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.

Cyber Monday Deal on Edgar Renteria!

The Tigers decline to offer arbitration to Edgar Renteria, paving the way for Edgar to join the Giants without losing a second-rounder.

As long as it's a two year deal, and upon further reflection, I'm perfectly fine with the move. Although many fans are clamoring to see a youth movement, there is little else in the middle infield cupboard besides Manny Burriss, who, in spite of a nice rookie campaign, has a long ways to go as a major league hitter. Kevin Frandsen is coming off a big injury and isn't necessarily a guy you hand a starting position to, and Eugenio Velez is best-suited in a utility role, preferably one that doesn't require him to play defense.

And, even with Renteria on board, one will have to play second.

Two years of Renteria provides a bridge to the Nick Noonans and Charlie Culbersons of the world. Or perhaps even Buster Posey the shortstop, though I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

And, even if Renteria succumbs to old age or a catastrophic injury, the length of the deal won't cripple the organization by any means. (Unlike some people.)

Washed Up Major Leaguers Seek Brains

A hopeful start by the youth-infused lineup is once again obliterated by a haggard bullpen.

But I'm sure you all are more ticked at something else:

LaTroy Freaking Hawkins.

I can't even believe he has a job. But, of course, he picks up the W, joining the likes of Chan Ho Park, Jason Johnson and Mike Hampton as baseball zombies who have feasted on the collective ineptitude of this meek, meek franchise.

And now, without further ado, your midday roundup.

Snark Alert: I really debated kicking this guy while he's down. But, ultimately, I decided to be the smaller, more petty person.

Jose Castillo (remember him?) had a bit of a reputation as a malcontent on his previous stops on his DFA Tour of the NL. So while John Bowker was nothing but classy in accepting his assignment to Fresno, what did Castillo have to say?

"I'm not happy," he said. "I'm surprised. I think I played good for this team. It was the first year I played third base."

Well, in addition to the fact that Shrekstillo made more than a few of his appearances at third with the Pirates last year, I'd like to pose this question to Jose: what, exactly, is your definition of "good"? Does it include an assessment of a .191 average post-All Star Break?

Add "delusional" to the list of colorful adjectives you may already ascribe to Jose.

Cold-Blooded: The Giants cost Geno Espineli his Olympic dreams by calling him up just ahead of the games in Beijing.

So it makes perfect sense that they would send him down just as Olympic baseball heats up. Matt Palmer is the beneficiary of Sabean's ice cold trigger finger, in a move that presumably covers the Giants if they need long-relief or spot start in the dog days.

Prospect Bonanza Continued: Baggarly (who's on a roll, I must say) reports that the Giants inked intriguing 13th-rounder Juan Carlos Perez. The D2 outfielder slipped because of visa issues, but you can't argue with the numbers. This is what Baseball America had to say:

Perez put up the craziest statistics in the state. Playing at hitter-friendly Western Oklahoma JC, he set Division II junior college records with 37 homers (one short of the overall juco mark) and 102 RBIs while batting .465 with a 1.102 slugging percentage. While his stats might be inflated, the 6-foot, 185-pounder has legitimate tools. He has a sound swing with bat speed and easy power, average speed and arm strength, and a chance to play center field. The bigger issues with Perez are his age (he'll be 22 in November) and his immigration status. A Dominican, he stayed in the United States after his original tourist visa expired, which could prevent him from gaining a work visa to play pro ball. If he gets his paperwork, he could go in the first 10 rounds.

Baggs, meanwhile, makes a comparison with this guy.

From your mouth to God's ears, Andy.

Contract Talk: A quick primer for those of you who are wondering what the difference between a major league contract (which Buster Posey signed) and a minor league contract, the more traditional contract for draftees.

Essentially, a major league contract is guaranteed, and the signee is eligible for the minimum required salary of a major leaguer, which is set at $390K this year.

Perez, for example, will get his bonus money, but will be salaried at a minor league level, which is generally peanuts at the lower levels, and, um, cashews once you work your way up.

Look Out, Earthquakes: James at A Giants Minor League Blog (a nice recent complement to the already excellent Giants blogosphere) proposes a very interesting, and likely, scenario for the Single-A Giants next spring:

Various baseball people have been musing about whether or not Conor Gillaspie should be moved to second. Here’s one reason why it might not happen. It is likely that he will begin next year on the San Jose roster with Nick Noonan who is limited to only second base. There has been some talk that Noonan might be promoted straight to Connecticut but that’s absolutely crazy. Unless Noonan makes huge strides in plate discipline this offseason, sending him to Connecticut is just setting him up to fail. So, it is likely that the San Jose roster next year will consist of Angel Villalona at 1B, Nick Noonan at 2B, Conor Gillaspie at 3B, and Buster Posey at C. That’s a hell of an infield. Madison Bumgarner will also be on that team.

So, come '09, there could very well be a dominant Giants ballclub - you'll just have to head further down 280 to find it.

Comment! Freak excluded, who is your favorite current Giant? Tough, isn't it?

Backe to the Minors

Despite the Giants best efforts to win all of their games on infield singles collected in the ninth inning, they managed to make Brandon Backe look like Cy Young as they fell to the Disastros Monday.

Squeaking out only four hits against Backe (he of eleven earned over 3.1 innings in his last outing), the Giants' offense turned the suck knob to overdrive and left their bats on the team's charter flight.

The Giants did show early life when Ivan Ochoa's third inning double set him up to score on a Fred Lewis single. Grandpa Richie Aurilia, who ended the game 2 for 3 with two doubles, added a liner in the fifth for the only subsequent Giants hit of the night.

Although Jonathan Sanchez got through five innings of hitless ball, former hippopotamus Humberto Quintero knocked a broken-bat blooper over Ochoa's outstretched glove in short left-center to lead off the sixth inning, effectively ending the young lefty's shot at Nolandom. He would score with Backe trailing close behind him on a Ty Wigginton single to give the 'Stros the only two runs they would need to seal the Giants' fate.

Not all is lost, however. We still have guys that are hitting less-than-ready pitching and dominating teeball hitters in the minors. So there's that. On Extra Baggs today, Baggarly sits down with Dick Tidrow and Bobby Evans to discuss some of the more interesting young 'uns who could potentially make a big-league an impact sometime in the next five years.Particularly encouraging is this bit on catching and first-base prospect Pablo Sandoval:

He’s ready for the big leagues now. Crushing balls from both sides of the plate, though he’s obviously getting more at-bats from the left side. Energizing that whole Double-A club since his midseason promotion from San Jose. No longer taking ground balls at third base; that experiment is over. Very competent at first base, though, and has some skills behind the plate. A very strong arm, too. (There’s an anecdote about his ambidextrous throwing ability that you’ll see in tomorrow’s Giants notebook.)

A guy who can throw with both hands? Awesome! Once they start letting the Giants throw the ball from home plate in place of their ABs, this guy can be daunting to pitchers of either handedness.

Buster Posey, watch out, 'cause Pablo "Escobar" Sandoval will stomp you faster than a pit full of gasoline and coca leaves. Also mentioned in that piece are the likes of Timmy 2.0 Alderson, Madison Bumgardner, and even Travis "I didn't know I was still playing baseball either" Ishikawa. Nick Noonan is also getting some praise and could skip high-A ball next year.

To me, it sounds like there's a whole load of pitching prospects that Sabean will likely dangle in trade talks in the offseason in the hopes of bringing back anything relevant in terms of hitting.

If we keep getting killed by the likes of Brandon Backe, I can't say that I blame him.