this is like an unhealthy relationship, like when a woman stays with a man who beats her once a week.  Sure he provides some security, cause his job at the plant pays well, and sometimes he's even nice and brings her flowers, or offers to pick up KFC on the way home from work, but then some nights he drinks too much and if the kitchen isn't clean enough he gets really mad and, well, he needs something to take out his anger on, and so...

ok the point is, maybe Armando could still be good, but it will never work with the Giants.  This relationship is broken beyond repair.  Cite irreconcialable differences and cut the tie.  Eat the money, whatever.  Even if he finds success elsewhere, it's ok, because he's spoiling the whole thing.  I truly think that the whole team is suffering - it's a mental game and nobody can think healthy thoughts when he's on the mound.

Tonight he came in with a 4 run lead and my mom left the room because she couldn't stand to watch him pitch.  This is coming from a woman who would routinely bring a book when the family would go to games when we were kids.  If that doesn't show that he's causing problems, I don't know what will.

Sadly, I can't reasonably imagine a situation where the Giants would be able to trade him for anything remotely worthwhile

Financially, the team has to think about keeping him next year or finding a team desperate/dumb/both enough to cut a trade for at least an undisclosed draft pick dependent on performance, while we still have to eat probably half or half+ of the contract.

Ideally, I suppose, that trade would happen. But I have the most assured feeling (as in intuition, not reason) that it won't, in which case the best thing for the team - cap finances aside - would be to dump him outright and eat what we must.

I just hope Mando has finally lost his closer status. Having it happen (if it does) in a game we actually won is just icing on the cake.

I was awake for almost all of the game last night, but during the commercial break between the 8th and 9th I fell into a slumber. It must not have been that deep since I dreamed Mando lost the game by throwing a grounder into right field.

When I woke up a few minutes after the game ended the only clue it was a dream was that the D-backs won the game in walk-off fashion.

While we certainly won't be able to get a top-prospect, we could probably get a good 4th outfielder or utilityman. Teams will always be willing to trade for "proven" closers in January.

To continue the abused wife metaphor: The same woman will pick up a different guy with a similar history because she thinks she can fix him.

Maybe Cleveland or Cincy will think that Mando's problem can be cured by the Ohio air.

Remember when you were a kid, and you've have the occasional nightmare that you would be out at a friend's house, and when you got back you found out that your parents up and moved away, but didn't tell you or leave you a note or even remember you, so you were at your house, only it wasn't your house anymore and you didn't know where to go or what to do?

The Giants should make that happen, with them as the parents and Mando as the kid.  That's right.  If it takes moving the franchise back to Candlestick for a year to get rid of the guy, DO IT.

I think the only trade that might be out there where we don't eat the majority of the contract would be one where to take on some other team's unwanted contract.  

I'm trying to think of someone out there as unwanted as Benetiez is here.  Perhaps Shawn Green after this season, when Lastings Milledge is ready to start in RF...think the Mets might want Mando back?  (ha ha)

I took this on my trip to the Hall of Fame because it made me both laugh and cry...never a better time to show it:

[IMG]http://i8.tinypic.com/25f6ayt.jpg[/IMG]

it doesn't help that benitez has to be such a dick about things

Right now, I really wish Isiah Thomas was the GM for a high-revenue baseball team.  Sigh.

My hopes for getting rid of The Fat One are:

1.  We swap one unwanted contract for another (e.g., Alfonzo for Finley -- still can't believe ANYONE wanted Alfonzo)
2.  Benitez has a hot streak early next year.  Some poor GM thinks "maybe he's turned the corner" (and that GM is not named Brian Sabean).  Giants unload.  In future visits to AT&T Park, Benitez is treated like the red-headed stepchild of the Kent family.

At this point, the Giants' best option would be to trade Benitez to a small-market AL team where the pressure to perform is slim or nil, pay most if not all of his remaining contract, and ask the AL team in question for a couple prospects in return. I'm thinking Texas, Tampa Bay or Kansas City. Too bad Allan Baird isn't still around.

Benitez has had a decent career as a closer.  Sometimes I can live with his blown saves (except against Dodgers - those are too hard to cope with) however his attitude is what is so hard to accept.

"I did my job", says Armando, well the team lost and it is not always because someone kicked a ground ball.  The incessant 3 ball counts, gopher balls and disdain for just being a teammate are not acceptable.  

Do NOT DFA him, we cant afford to eat the remainder of his contract.  While I still think he is a usable part of the bullpen Felipe should pick and choose his use.  This winter they could move him on the cheap (bet we will eat some salary) but at least we will not have to hear "I did my job" any more.

then it makes no sense to DFA Blownitez right now. We have to pay his fat salary anyway, and if we DFA him then his potential trade-in value (I'd say 'redemption value' like cans or bottles, but there ain't no redeeming that sack of crap) goes to zero.  I would totally support any kind of trade in which we get any kind of prospects -- and with a little luck, we can get someone more than a prospective balldude or peanut vendor in return if we do it in the next 11 days or the start of next April.

We do have a proven closer, making too much money, but a closer nonetheless. In the off-season career numbers still play a factor, so I don't think Armando is completely without value. I agree that the best scenerio is a salary swap a la alfonso-finley, so I've looked up some bloated contracts and if they make sense in a trade. (remember all trades hopefully take Armando's $7.6M next year off our books).

