Giants agree to 6-year contract with pitcher Johnny Cueto

Giants agree to 6-year contract with pitcher Johnny Cueto

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants’ upgraded rotation is taking shape, with the 2014 World Series champions agreeing Monday with Johnny Cueto on a six-year contract.

Cueto is set to join a rotation led by left-hander Madison Bumgarner and new addition righty Jeff Samardzija, who was introduced Friday after formalizing his $90 million, five-year contract — one week after the team lost out to the Diamondbacks on Zack Greinke.

Under the agreement, Cueto can opt out after the 2017 season and become a free agent again. That opt out would make Cueto free agent in November 2017 and avoid November 2018, when Clayton Kershaw, Dallas Keuchel, Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez and David Price all could be on market A 29-year-old right-hander, Cueto went 11-13 with a 3.44 ERA in 32 starts for Cincinnati and Kansas City, which acquired him in a trade July 26. He was 4-7 for the Royals in the regular season and 2-1 in the postseason, including pitching a two-hitter that gave Kansas City a 2-0 World Series lead over the New York Mets.