LAS VEGAS -- Jack Taschner will begin his 11th professional season with the only baseball employer he has known as the Giants announced Thursday that they will tender him a 2009 contract.

Taschner, 30, was eligible for salary arbitration, but the Giants could have cast him into free agency had they declined to tender him a contract by Friday's 9 p.m. PT deadline.

Taschner owns a 5.01 ERA in 178 career relief appearances, including 5.68 in the last three seasons. But the left-hander also has demonstrated his potential for effectiveness by striking out 90 batters in 98 innings spanning the previous two seasons. Last season, Taschner was 3-2 with a 4.88 ERA and appeared in a career-high 67 games, despite left-hander Alex Hinshaw's second-half emergence.

The arrival of left-hander Jeremy Affeldt through free agency indicates that Taschner will receive fewer late-inning opportunities, at least initially. But general manager Brian Sabean recognized Taschner's value.

"He just needs to pitch in a spot in the pecking order where he can relax and have some success," Sabean said. "He's been overexposed a little bit. And to have three lefties, including him, really helps. Not many teams can do that."