Center fielder Denard Span has agreed to a three-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, pending a physical, the team announced on Thursday night. The deal is purportedly worth $31 million plus incentives.
Span, 31, was acquired from the Minnesota Twins for then-top pitching prospect Alex Meyer before the 2013 season, and has spent the past three years as a key player for the Washington Nationals. His combined hitting record reached .292 during that entire period. His best season came in 2014 with the Nationals, when he hit .302 with a total of 31 stolen bases and a record 184 hits, the highest team record for hits in a season.
However, Span’s success has come at a cost. He suffered a string of injuries, which resulted in two core muscles surgeries before the start of the regular season and a hip surgery in late August, both of which derailed his 2015 season. His third operation forced him to stay out for the remainder of the season. The Nationals did not offer him any sort of deal due to injury concerns. Scott Boras will represent Span as his agent.
Span is now the second big-time former National to sign with another team this winter, as expected. Jordan Zimmermann signed with the Detroit Tigers earlier in the offseason. Ian Desmond, Doug Fister, Matt Thornton and Casey Janseen are still unsigned.
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 03: Denard Span #2 of the Washington Nationals hits a lead off single in the first inning during a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park on July 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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