The San Diego Padres ended their active offseason on a high note and added another veteran to their roster. General manager A.J. Preller has now positioned the team to succeed in the National League West.
James Shields agreed to a four-year deal with the Padres last night, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. Cotillo writes the deal is believed to be worth between $72 million and $76 million and includes a club option for a fifth season. The team is expected to announce the deal early this week as it's pending a physical.
Late last week it was speculated the Padres were the favorites to land Shields because the right-hander made it known he preferred to pitch on the West Coast since he is from San Diego. In addition to the Padres, the Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs were believed to have been involved in his pursuit in recent days. Shields took most of last week to look over his multiple offers and arrive at a decision over the weekend.
FOX Sports' Jon Morosi noted last week that no pitcher has ever landed a contract in excess of $50 million after February 1 of a given year, so once Shields' deal becomes official he will be the first to have surpassed that number. He will also sign the largest contract in Padres' history and leap ahead of starter Jake Peavy, who signed a three-year, $52 million deal back in 2007.
Although it was said Shields had multiple offers in hand, it's unknown who else besides the Padres presented him with a deal. It was speculated big market teams such as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers were involved, but each team's general manager reiterated they were no longer chasing top-tier free agents and were satisfied with their rosters heading into spring training.
Whatever the case, Shields will now likely sit atop the Padres' rotation and join Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy and whoever wins the No. 5 spot in spring training. The 33-year-old also joins Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Derek Norris, Will Middlebrooks, Shawn Kelley, Brandon Maurer, Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow as the team's notable offseason acquisitions.
In nine MLB seasons, Shields owns a 114-90 record with a 3.72 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 286 games (285 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals.
UPDATE: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports confirms the deal is worth $75 million.
UPDATE: The fifth-year team option is worth $16 million, making it a potential five-year, $91 million deal.