Sources: Giants, Vizquel close to deal

I was expecting him to play for $1.5M in 2008, not get a $1.5M raise.  

I would rather play Ivan Ochoa at SS and see how that goes instead of paying Vizquel that much.  If this is true, no wonder the Giants didn't want a second year of that...

Especially opposing ones.

The only thing this is blocking is the acquisition of A.Rod to play short or a crazy world where Durham still starts at 2B, with Frandsen at SS or Feliz ant SS and Frandsen at 3B.

I would have liked it to be for less or at what he was earning but again, who is this preventing the Giants from signing or playing from the minors?

Feliz is going to get 2/15.  I can feel it.  

Omar Vizquel - SS - Giants

The Giants and Omar Vizquel are close to a one-year deal worth a reported $5.5 million.

Incredible. He's coming off his worst year ever and he's going to get a raise. Vizquel hit a putrid .246/.305/.316 in 2007, and even the Gold Glove voters have noticed that he's slipping on defense. Vizquel made $4 million last season in the final year of his three-year, $12.25 million contract.  Nov. 6 - 6:58 p.m. ET

* hates

That said, what does it take nowadays for a major league player to NOT get a raise? (That's what she said!)

The Giants don't need Vizquel. They're not a contender desperate to sign a legitimate SS to avoid playing some organizational nobody. Vizquel represents a luxury, not a necessity. If he doesn't want to take a 3M, 1 year deal, let him see just how much another team is willing to pay for his 2007 performance.

I'm going to be sick!

On the plus side I am taking this as a sign that Sabean is looking to make some significant power upgrades at other locations. (A man can dream, can't he?)

Alas, Omar put up one of the worst offensive seasons of any player in the league and Brian Sabean seems likely to give him a raise.  I hate this.

Anyone know what Omar's agent was asking for money-wise when there was talk of a contract extension?

If Vizquel averaged $4.1m/per over the life of his contact, sure, for the sake of honor or whatever, re-up at $4.1m for one year, or even $4.2m. But the increase to $5.5m is perplexing... almost a "make good" for slightly underpaying the first two years of the contract. The only way this makes sense is if Vizquel has tacitly agreed to retire at the end of the season, join the Giants coaching staff, and eventually go into the baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Giants uniform. Those are some pretty strong intangibles.

From a performance perspective, having a .250 slap hitter bat 8th in your line-up is not the end of the world. As long as BOTCHEE anchors Omar in that 8th spot in the order- no more hitting 2nd! Defensively, Vizquel is still elite, top 2-3 in the league, if not the gme. Omar is the stabilizing defensive force of the Giants infield, and gives Giants pitchers confidence when he's playing in the field behind them. The dude is a vacuum cleaner at short stop- think Jose Uribe, but way, way better.

I don't know where these naysayers are coming from, in terms of Vizquel "slipping." Over the past 3 seasons, I've watched hundreds of games on TV. Vizquel has clearly been the best defensive short stop in San Francisco Giants history, and I welcome him back to the team! Sabean looks to overpay by $1m-$1.5m, but you could do a lot worse...

In fact, this might be a positive sign.  If Vizquel is getting a one year contract then it might show that Sabean is looking more towards 2009 than 2008.  That would be a good thing.  

It might be so that Vizquel takes away his two-year deal requirement, do ya think?

I'd rather pay a 50% premium on Vizquel this year than to put him under contract for two years.

And bottom line: This is the most harmless move the Giants could've made at shortstop.  Eckstein is not an upgrade, and would've required another few years on a deal to sign.  Ditto for non MLB shortstop like Tomohiro Nioka.  Royce Clayton?  Ramon Martinez?  Desi Relaford?  Neifi?  They may have done a one year deal, but they don't have the defense that would help now, and would probably hit as bad as Omar.

Minor League free agents are not the answer either.  Yea, it's a one year deal, but for the average fan (a.k.a. the 2,999,900 fans who aren't smarks on a message board like us), don't give anyone a reason to come to the game.  If nothing else, Omar is likable.  I can't say that about Tomas, Luis, Ivan or the other options.

And the $5M saved...that's not exactly going to make the difference on an A-Rod deal, and there's no one else that's a bank-breaker in this market where the Giants need to shave payroll to pay.

Signing Omar won't make the Giants a winner in 2008.  But there are no shortstops who will.  What Omar does do is not hurt the Giants in 2009...and he does it in a likeable way.  Are there any other options out there who can say that?

pour me another.

On the positive side, it's only a 1 year deal, there was nothing better available in the free agent market & we have no major league prospects at the position. Also, the raise is based on him only being on a 1 year deal & the fact that the market is different to 3 years ago. So we're not hurting ourselves by signing him.

On the negative side, it seems like going for your backup option first. I'd rather they have tried the trade route first (although it doesn't necessarily rule out a trade) before settling for the safe option. There would always have been other options if a trade couldn't be found & Vizquel signed elsewhere (such as Frandsen at SS, Figueroa, or what's left on the free-agent market)

• When I start to think that perhaps $5.5 mil is too much, I say to myself, "It's not Brian's money" and feel better.
  
• I'm also certain that Omar has assured Sabes that he'll hit better this year.
  
• Besides, with a one-year deal, this season will be a contract push, so we know he'll do better than last season because...wait a sec...last season was a contract push too?...never mind.

-All of our youngsters suck

Do I think that we have a Chone Figgins in our system?  Probably not.  But I wouldn't mind saving $5.5 (FIVE MILLION?!!?!?) AND finding out in the process.

-But the poor pitchers want good defense behind them!!111!!one!!

Folks, these pitchers are adults.  They understand the business and the game of baseball.  Put yourself in the position of Cain.  Fine, you lose a little defense behind you but hey your team has the potential to score a couple of runs for once.  This team can't score fucking runs.  For shit.  Let's sacrifice some defense and shoot for a decent bat.  Again, you're saving money in the process and at least it shows you're trying.  If nothing sticks, fine, lets try again next year.  But Vizquel is not the answer.

So many "meh" responses from this board...I'm truly, truly shocked.

It's like a period. Or "Serenity now!!!". Or both.

Example.

Today I walked down to the supermarket and bought milk FIRE SABEAN

Or I live in London, which means I thank God every day that I haven't suffered through the Niners season FIRE SABEAN

It's great for my chi FIRE SABEAN

Next season will be Vizquel's 20th in the majors and fourth as a Giant. The deal also includes a vesting option of 140 games in 2009 at $5.2 million. Vizuel has played in at least 136 games in 12 of his last 13 seasons.

Vizquel, who made $5.1 million last season, hit .246 last season, his lowest average since 2003.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3099365

The White Sox were apparently ready to pounce on Omar once he hit free agency...i.e., the option would NOT have been there in February (or January, or December), as some have insinuated.

Don't think it's coincidence that the news about the ChiSox re-upping Uribe came less than 48 hours of this report coming out.

Obviously, Omar was the first choice for at least one team, so waiting would not have been an option.