YUP YUP MORRIS AND THE GIANTS HAVE AGREED TO A 3 YR DEAL!! HE'LL GET HIS PHYSICAL THIS WEEK AND SIGN!! BEST ROTATION IN THE WEST BABY!!
SCHMIDT/MORRIS/LOWRY/CAIN/HENNESSEY
Morris, Giants agree to three-year deal
By Rick Hummel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/11/2005
Matt Morris will reunite with catcher Mike Matheny in San Francisco after Morris agreed to a three-year deal with the Giants.
(Chris Lee/P-D)
Catcher Mike Matheny long has been known for his defense, which has resulted in his winning four Gold Gloves, three with the Cardinals and his most recent with the San Francisco Giants. Now Matheny has been credited with an assist off the field.
Longtime Cardinals ace Matt Morris has agreed to a three-year contract worth between $24 million and $27 million with the Giants, and according to agent Barry Axelrod, Matheny played a significant role in Morris' decision.
"I would not discount the presence of Mike Matheny as a factor in Matt's decision," Axelrod told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It was not the overwhelming factor, but a factor.
"Matt has a tremendous confidence level with Mike, and they've had a good experience together in the past."
Matheny was the Cardinals' regular catcher from 2000-2004, a period when Morris won 22 games once and also had victory totals of 17 and 15.
The Giants won their pursuit of Morris in competition with the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cardinals, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, with most of the other contenders, including in the Cardinals, reluctant to offer three guaranteed years.
Morris, 14-10 with a 4.11 earned-run average last season, is expected to earn an average of $8 million to $9 million a season with the Giants, but items such as signing bonus and deferred payments are to be ironed out.
"We still have some details to square away, but our focus is on the Giants," Axelrod told the Chronicle. "We basically said that assuming we get the last details worked out with the Giants, that's where he wants to go."
