Giants Sign Renteria?

[love_that_reefer]

WFAN in New York reports that the Giants have agreed to terms with Edgar Renteria on a two-year, $18 million contract.
Renteria became a free agent when the Tigers declined his $12 million option for 2009 and reportedly will now replace Omar Vizquel in San Francisco. Renteria has declined defensively and hit just .270/.317/.382 last season for his lowest OPS since 2001, but a return to the NL in 2006 helped rejuvenate his career after he flopped with the Red Sox. Counting on another bounce back is iffy given that he's now 33 years old, but at $9 million per season on a two-year commitment he's a decent value.

I am really hoping this is a false report. I will give my full thoughts when/if this is confirmed.

[love_that_reefer]

Rafael Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, said he is still talking to the Giants and doesn't believe the team has a deal with Edgar Renteria.
"Unless the Giants did it in the last 10 minutes, which I don't think they did, they weren't close," Kinzer told the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants have denied that a Renteria deal is done.

Good news for now.

[CrazyEights]

$9Mil per year for Renteria???

[cjkalt]

Rumor refuted by 3-4 sources on MLBtraderumors.com

[realmofotalk]

Sabean needs to quit stalling and sign Renteria already and get out of the running for Furcal.

[love_that_reefer]

Sabean needs to get Orlando Hudson is what he really needs to do. I can live with Burriss playing SS.

[CrazyEights]

Sabean needs to quit stalling and sign Renteria already and get out of the running for Furcal.

Yeah... give Renteria his $9Mil fast. I'm afraid the Cardinals will go after him if he is still available. I wouldn't mind something like $3 or 4 Mil a year, but no way to anything over $6Mil a year for a washed up shortstop that should be playing 2nd base. Personally, I never thought that Renteria was worth $9Mil when he was a Cardinal and went to Boston. I really don't think he's worth it now.

Sign him Sabean!!!

[love_that_reefer]

Sabean best not pay $9 million for this guy. He just had an $11 million option bought out for $3 million. I could have lived with two years of Renteria if he brought his usual NL numbers but not his AL numbers. Renteria is just a year removed from hitting .330+. If it came down to it, I'd rather have Renteria for two years than Furcal for four.

[hot_corner_gurl]

Well, now that Furcal's been talking with the A's peoples, you might not have an option on whether you get Renteria or Furcal. Who knows? Maybe he'll return to his old "NL self" like you said if he is indeed added to the Giants roster. If he does, I'm assuming you'd think it was a good deal, would you not?

[love_that_reefer]

Depends on the contract. If it is for two years, I can live with it. Rather give Renteria two years rather than give Furcal four. I'd also rather get Orlando Hudson to play second and Burriss play SS over getting Renteria. Renteria even with his AL numbers would be an upgrade at SS compared to last year so it wouldn't be all bad. Renteria would love those huge gaps in AT&Tand I am sure Lincecum and Cain would love any upgrade in the offense.

[jpants10]

as i'm sure everyone saw....renteria's agent came out and said that this was merely that: rumor, and there was no basis for it.

i'm with reefer. O-hud O-nine!

[love_that_reefer]

It looks like Renteria will be our starting SS come Opening Day. Renteria won't cost us draft picks and will come cheaper than Furcal in years and salary. Giants are concerned with Burriss making 10 errors in 24 games at SS in the AFL so they feel more comfortable with him at second. Things could change if the Dbacks don't offer Hudson arbitration but not even they are dumb enough to that.

[love_that_reefer]

It is official. Renteria will be our starting SS for the next two seasons.

The Giants have reached agreement with free-agent shortstop Edgar Renteria on a two-year, $18.5 million contract, according to a major-league source.

"We have clearly passed all the hurdles and there's nothing else to do on terms, nothing else to do in respects to a physical," Renteria's agent, Barry Meister, said Thursday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "I always let the team make the announcement."

The deal will be announced Thursday afternoon.

Renteria, 33, will take over for Omar Vizquel at shortstop, with Emmanuel Burris likely moving to second base. The Cardinals also had been interested in Renteria, but reportedly have traded for Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. The Dodgers also had shown interest in Renteria as a possible replacement for Rafael Furcal.

The Tigers declined to offer Renteria salary arbitration after he batted .270 for them last season with a .317 on-base percentage, 10 homers and 55 RBIs.

The Giants have definitely been the busiest so far this offseason and odds are very good they are not done. Sabean went out and got two additions to the bullpen in Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry and now get a .290 lifetime hitter in Renteria. Renteria struggled last year but he did turn it on in the second half. He hit .296 with an OPS of .812 in the second half compared to .254 with a .627 OPS in the first half. Renteria is a definite upgrade from last year where Giants SS's combined to be dead last or damn near it in every single offensive category. Sure, Renteria wasn't the best choice available but he is the only option that would not cost a draft pick. Furcal and Hudson would have costs us draft picks which does not bode well for a youth movement. Renteria is a nice, stopgap player who has very good numbers while playing in the NL. He will add much needed offense but the defense will suffer. All in all I say Sabean has done quite well so far this offseason. He has upgraded at three positions so far. Affeldt is a better option than Taschner setting up, Howry is much better than Tyler Walker and Renteria is more productive than Vizquel with the bat. I think this was the best fit for the Giants and that the pitchers will be pleased with more offense. Giants have played way too many one run ballgames the past two years.

[CrazyEights]

I wish Renteria well wih the Giants, but I think they severely overpaid for him. I hope he returns to his old NL self, but I'm not very optimistic of it. It didn't seem like there was a lot of competition bidding for Edgar. I would have thought that he could have been signed for a better deal since he is just coming off of a subpar season.

[love_that_reefer]

Renteria is just a year removed from hitting .332 and he had a good second half last year. Why not be optimistic he can return to his NL form? At least Renteria didn't get a raise from last year and cost zero draft picks.