Unless it is for the aforementioned super-sub role. But at $3M-$4M per year? For s sub? Wouldn't you rather have Kline or another solid bullpen arm for a year? And even if he's a sub, Feliz will still get his 400 AB's (hacks).

So please, don't vote for Pedro.

Hopefully it would be as a super-sub, but with so many holes, he's probably going to end up starting somewhere...at least for a season.

Getting Younger Faster Stronger Healthier and more competitive?

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

And if it's true that they are talking before the deadline - there is no earthly way he's not coming back, and no earthly way he's not the starter.  And he's not going to play SS either.

If they were going to try to get him cheap, they would play hardball, no?  Stonewall him, talk about arbitratrion... court the 3B equivalent of Luis Gonzales (who's that... Vinnie Castilla?)

I am beginning to think we should pray for 105 losses as the only way to get Sabean FIRED.

1. The pull every pitch, swing at anything "can't walk off the island" Caribbean hackster
2. The wait for my pitch, drive it the other way RBI machine

Agents speak another language when they publicly speak.   You need to read between the lines to understand what they are actually saying and thinking, because there's a motivation behind everything they say (assuming he is a good agent), it is all part of the negotiation game.  Here's how I dissect the agent-speak.

"My hope is we can close the gap in the next couple of weeks." - the good news here is that there is an actual GAP.  Not "we have a few minor details to hammer out" or "we are close enough that I'm staying here in SF to get it done," but "hope we can close the gap".  Any negotiation where the player wants to stay, you always have to give that hope publicly.

"I'm an eternal optimist, but this game is driven by economics and statistics, and it's not something one side controls." - Well, I disagree, one side does have some control, the hitter holding the bat and swinging and compiling good stats to get a good contract.  As everyone noted, Feliz did not do so good with the stats, and contrary to sentiment here, Sabean is no idiot, he knows how badly Feliz has done.

The good news here is that he's "an eternal optimist."  That means that the two sides are far apart, no matter how badly Feliz wants to stay here.  You don't say you are an eternal optimist if the two sides are very close, you only do that when the two sides are far apart even though his side wants it done.  What need is there to be an optimist about, and particularly an eternal one, if things are close.  This is great news that they are far apart.

I like the "this game is driven by economics and statistics."  No, the game's economics is driven by the players thinking that if they made $X million last year, they deserve $X million + 10%, 20%, 30% the next year, just because.  I see Feliz's agent touting his 98 RBI's ("almost 100!") and his great defense and his 3 consecutive seasons of 20 HRs, when I see him talking about economics and statistics, and that means he has an inflated sense of economic worth.

My 80% likely scenario is that the agent feels the Giants are low-balling his client - hence the crack about economics and statistics - when he has nice stats like the 20+ HRs and 98 RBI, so he puts on the happy face for the public while noting that things are not a slam dunk at the moment.  The disconnect there is that he thinks the Giants fans WANT Feliz back at any price.  

The way I see it, the Giants want a cheaper solution for the 1B/3B conundrum, they want to have some starting positions settled before earnestly pursuing free agents.  Hillenbrand is the better hitter and thus expects more money, so they are trying to work out a cheaper deal with Feliz first.  From the sound of the agent, the two sides are apart at the moment and not close enough to assuredly say that a signing should happen before the free agency date.

My 20% fear scenario is that the Giants already made an offer that Feliz is happy with but his agent is doing this to try to get more out of the Giants in negotiations.  

But unless the agent's an idiot - which you never know - to intimate publicly that the two sides are far apart, that there is still a gap, when the Giants might have made a fair offer, would be to publicly insult Sabean and most people who do that to Sabean tend to end up outside his Circle of Giants:  Beck, Baker, Aurilia.

I take this news as good news that Feliz (or rather his agent) has probably priced himself out of the Giants immediate plans and that Sabean will move on after his due diligence in trying to get a deal done with Feliz.  

Also, interesting implication from the lack of news of Giants negotiating with their free agents during this exclusive period of negotiations is that the Giants appear ready to go with other options other than their free agents for 2007 and beyond.   Durham's agent and Hillenbrand's agent have noted that they had at most, an initial discussion, but it appears that the Giants are prepared to let the market decide how high the salaries will go with the players, and then go from there.

I think part of that was due to wanting to wait for the Giants to pick their new manager - so that he can make suggestions/recommendations into who to retain - but it has been 4 days since Bochy was named manager, so the lack of news about contact on Monday (these articles published on Tuesday, today) could mean that Bochy has given his input and the Giants will let the free agent market determine each players' salary and at that point, the Giants will decide whether to fish or cut bait, or even possibly the Giants won't even pursue the player.

Since this will never happen, and each were amongst the worst in MLB at their respective positions, I say cut ties completely.

Trade Benitez & Morris for Burrell.

Sign A. Ramirez.

Sign a catcher: Zaun or B. Molina.

Sign Lilly.

Sign Kline and/or Stanton to one year deals.

Re-sign Bonds, Durham.

If any money left over, sign Schmidt or take a gamble on one of the Japanese imports.

That would be a heck of an off-season, and fit in the Giants pay-roll.

Inseatd, we are talking about Feliz & Hillendbrand, who were a big part of the problem last year. Certainly not part of any solution. Unless they are bench players.

Molina is certainly no gold glove candidate, but is a step up defensively from Alphonszo. And a .284 .319 .467 line last year with 19 homers to boot would look pretty good out of the 7 or 8 hole in the line up. All for around $4.5M. I should also note the hitting averages are below career levels.

Morris & Benitez for Burrell might sound crazy, but its approx. $15M in salary for $15M in salary, Burrell is on the block, and the Phillies are desperate for pitcing... (who isn't)