49ers’ Kyle Shanahan meets with George Kittle, hoping for deal soon
George Kittle’s well-earned raise is coming, the 49ers’ brass asserted Monday.
Exactly when will the All-pro tight end strike a contract extension? It did not happened before Monday’s first team meeting of training camp, but Kittle did meet with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
“I feel really good about this going forward. I feel very optimistic about it,” Shanahan said on a video conference with reporters. “Hopefully something will happen sooner than later. Not too concerned about it, though.”
The 49ers did lock up a potential blockbuster, tag-team partner for Kittle, agreeing to a one-year contract with former Washington tight end Jordan Reed, his agent confirmed.
Reed missed last season after sustaining his seventh concussion. If healthy, he and Kittle would make a formidable duo in an offense that often deploys two tight ends, especially if the 49ers start the season without wide receiver Deebo Samuel because of a foot injury.
Kittle is entering the final year of his rookie contract, at a $2.15 million salary, which is about $13 million less than the potential annual average of a new deal.
“We don’t have to say how important George is to us, not only as the best tight end in the league but also the type of person he is,” Shanahan said. “We’re doing everything we can to get that done. I do feel good about it. It was great to see George for the first time (of camp).”
Monday marked the 49ers’ first, in-person reunion since heading into the offseason after their Super Bowl defeat, and Shanahan said his team meeting was devoted to discussing COVID-19 safety protocols, adding: “Football doesn’t matter if you don’t handle COVID right.”
How the 49ers handle Kittle’s extension is paramount to their salary cap concerns and teamwide perception for rewarding homegrown stars. Lynch did not provide any timeline on a deal’s potential deadline.
“There’s a great understanding we’re in
– Pitcher Richard Bleier:
The Marlins acquired Bleier, a South Florida native and South Plantation alumnus, in a trade with the Orioles on Saturday. He has a career 2.99 ERA and has given up just one hit while striking out four in three innings this season.
– Outfielder Lewis Brinson: Brinson’s pivotal third season with the Marlins will now get underway after an unanticipated delay. He missed the first week of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and has been working in Jupiter since. Brinson, who had a combined .189 batting average over the past two seasons with more strikeouts (194) than hits (115), needs to show the Marlins quickly that he can be of value to the club or else he’ll likely be passed over by the wave of upand-coming outfielders in the
team’s minor-league system.
– Infielder Logan Forsythe: The 33-year-old Forsythe is a career .246 hitter with 70 home runs, 305 RBI and 387 runs scored. Defensively, he has primarily played second and third base over 958 career games but also has experience at first base and shortstop as well as 11 starts in the outfield.
– Pitcher Jorge Guzman: Guzman, obtained as part of the Giancarlo Stanton trade, is the Marlins’ No. 19 overall prospect and hasn’t pitched above Double A. His fastball hovers around 95-98 mph and can hit triple digits. He still has to improve his command.
– Outfielder Monte Harrison: Harrison, the Marlins’ ninthranked prospect, was one of the final roster cuts heading into Opening Day. He can hit for average and power, and the Marlins believe he’ll be one of
their top defenders in the outfield.
– Pitcher James Hoyt: Acquired for cash considerations from the Cleveland Indians, Hoyt has made 74 career relief appearances, going 2-1 with 4.16 ERA and 104 strikeouts against 26 walks.
– Outfielder Matt Joyce:
The Marlins signed Joyce this offseason and anticipated him being a platoon starter in right field, but he started the season on the IL and wasn’t active during summer camp leading up to the season.
– Catcher Ryan Lavarnway: The 32-year-old and former sixthround pick by the Boston Red
Sox has played in 151 career MLB games. He is a career .211 hitter with nine home runs and 50 RBI. He is a five-time minor-league All-star and has hit .275 with 121 homers and 525 RBI over 885 minor-league games.
– Pitcher Brian Moran: Moran,
a 31-year-old lefty, made his
MLB debut with the Marlins last September and posted a 4.26 ERA in 10 games out of the bullpen.
– Pitcher Mike Morin: The 29-year-old has appeared in 238 career games across six MLB seasons. He has a 4.65 ERA and has struck out 192 batters while walking 59 in 224 2/3 innings.
– Pitcher Justin Shafer: An eighth-round pick by the Blue
Jays in 2014, Shafer has appeared in 40 games out of the bullpen over the past two years. He has a career 3.45 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 48 innings. Opponents have hit .253 against him.
– Pitcher Josh A. Smith: The 32-year-old righty and Margate native has been with the club since spring training. He has appeared in 85 career games over four seasons, most recently with the Red Sox last year.
– Pitcher Josh D. Smith: The
Marlins’ second Josh Smith, a 30-year-old lefty, finished last season with Miami after making his MLB debut with the Cleveland Indians earlier in the year. He played in 14 games total, giving up nine earned runs in 12 1/3 innings (6.39 ERA).
– Pitcher Nick Vincent: The Marlins signed Vincent to a minor-league deal shortly before summer camp started. The 34-year-old has played in 384 career games over eight bigleague seasons, compiling a 3.32 ERA.
– Pitcher Jordan Yamamoto: Yamamoto started 15 games as a rookie for the Marlins last year, going 4-5 with a 4.46 ERA in 78 2/3 innings. He was optioned to the team’s alternate training site in Jupiter shortly before the season started after Elieser Hernandez won the final spot in the Marlins’ starting pitching rotation.