, the Phillies hoped that deal was setting the bar for Hamels. It wasn't. Hamels isn't going to take that kind of a low ball number, especially considering he let the Phillies buy out all of his arbitration years except for this one. With that said, I think the Hamels situation basically could be a match to Cain- both are in the driver's seat. A failure to sign them would be a disaster. If Cain is getting $100 million plus, and one can guess five years, the Phillies better not be thinking they can be below that. They can't.
