November 14, 2004
V for Victory?
Omar Vizquel becomes the first free agent to switch teams as he signs a 3-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. The contract will pay Omar about $4 million per year.
Omar's career path reminds me a lot of Ozzie Smith. He started off as a poor offensive player with the Mariners. After his trade to the Indians, he developed a good eye for the strikezone, and in many seasons after that had OBA's good enough to bat at the top of the order. But that hasn't been true in 3 of the last 4 seasons. And while he rebounded in 2004, I would bet that at age 38 (in 2005) Vizquel's best offensive days are behind him.
Of course, the Giants may be getting him for defense. However, there are signs that Omar is not the defensive player he once was. He ranked 8th in the AL in defensive win shares for shortstops at 4.5. Not terrible, but not gold glove caliber either. And there's no reason to believe Vizquel will get better.
Not only that, but Devi Cruz, who is signed for a mere $800,000, is just about as good as Vizquel in terms of defensive win shares! If all the Giants were looking for is defense, Cruz would probably do as well for a lot less money.
Vizquel could be a good one-year stop gap for the Giants. Paying him for three years is a waste of money, and just delays San Francisco from developing a good, young middle infielder who'll be there for the long run. It wasn't a good move.
Hey, that's four million per they won't have to waste on 1st round draft picks. Well done.
Rumor was (take http://www.chisox.com for example) had Omar close to signing with the White Sox.
THANK YOU San Francisco!
One signing in to the free agent season and it looks like the Giants have worst deal possible sewn up
Somehow, the Giants overcome all the questionable signings they make and end up in contention every year. Marquis Grissom anyone...Edgardo Alfonzo?
Is the power of Bonds that great, or do they sprinkle their free agents with some sort of fairy dust?
As an LA fan, it's my job to hate the Giants, but I respect they way they win with other teams rejects.
Check out the AP coverage of the story. My favorite line is this...
"San Francisco signed Deivi Cruz, the Giants' primary shortstop last season, to an $800,000, one-year contract earlier this month, but general manager Brian Sabean made it clear he was looking for a long-term solution in the position -- and told Cruz that, too."
Long term solution? Hilarious.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1922778
Aside from the standard Sabean knee-jerk if-he's-taking-Geritol-I'm-signing-him reaction, this was a panic move based on one bad play the last weekend of the season by rookie SS Cody Ransom.
^^^ I would say it was more serious then that. I listened to probably forty games this year and their was an error or badly played ball in almost every single one between the SS or 2nd baseman.
But that does not change this was a dumb move for this year and terrible for next year and horrendour for the year after that.
