Kuiper: Cueto gives Giants second No. 1 starter

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Johnny Cueto agreed to a six-year, $130 million deal with the Giants on Monday.

"Yesterday was a good day for Giants fans, for the organization," Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper told KNBR 680-AM on Tuesday morning. "You can label him (Cueto) as a No. 1 (starter). So when you have an opportunity and if you have the cash available to do it, to sign a guy that can be a No. 1 starter when you already got one in Madison Bumgarner, well I think you take advantage of it."

Cueto became a full-time starter in 2008 at the tender age of 22.

[RELATED: Cueto, Giants share best odds of winning '16 World Series]

In 2011, he went 9-5 with a 2.31 ERA over 24 starts.

The following year, he went 19-9 with a 2.78 ERA and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

After making just 11 appearances in 2013 (lat/shoulder problems), Cueto turned in an incredible 2014 campaign -- 20-9, 2.25 ERA, 242 strikeouts in 243.2 innings, All-Star, Cy Young runner-up.

Over 19 starts with the Reds in 2015, he went 7-6 with a 2.62 ERA. He was traded to the Royals days before the deadline, and struggled to the tune of 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA in Kansas City.

[PAVLOVIC: Evans: Cueto adds 'elite presence' to Giants rotation]

Although he got rocked in Game 3 of the ALCS in Toronto (eight runs in two innings), he got the win in Game 5 of the ALDS against Houston (two runs in eight innings), and tossed a complete game in Game 2 of the World Series (allowed one run). 

With Cueto, Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain, the Giants' projected starting rotation is among the best in baseball.

"The offseason has been very good, and maybe they're not done yet," Kuiper added. "Who knows. But the need was for starting pitching, and they got two really terrific starters ... yesterday was a good day, absolutely."

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