Slop Hackers R Us

Jon Heyman reports that the Giants have have inked infielder Juan Uribe to a minor league deal.

I honestly could not envision a player that would shorten Brian Sabean's trouser legs more than Uribe. He's versatile, having played extensively at short, third and second, and has a career .295 OBP. And, boy, does he like striking out.

Truth be told, it's hard to work up too much frustration over a low-impact signing that essentially serves as insurance at any of the infield spots, all of which remain in flux, with the exception of shortstop. Also bear in mind that it appears Sabes has learned from his laughably tragic mistake of not addressing the backup shortstop position that led to Brian Bocock, 2008 San Francisco Giants Opening Day starter.

Note that the San Francisco 49ers franchise is an entirely different matter: I haven't been this worked up since Scott Spezio. But that's neither here nor there.

Random Rumor-Mongering

With the CC Sabathia non-sweepstakes behind us (leaving Brian Sabean more petulent and whiny than usual), the Giants offseason seems to have taken a turn for the boring.

Sabean has reaffirmed that the Giants will not go after Mark Teixeira, inferring he's not a player worthy of the franchise money he will assuredly get, though you could have fooled me. And Bruce Bochy has gone so far as to pencil in his 2009 lineup publicly, which ELM broke down nicely (pun intended).

Realizing the possibility of management returning to the mean (read: ineptitude) and not addressing the notion of Bengie Molina hitting cleanup, or that Rich Aurilia inexplicably remains on the radar, there absolutely has to be a third way. There are no less than four different ways to address the power vacuum where the team can stay competitive in the short-term while not hurting the long-term at all.

Dollars aside, Edgar Renteria's short-term deal is a good model: there isn't likely to be anyone ready at short for at least two years, and even though Renteria's defense is in decline, he's light years above anyone else the Giants trotted out there last year.

Sign Pat Burrell to a two-year deal that includes a first baseman's glove
Burrell is among the plethora of middle-tier free agents feeling the economic crunch. A Bellarmine product, there's been much talk he'd love to play for his de facto hometown team. Judging by his career stats at Pac Bell, I could see why.

He's a butcher at first? Maybe. He played first in the Phillies' farm system after playing third in the collegiate ranks only to shift to left to accommodate the indomitable Rico Brogna. He really hasn't played much at first since as the Phils have trotted out Travis Lee, Jim Thome and Ryan Howard for stretches during Burrell's tenure.

For two years, I'd give him a shot to be coached up by J.T. Snow. He's only 31, so the guy isn't on the downslope just yet.

And for those of you that think that he'd be "blocking" Travis Ishikawa or John Bowker, I commend your post-J.R. Philips/Desi Wilson/Damon Minor/Lance Niekro/Dan Ortmeier belief that a marginal Giants first base prospect could actually, you know, work out...

Sign or trade a bucket of baseballs for Ty Wigginton
Wigginton is arbitration-eligible and has been mentioned as a candidate to non-tendered ahead of tomorrow's deadline. The Astros simply can't afford him given their current financial situation, and should they even tender him, it shouldn't take much to get him as long as the Giants pay his salary.

Wigginton is a rich man's Rich Aurilia. He can play three infield positions and plays an adequate third. He hits for power. And the only reason his team doesn't want him is financial. Once again, he blocks no one and gives you insurance in a very fluid infield. Wigginton also allows you the ability to trade Molina if the right offer comes along and have Pablo Sandoval slide behind the dish.

Beyond the Boxscore even had Wigginton as one of the top ten third basemen of 2008. I like...

Offer Henry Sosa or Kevin Pucetas for Adrian Beltre
Beltre is good. He plays a good third. He hits well. He hits like .440 well at Pac Bell.

And given yesterday's trade, I'm not convinced that the new guy in Seattle's at all an improvement over the old guy. He certainly, at the very least, isn't interested in winning in the next two years.

As for the fact that Beltre's in a contract year? You retain roster flexibility and cost certainty. If the guy goes off, maybe he's apt to re-sign. He's certainly shown an affinity for the West Coast. You only got him for one of your mid-level prospects at a position where you're stacked...

