The Giants and right-hander Brian Wilson avoided arbitration on Saturday by agreeing to a one-year, $4,437,500 contract. The figure is the exact midpoint between the $4.875 million Wilson asked for and the $4 million he was offered when arbitration figures were exchanged earlier this month. He was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter.
Wilson, who turns 28 in March, stepped into the elite group of closers last season, compiling a 2.74 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10.3 K/9 and 38 saves (third in NL). According to Fangraphs, only Daniel Bard and Jonathan Broxton had more velocity on their fastball than Wilson (96.6) among relievers last season.
With Wilson out the way, that leaves some guy named Tim Lincecum as the team’s only remaining arbitration case.