Matt Cain Contract: Money for Nothing, Checks for Free

Has Matt Cain's contract extension been more of a bust than a boom for the Giants?

The poor results to date provided by his contract are mostly due to injury, but baseball remains a business, where sob stories may garner a bunch of clicks and likes, but a gaping hole in the starting rotation is still a big ol' hole in the starting rotation.

Yes, Giant Nations thanks the baseball gods for all those high caliber fill-in starts delivered by rookie Chris Heston.

Such sentiment --certainly understandable, and even laudable-- delivers scant relief to a Giants' pitching staff held together by good vibes, aging veterans hanging on, Bochy-isms, over-performing unknowns, and big helpings of Pasta Righetti served in the Giants' mess hall.

Sometimes, though, all the combinations and machinations just don't pan out. Here's manager Bruch Bochy commenting after a tough late-inning loss to Atlanta in late May:

Quatrain Takes the 8-lane, or in the Loss Column Bind Them In April of 2012, "What a bonnie thing to see!" Exclaims Mrs. Cain, "O what security! $112 million in crisp new currency!" The Cains rewarded the Giants well that year Going all the way with 16 wins and 5 defeats But Matt's record the two years+ since, a mere 10 victories against 17 losses Can such dross's output truly be worth $20 million a season? $145,878.92 per inning pitched for 2013 and 2014 surely defies reason, hence The rain of money falls mainly on the Cains.