Giants agree with Joe Panik, Sam Dyson
SAN FRANCISCO -- Second baseman Joe Panik reached agreement on a $3.85 million, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Friday to avoid salary arbitration, while reliever Sam Dyson received a $5 million, one-year deal.
The Giants, with new baseball operations chief Farhan Zaidi now in charge, did not tender contracts to outfielder Gorkys Hernandez or reliever Hunter Strickland, allowing the pair to become free agents.
Panik batted .254 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 102 games while again dealing with injuries. Dyson went 4-3 with a 2.69 ERA in a team-best 74 outings.
After a stint as closer last season, Strickland punched a door in June after blowing a save and taking a loss to Miami, and he required surgery. In late May 2017, the excitable right-hander ignited a brawl when he beaned Washington's Bryce Harper with a 98 mph fastball on his first pitch in the eighth inning with two outs, none on and the Nationals ahead 2-0. Harper charged the mound and both men threw punches as benches and bullpens emptied.
Hernandez had career highs of 15 home runs and 40 RBI while playing in 142 games.
Left-hander Will Smith, who received the 2018 Willie Mac Award named for the late Hall of Famer, is San Francisco's final arbitration-eligible player and was tendered a contract Friday.