Offer Pucetas AND Sosa for Dan Uggla
Not Jorge Cantu. Not Jeremy Hermida. Don't trade Sanchez. But this is an attractive package of decent pitching talent to a team with it's own cost certainty woes. You don't give up your top level prospects, and you bring in a proven power guy at a position of need. And you control him for a few years yet...

There are some moves that I wouldn't advocate, particularly signing Adam Dunn, who has hit hideously at Pac Bell and has a way that seems to sour teams and fans on him alike.

There's a legitimate case to be made for doing nothing, although I certainly won't. But you, my friends, can. Isn't the Internet terrific?

Comment! What you got, Armchair GM?

Renteria Signs

The Giants have inked Edgar Renteria to a two-year, $18.5 million deal with a $10.5 million club option for 2010.

If the strategy is that he's a placeholder until the Noonans, Frannys, Poseys, and Mannys develop, then so be it.  Let's just cross our fingers that he isn't keeping SS warm for Sabean's inevitable scramble to sign a 36 year old Derek Jeter to a five-year deal  in 2010.

Having already signed two free agents, Old Sabes was at the height of his myopic rhetoric during the announcement:

"He is a complete player on both sides of the ball, a clutch performer and a winner," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said in a statement Thursday announcing the deal. "He has the hardware to show it with the awards he has garnered and a World Series ring. We look forward to seeing him in a Giants uniform." 

It's a bit of a stretch to call him a complete player at this stage in his career, but here's to hoping that he can benefit both from a return to the National League and from leaving a team with as toxic a mentality as the 2008 Tigers.

Rent-A-Shortstop (UPDATED)

(UPDATE #2 (5:10PM): Per Baggs, the report is "premature, or just plain wrong," which makes sense given the upcoming arbitration deadline. If the deal has been reached in principle, Baggarly opines the leak severely undermines the Giants' position to retain their pick as the Tigers can now offer Renteria arbitration and be assured of getting a pick. Very reminiscent of the Yankees situation with Gary Sheffield a few years back.)

(UPDATE (3:18PM): Jerry Crasnick tells MLB Trade Rumors that the report is false, according to Renteria's agent. Meanwhile, Schulman says that the Giants and Rafael Furcal remain in contact. Ordinarily, reports of a deal are summarily denied by player and team until the contract is finalized, but there seems to be some serious questions as to the validity of WFAN's original report. The Giants nation turns it lonely eyes to you, Andy.)

Judging by the free agent posturing, it had become clear that Brian Sabean was intent on cobbling together a team that could contend in the porous NL West. And, today, Sabes made his second strike in free agency, signing shortstop Edgar Renteria, according to WFAN in New York. Unconfirmed details of the agreement: 2 years at $18 million.

Off the top of my head, a quick Point Counter Point -

Point: There's little in the way of organizational depth at shortstop position in the system, so it makes some sense to supplement the team there through free agency.

Counterpoint: Manny Burriss presumably shifts to second base, diminishing his value.

Point: Two year deal.

Counterpoint: $9 million a year to a 33 year old coming off a season in which he accumulated a Neifi-esque .699 OPS. Oh, and the Giants also forfeit their second-rounder.

Point: Renteria has been historically terrible in the AL and and a solid hitter in the NL. He's a year removed from an .860 OPS with Atlanta.

Counterpoint: That doesn't explain his decline defensively last season, when he posted the fourth lowest Zone Rating in the majors.

Point: The entire Tigers team was caught up in a highly contagious malaise that affected team morale.

Counterpoint: Expecting players in their mid-30s to experience a major revival is the height Sabeanmetric cognitive dissonance.

I could go on (Renteria's second half turnaround or the fact that the cold hard statistics belie the common belief that he's a clutch hitter) but I'll leave it to you to for further consternation.

My favorite part of this deal is the deal the Giants didn't make: by not giving a long-term deal to Rafael Furcal, the team avoids committing a long term monies to a guy who could go all Edgardo Alfonzo on us on a dime. Furcal's coming off a 36 game season, and backs are the trickiest of body parts to project. Even Alfonzo was healthy the year before Sabean signed him.

Comment! Open Renteria consternation thread.