Giants, Pablo Sandoval not close to an extension

The Giants haven't been terribly proactive with extending Pablo Sandoval, and now we get an understanding of why: They value him as much as the typical subscriber to Internet website Twitter.com. According to Henry Schulman, the Giants offered Sandoval three years and $40 million. Apparently he wants something closer to Hunter Pence's five years, $90 million.

The Giants' offer makes sense considering it's 1987 and that's what players make now. Matt Williams is coming up soon, too, so a long-term deal doesn't seem like a good fit for the Giants. R.B.I. Baseball is coming out soon! It is 1987, so the Giants are right to offer that to Sandoval.

Upon further inspection, though, It might not be 1987. If it's actually 2014, that's a horrible, insulting offer. It's the contractual equivalent of "We don't trust you or your malk-brittled bones, fatty." Sandoval will turn 28 in August, so he'll hit free agency at an earlier age than most. He'll be one of the only hitters on the market, which means he's almost guaranteed twice as many years and almost three times the money if he has a good year.

Three years, $40 million. That isn't even a Rowand. When you offer a player in his 20s less than the Rowand, you're basically telling him he's fungible. When you have Joaquin Arias locked up, I guess you can act like that.

If the other part of the rumor is true, that Sandoval would consider the Pence deal, the Giants should take a break to do this for a spell ...

... then sign the deal. If they Giants have the opportunity to go under nine figures, they would be goofy not to do it. The equation is simple:

1. All-Star hitters cost about $18 million now
   
   
2. Sandoval is an All-Star hitter
   
   
3. The Giants like All-Star hitters
   
   
4. I like All-Star hitters
   
   
5. There is no help coming from the farm
   
   
6. There is no help coming from the farm
   
   
7. There is no help coming from the farm
   
   
8. So if the Giants want an All-Star third baseman, they'll have to pay a lot of money, or give up a lot of young pitching in a trade
   
   
9. Luckily, there's an internal option, and he doesn't even want a silly seven-year deal

Pounce, dammit. If those numbers are close to accurate, get something done before Opening Day. Remember how crazy the Pence contract seemed? Look at what Shin-Soo Choo got. There will be a team who will give the seventh year to Sandoval. Then the Giants are either caught in a bidding war (for Sandoval or Chase Headley), or they're worse. Those are the two options without an extension. Either accept the bidding war if Sandoval has a decent season, or get worse. Or give him roughly what he's been worth over the last six years, and don't even worry about inflation.

Well, worry about inflation. Just ... you know.

Go on Twitter or listen to a couple hours of KNBR, though, and you'll find all sorts of people who think Sandoval's agent is being unreasonable, that Sandoval is really a three-year kind of player. It's poppycock, of course, but Sandoval has always been taken for granted. It's the dangedest thing, waiting around for over a decade for the farm to produce an All-Star hitter, then taking great pride in diminishing his accomplishments whenever it seems appropriate.

And I'm worried the Giants are taking him for granted, too. I don't understand it. The Pence deal is more than fair for a 27-year-old All-Star third baseman, especially when the other options are so unpalatable. Besides, I'm sure panda hats bring in $10 million or so every week. Dude pays for himself.

Maybe the Dodgers will trade us Juan Uribe back once they sign Sandoval.