Reliever Lopez agrees to 2-year deal with Giants

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Left-handed reliever Javier Lopez has agreed to an $8.5 million, two-year contract to stay with the San Francisco Giants, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Lopez _ one of baseball's most reliable lefties out of the bullpen _ had been set to become a free agent before receiving a new deal, confirmed under the condition of anonymity because the team had yet to make a formal announcement. Lopez will earn $4.25 million in 2012 and '13.

The 34-year-old has gone 7-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 97 appearances since being acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh in 2010, one of general manager Brian Sabean's key additions during the Giants' improbable World Series championship run that season.

Lopez had a $2,375,000 base salary in 2011 and was two innings short of earning a $25,000 bonus for reaching 55 innings.

San Francisco must decide by the end of the day Monday whether to exercise the $5 million contract option on fellow lefty reliever Jeremy Affeldt, who has a $500,000 buyout. Sabean has indicated he expects Affeldt to return, even if it means declining the option and renegotiating his contract.

Affeldt, who is healing well from a season-ending hand injury sustained when he seriously cut himself trying to separate frozen hamburgers during an off day Sept. 8, went 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA and three saves in 67 outings this past season. He had given up only three earned runs over his last 22 1-3 innings before the injury that required surgery. His 1.21 ERA since the All-Star break was seventh-lowest among NL relievers with a minimum of 20 innings.

There isn't a rehab regimen for Affeldt's injury and he should be at full strength for the start of spring training in February. Getting the surgery done immediately was important.

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AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this story.

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