The San Francisco Giants made the first big move at this year's MLB Winter Meetings just outside Washington, DC, and shored up a major problem area in doing so.
Mark Melancon, the longtime Pittsburgh Pirates reliever who was traded to the Washington Nationals last season, has signed a four-year, $62 million contract to close games out for the Giants. That breaks a record, as Jonathan Papelbon's $50 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2011 season was the previous high.
The 31-year-old right-hander went 2-2 with a 1.