Report: James Shields, Padres Agree To Four-Year Contract

The San Diego Padres just put the exclamation point on a big offseason.

The Padres have come to terms with free-agent pitcher James Shields, according to SB Nation. The deal is a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth season, sources told SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo.

The deal reportedly could be worth up to $76 million, according to the report.

The 33-year-old Shields has been a workhorse over his career. Shields has logged at least 200 innnings in each season since 2007, making at least 31 starts in each of those campaigns. He’s coming off a 2014 season in which he went 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA for the Kansas City Royals.

Some think Shields’ workload will catch up to him at some point, but if he stays healthy, he should further stabilize an improving starting rotation. The Padres have been busy this offseason retooling their roster, as Shields joins Wil Myers, Justin Upton and Matt Kemp as big acquisitions the Padres have made this winter.

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