FanPost

Signing with a "contender"

I always cringe when I see on this board some comment that says, "Player A won't sign with us because he wants to sign with a contender."  To me, that is the biggest crock of crap in the world. I'll bet there's not a dozen players in all of baseball who would actually make this an important criteria when they sign a contract. They say it's important, but it isn't. If all things are equal it may be a factor, but almost all players are going to where the most money is, or to a city that they feel comfortable in, like a hometown or a place they have played before. When CC and AJ hold their press conferences in NY, they're going to say they signed with the Yankees because they're always a contender, but every fan knows that they signed with the Yankees because they offered them the most money, and most fans know that if the dollars were even close, CC would have spurned those NY contenders for those SF losers just to be near his home.

That brings us to the Giants. No free agent is going to spurn the Giants because they're not a "contender." Beautiful city, beautiful ballpark, owners that are willing to spend money, and now a top tier farm system. They know that even if the team is not that good, that's just going to be a temporary situation. Randy Johnson's agent referred to the Giants as a contender, even though they're not one, because he know they could be one, and he wants their money, and this is true of all free agents.

This post was really put in my mind when i read the Ty Wigginton fanshot where people said he would prefer the Twins over the Giants because they're a contender. Are you kidding?? Minnesota?? Yeah, they may be a better team next year than the Giants, but that climate, that cheapskate owner, that dreary stadium with the hefty bags on the outfield wall, and that unenthusiastic fanbase?? What player wants to play there because they're a contender?? Yeah, they're a contender until Mauer and Morneau reach their FA years and run the hell out of there. Where are they going?? To whoever offers them the most money.

In short, the Giants will NEVER lose out on a player because they're not a contender. FA's are always going to mark it down as a preferred destination, just short of NY and LA.

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