OAKLAND, Calif. — Versatile right-hander Yusmeiro Petit agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics, a deal that is pending a physical.
His agent, Rafael Godoy, confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on Thursday. Godoy said by phone he was working to schedule a physical with the A’s for next week. The 33-year-old reliever is at home in Venezuela with plans to travel to Argentina this weekend.
"It’s a long trip for the physical with the A’s, but it’s worth it," Godoy said.
Petit would earn $3.5 million next year and $5.5 million in 2019, and the contract includes a $5.5 million club option for 2020 with a $1 million buyout.
He will return to pitch in the Bay Area after spending the 2012-15 seasons across the bay with the San Francisco Giants, helping them win World Series in ’12 and ’14.
Petit went 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 60 appearances with one start over 91 1/3 innings last season for the Los Angeles Angels after pitching for Washington in ’16.
He shined for San Francisco during the 2014 post-season, an unsung star of the pitching staff who could start when needed or come in for long relief. Petit pitched three scoreless innings of relief against the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 to help tie the World Series at two games apiece, and the Giants went on to win in seven games. It was his third scoreless performance of the playoffs that year. He set a major league record by retiring 46 consecutive batters over eight appearances, six in relief, from July 22 to Aug. 28.
Moved into the rotation in late August 2014 to replace struggling right-hander Tim Lincecum, Petit delivered. The previous season, he carried a bid for a perfect game into the ninth inning against Arizona before allowing a two-out single on Sept. 6, 2013.
The A’s made pitching — the starting rotation had its share of problems, too — and boosting the bullpen a top priority after trading away key relievers during 2017: Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to the Nationals in July.
Oakland (75-87) wound up last in the AL West for the third consecutive season. The A’s, who won six more games than in 2016, had a 4.67 team ERA — 23rd-worst in baseball.
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