Contreras Signs 3-Year Extension

The Sox have signed Jose Contreras to a three-year, $29 million extension through the 2009 season. The deal is just about exactly the same in length and overall value as what Sox signed Garland to over the winter.
Honestly, I was much more surprised when the Sox were able to sign Garland to an extension than I am with them being able to sign Contreras. With Garland being so young and having no history of injuries, he could have easily commanded at least a 5-year deal had he decided to just play out his final year of arbitration and file for free agency next winter. I doubted that he would turn down those extra guaranteed years and dollars that he wasn't going to get from the Sox given their reluctance to give such long-term contracts to pitchers. I figured that given his age, Contreras would settle for fewer years, so that would be the route the Sox went.
What is shocking to me is that the Sox were able to sign both of them, and neither one for more than the teams preferred 3-year maximum contract length for pitchers. I never thought we would be able to sign both of them.
In signing with the Sox Contreras has shown the same loyalty Garland showed back in December in that they both could have definitely been offered longer, more lucrative deals in free agency next year if they were to have strong seasons in '06. They both took less money to be with a team that has stood behind them while they struggled before breaking through last season.
The Sox now have all of their starters signed through the 2007 season, meaning McCarthy will be in the bullpen for the next two years it everything stays as is. If there is a trade made, I see KW trading whichever starter (except Buehrle) that will get us the best return in quality relief pitching, and then put McCarthy into the rotation.

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Bought tickets to next Tuesdays game/ring ceremony a couple weeks ago...then on Thursday was offered tickets to the Season Opener on Sunday. It will be the first opening day I've been to since waiting out a 3 hour rain delay in 2003. Loaiza pitched, beating Detroit and earning the first win of his Cy Young caliber season. It was also the first win of the season for the Sox as they were coming off of being swept by KC. (Thanks in large part to Billy Koch, IIRC. Here's to hoping that Bobby Jenks and his declining velocity aren't turning into a reincarnation of that guy.)