Tim Hudson: It was inconceivable that Atlanta would think about trading him a year ago, but seriously he hasn't done the job for them this year and I'm thinking they are going to need to free up some money to make a run at resigning Andruw Jones.

Scheduled to make at least $33M over the next three years (07:$6M, 08:13M, 09:13M, 10:1M buyout or $12M)he is currently 10-10 with a 4.77 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

If the Braves are players in the free agent market or develop their youngsters, they could decide to not resign Wickman (he'll be 38 next year, currently making $5M), clear some space with Hudson off the books and get a stop-gap closer until their youngsters are ready.

We would be getting a reliable ace to replace Schmidt, getting Alfonso off our hands, and even though I assume we'd throw in a few prospects Having a Hudson/Cain/Lowry top three would look pretty good.

Adrian Beltre: Overpaid third baseman who looks lost in Seattle, but still only 27 years old who had a monster year 2 seasons ago.

Scheduled to make $35.5M over next three seasons (07:$11.5M, 08:12M, 09:12M) he is currently hitting .267, .331OBP, 15 home runs.

The Mariners don't seem to happy with their big investment, and they could free up some cash to make a run at Schmidt. If we are hoping to resign Feliz, we are looking at a good chunk of change anyway for a guy a few years older with much less potential.

Pat Burrell: We know the Phillies will be shopping him, and Flash Gordon will be 39 next season so they might be looking for a "just-in-case" closer.

Scheduled to make $27M over next two seasons (07:$13M, 08:14M) he is currently hitting .260, .378OBP, 23 home runs.

Only 29, Burrell has fallen out of the Phillies plans. We will need to replace our outfield next year, and Burrell offers a marquee name who can hit in the middle of our line-up.

Geoff Jenkins: He is a living, breathing human being not named Armando Benitez. We have no need for this kind of player, but his salary ($7, .5M buyout for 08) matches up perfect with Armando, and once again he is not, NOT Armando Benitez.

I don't believe it's a myth, but the one thing you always hear about closers is their mental toughness required to be in that situation. The good closers have no memory. They have to be able to forget the last game, the last batter, the last pitch, whether it was a 1-2-3 inning or a blown save. The really good closers can do that.

Look what happened to Lidge in Houston. He was one of the best and he allowed a big bomb to Poo-Holes in the LCS last year and all of a sudden the guy went into the tank in WS and then this season he finally got demoted in favor of a committee. He clearly lost his mental edge.

Mando is so  emotional that there is no way he is the type of guy who could forget the past. He dwells on it.

Worst of all, he seems like a bully. No doubt that is why Flippy keeps using him in that role. That and he is Latin. Flippy has tried to demote the guy a couple of times, but not permanently, so what was the point of that? Sometimes the demotation didn't even last until the next game. That's bad managing by Flippy, but it can't be good for the rest of the team either to know that when Mando comes in, they're going to lose or come close.

Unfortunately, in this game, closers have to be perfect or near perfect every time. Mando can't and won't be able to do that. DFA the guy. Eat the money. Addition by Subtraction. Smoke on the Water.

Tim Hudson:  if can re-sign Schmidt for about 4yr 45m then sign Schmidt otherwise kick the tires on Hudson to check if healthy

Adrian Beltre:  This kid needs the NL in a bad way.  His glove is above average and can hit to right center.  If $$ make sense then only do this trade AFTER Schmidt signs with a club otherwise Mariners will have freed up $$ to sign Schmidt.

Pat Burrell:  His stats are much better than I thought (previous seasons).  Giants are short on OFs and Philly would need to eat a good chunk of salary.

Geoff Jenkins:  Need OFs, LH stick is Cali boy

HI everyone. I'm a SF native and Giants fan, 35 years old, now living in Newfoundland, Canada. West coast night games start at 11:35 pm in this market. And I watch them. You could call me a die-hard. Thank God for satellite TV and the Internet.

Regarding Been-Eatin'-ez: Next year, Benitez will be in the final year of his 3 year deal. The all-important "contract year." Benitez strikes me as the type of gutless player who is motivated 100% by money, 0% by the love of the game. Once Mando realizes another big pay-out is on the line, don't be surprised if he mysteriously "turns it on."

While I consider Benitez a fat lazy slob, and one of the worst Giants in history, I do think the best is yet to come. That's not saying much, but I certainly wouldn't trade him now, at the very low point of his trade value. Wait till next year at the trading deadline. I predict Benitez will be pitching much better (not all-star level, but competent), and will merit top prospect(s) back in return.

We now resume our broadcast day.

(Fantastic site, by the way. Grant is a genius.)

I guess I'll straddle the fence without you Grant.  I think Benitez can still close games but I don't think he can do it for the Giants with the way the fans are on him.  I think the turning point for me was when fans started booing him.  

I'm assuming that he will do well enough for the rest of the season to show other teams that he's still valuable as a reliever.  If we're lucky, someone will be desperate for a closer and take him off our hands for no cash and give us an OK prospect, someone like who the Mets traded would be OK, failing at upper levels but presumably the Giants scouts think they can do something with him.

At worse, we should be able to unload him with cash covering half his salary, I think another team would be willing to take him on as closer insurance at half price, meanwhile he would be a set up guy until the regular closer screws up badly.  Which nowadays is not so rare.