Reaction to the Matt Cain contract

In case you are wondering how the Matt Cain contract extension is being perceived around the country, here is a sample, starting with our very own Ray Ratto. If you disagree with any of these critiques, let us know in our comments section!

Here we go...

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There was no hometown discount, which we knew. There was no gouging, which he could have done by coming in at Cliff Lee money. There was very little posturing, in fact. In all ways, this was a lousy contract negotiation for our purposes. Gentlemen and gentlewomen met, they argued a bit, and then they hit the number that was supposed to be hit, given all the numbers that have been hit around them.

Now all he has to do is not lose 15 mph on his fastball, or tinker with his delivery every off-season, or be asked to be (the new hellish buzzphrase) the face of the franchise. All Cain has to do is pitch as he hasbe in the top 10 in innings pitches, pitches thrown, and all the other metrics that show workload and effectiveness. In other words, all he has to do is be him.

-Ray Ratto, CSNBayArea.com

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Obviously any 100 million-plus investment in a pitcher is extremely risky and 22 million per season is a ton, especially for a team that learned (and is still learning) the hard way with Barry Zito, but limiting the commitment to five years and avoiding Cains mid-30s lessens the Giants risk somewhat and hes been remarkably consistent with a 3.35 career ERA and at least 190 innings in each of his six full seasons.

-Aaron Gleeman, Hardball Talk

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Indeed, the Giants ignored Cain's 69-73 career record and focused on his other credentials. The two-time All-Star has received the Major Leagues' lowest run support (3.7) in the last five seasons. Despite being only 27, he has started 203 games, a figure eclipsed by only six Giants since the franchise moved west in 1958: Juan Marichal (446 starts), Gaylord Perry (283), Kirk Rueter (277), Mike McCormick (245), Jim Barr (220) and Jack Sanford (211).

-Chris Haft, MLB.com

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Obviously, any long-term deal for a pitcher carries a great deal of risk, but at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Cain has a sturdy frame that bodes well for durability. He's already proven as much by topping 200 innings in each of the past five seasons, and his ERA has been below 3.00 in two of the past three seasons. He's a classic four-pitch pitcher who would be a No. 1 starter in many rotations, and I can easily see him winning a Cy Young Award. He proved he can hang with the best of the best when he made three starts in the 2010 postseason without giving up an earned run while helping the Giants win the World Series.

-Jim Bowden, ESPN.com

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I will say this. The Cain deal is a high salary, but he is a top five pitcher in the National League - or was last year at least - and pretty comfortably top 10. He could stay top 10 for the bulk of his contract. It's just a high dollar figure. But I almost look at five years and think, 'Eh, that's not that bad.'

-Keith Law, ESPN.com

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The bottom line for the San Francisco Giants was this: If they hadn't offered Cain the record-setting deal for a right-handed pitcher, someone else would have. So they made the deal, signing one of baseball's great plow horses. He never complains, he never whines, he just takes the ball and pitches.

-Buster Olney, ESPN.com

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In one sentence, here is why the signing of pitcher Matt Cain to an absurdly rich long-term deal ultimately was a smart thing for the Giants: Cain is the pitcher the Giants thought they were getting when they signed Barry Zito to an absurdly rich long-term deal.

-Mark Purdy, Mercury News

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Good gravy, that's a lot of money. But the fears are gone. There will be no Matt Cain in Dodger blue. No Matt Cain in Yankee pinstripes. No Matt Cain inMarlin burnt cerise. It's a gonna be Matt Cain in French vanilla until 2017, maybe 2018, maybe forever, and that reads pretty sweet to me.

-Grant Brisbee, McCoveyChronicles.com

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By becoming a full-time major leaguer at age 21, Cain was set to complete the necessary 6 years of service time for free agency during the 2012 season when he will still be just 27. He won't turn 28 years old until Oct. 1. So while a glance at his career results suggest "very good pitcher" more than "historically great pitcher," the Giants are banking on the fact that Cain will still be in his prime for most (or all) of this new contract.

-Joe Lemire, SI.com

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San Francisco GM Brian Sabean has built his team on pitching excellence, and the Giants dont have an abundance of starting depth in the upper minors. They couldnt risk losing Cain to free agency. Hes been too reliable with a 3.39 ERA and average of 212 innings over the past six seasons. (Besides, this is a nice thank-you from the Giants for saddling him with crummy run support and 69-73 record.)

-Jon Paul Morosi, Fox Sports

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Cains deal is a win for the Giants and the player. Cain gets a record deal and security beyond his wildest imagination and the Giants get what I believe is a below-market deal. I am absolutely convinced that a healthy Cain in free agency next winter would have gotten more than 22.5 million a year for at least five years in a bidding war among the Giants, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Rangers and others.

-Henry Schulman, San Francisco Chronicle

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Starting pitching has been the bedrock of the Giants' recent success and letting Cain hit free agency would've allowed some cracks to develop in that foundation. Fears of him potentially landing with their fierce division rival and now presumably cash-flooded Los Angeles Dodgers had the fanbase in a frenzy over the past week. Those worries have obviously now been squashed beneath a big pile of cash.

-Ian Casselberry, Bleacher Report

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Cain was due a significant raise. He's just 27 years old. His strikeout rate is steady, his hit rate has declined, his walk rate too. He's durable. If the Giants had let him go, he would have commanded enormous money in free agency. And they would have been out a heck of a pitcher. He's not a two-time Cy Young winner, though.

-David Brown, Yahoo Sports