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Tradin': Omar Vizquel

The on-field team is dead to me right now. I can't write a scathing post on the Shawn Zestes boondoggle because it doesn't exist. So here's the beginning of a five- or six- or seven-part series that tries to match our oh-so-valuable players with teams still in contention.

Who'd want him:

A team with a hole at short, and who are willing to either a) punt any hope of offense for improved defense, or b) hope that Vizquel is still a player capable of hitting .280 with patience while playing fantastic defense.

Which means...:

Minnesota, and....Minnesota. Every other team that's in a race is set

What the Giants could expect in return:

If there's only one team in the bidding, and a marginal contender at that, it'd probably be a rookie-ball pitcher who can't crack 90 MPH or a 24-year-old first baseman hitting .240 while repeating A-ball. That'd hardly make it worth the Giants' while, especially since Vizquel is one of the few pending free agents who could net the Giants one of the the top 60 players in the 2008 draft.

Unless a contender's current shortstop gets hurt or the Twins really, really, really decide they need Vizquel for whatever reason, the Giants should hold on to Vizquel. He's also a player to whom the Giants shouldn't be scared to offer arbitration. There aren't any young shortstops he'd block, and he wouldn't be a risk to get some silly arbitration award ($3.5M, or so, would be my guess). In a worst-case scenario, he'd be an overpaid, fan-favorite utility player. He wouldn't prevent the Giants from trading for Carlos Guillen, and the only preferable free-agent shortstop who would be David Eckstein.

Verdict:

Unless Jose Reyes tries to fish a piece of jewelry out of a running garbage disposal, Vizquel isn't going anywhere.