Benitez signs

DMZ · December 1, 2004 at 10:29 am · Filed Under Mariners 

This off-season… I don’t…

Armando Benitez to the Giants, 3y, $21m.

“He’s the prototype,” general manager Brian Sabean said. “He has been and will be a dominant force at the end of the game. … He’s a guy we had our eye on.”

He’s an early version of something used as the basis for later production? Wouldn’t you want the production version?

Comments

34 Responses to “Benitez signs”

  1. Todd on December 1st, 2004 10:35 am

    If Sabean wanted a “prototype,” he should have offered contracts to Elroy Face or Hoyt Wilhelm.

  2. Chris Begley on December 1st, 2004 10:37 am

    Not on topic, but worthy of a look:
    http://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article.jsp;jsessionid=NBNDFGBLBNIO?content=20041201_115311_2544
    According to this, we have made Wright a 3yr offer at 15 Million

  3. Digger on December 1st, 2004 10:52 am

    And the report on the salary/bonus split is $4M/$6.5M/$9M/$1.5M. Benitez gets only 1/5 of the total $ in 2005. In 2007, Sabean will be paying $5M for Vizquel (age 38) and $9M for Benitez. Another GM mortgaging his team’s future.

  4. Trent on December 1st, 2004 11:00 am

    Actually Digger, you have the Benitez contract numbers miscalculated. He will receive $4.1 million ($1.6 million in signing bonus) in 2005, $6.6 million ($2.6 million in signing bonus) in 2006 and $7.6 million in 2007 and signing bonus payments of $1.6 million in 2008 and 2009.

  5. kenshin on December 1st, 2004 11:22 am

    I actually like this deal. We acquired the premier closer on the market, while paying less than Detroit did for Troy Percival. Additionally, his contract only becomes expensive once we escape the alfonso albatross and lose Bonds (sigh).

  6. Bruce on December 1st, 2004 11:24 am

    In this off-season the M’s have from $13m to $16m to play with for 2005 and M’s fans feel rich and excited about the possibilities. Now we see a lot of FA’s going for more money that we might expect and that’s starting to scare me that the market is higher than anticipated. This high market would mean the M’s might not be able to afford the quality I originally expected.

    However on the bright side, maybe other teams are wasting what little money they have and they won’t be able to bid on the quality players I want. So the question I have for anyone is this: what is the financial position of all the other teams? Is there a web-site that list the amount of money other teams have to play with for FA’s this year?

  7. Goob on December 1st, 2004 11:28 am

    If we sign Wright for $15 million, I’m going on a 5-state killing spree. The guy’s had one decent year and it was under Mazzoni.

  8. Swing & A Miss on December 1st, 2004 11:37 am

    Post 7: You and I are in agreement. Wright got released by San Diego two years ago with an ERA over 7. Atlanta picked him up and he threw about 9 or 10 innings under Leo and did well at the end of the season. They projected him as a possible #5 starter. Even they did not know if he would do / win the #5 slot. He had a good year. If you look at his career, he won 12 once, with a very high ERA. Then the arm problems for 5 years. Giving this guy $15 million based off one decent year out of what, 6 or 7 since he won 12? If that equates to a $15 mil contract we are in trouble. Wright should get nothing larger than 2 years and that at most, 2 to 3.5 mil per year. He made like $885,000 I think last year. Plus, how will his arm react to pitching here in the cold and damp in April, May, June, late Sept and Oct?

  9. Chris Begley on December 1st, 2004 11:41 am

    Ahh Buster Olney. What a refreshing breath of fresh air. From ESPN.com (the worldwide leader in sports dontcha know):
    “The Giants have made the most dynamic offseason moves thus far among the NL West teams, signing Omar Vizquel to play shortstop and now adding Benitez.”
    Dynamic isn’t quite the word that I would use

  10. Colm on December 1st, 2004 12:04 pm

    Wright is a undoubtedly a very high risk pitcher, but at least he’s not a near lock to get worse, like Pavano, or a 100% proven mediocrity like Kris Benson or Paul Wilson.

  11. Colm on December 1st, 2004 12:05 pm

    And surely Brian Sabean meant ‘archetype’?

  12. Bill Fugazi on December 1st, 2004 12:45 pm

    If the Giants go for prototypes, I guess that means the M’s go for mock-ups.

  13. Ken Hanselman on December 1st, 2004 1:03 pm

    Let the G’ints and ‘Spos fight over the early worms. Our big rooster is patiently waiting them out so that he can position himself to land the really big prize…Corey Koskie! (Signing required by Marketing because of his diminutive first AND last name…hey, it rhymes!).

  14. Adam T on December 1st, 2004 1:21 pm

    #6 – try this…although I don’t think it’s been updated recently. If you do a little investigation you can figure out what you want.

    http://dugoutdollars.blogspot.com/

    Not certain about available FA money per team. This is a flexible ammount anyway because of baseball’s non-salary cap rules.

  15. sidereal on December 1st, 2004 1:21 pm

    “We acquired the premier closer on the market,”

    Say no more. . say no more.
    Just remember: ‘Closer’ is a schedule, not a skill.

  16. James T on December 1st, 2004 1:48 pm

    Digger. He might not be mortgaging the future of a large part of the Giants’ present payroll isn’t going to be around by the end of Benitez’s contract. What does this say about Sabean’s expectations of having Bonds on the team a couple years down the line?

  17. Adam T on December 1st, 2004 1:56 pm

    What is going on with Robb Nen? Is he retiring or what? I know he’s been injured the last two seasons.

  18. eponymous coward on December 1st, 2004 2:25 pm

    Wright is a undoubtedly a very high risk pitcher, but at least he’s not a near lock to get worse, like Pavano, or a 100% proven mediocrity like Kris Benson or Paul Wilson.

    So paying 15 million over 3 years to someone who might well be 1-7 with an ERA around 8, before he gets rotator cuff surgery that puts him on the DL for a year and change, this should comfort me? Does the name Greg Hibbard ring any bells?

    Please, give me the PROVEN mediocrity over the expensive disaster waiting to happen…

  19. eponymous coward on December 1st, 2004 2:30 pm

    Oh yeah- Jaret Wright’s best comp on Baseball Reference is Paul Abbott.

    Hmm, what ever happened to Paul Abbott after going 17-4 as a Mariner? Gee, I wonder.

    And his best comp through age 28? James Baldwin. Double ugh.

  20. Fox Mulder on December 1st, 2004 2:47 pm

    #12- classic. Just classic.

  21. eponymous coward on December 1st, 2004 3:29 pm

    Actually, I think the Mariners are interested in the alpha or beta versions.

  22. kenshin on December 1st, 2004 4:04 pm

    Re:17 The last I heard of Nen, he intended to sign a minor league contract with the Giants and attempt one final comeback. If he fails to recover, he will retire.

  23. msb on December 1st, 2004 4:10 pm

    just a reminder re Finnigan & Wright– he actually says “apparently” and “Unconfirmed word” regarding the contract rumor….

  24. Morisseau on December 1st, 2004 5:30 pm

    MLB.com is reporting that the Angels have signed the cuban Morales. Anyone have any idea what kind of money that deal’s for ?

  25. enkel on December 1st, 2004 9:23 pm

    One has to hand it to the Giants at least they are attempting to reward Bonds w/chance of winner.A decent reliever may help to sign other starting pitchers. Again at least they are trying with less income than M’s.
    That Arte Moreno really is to worry about.He will have the Angel’s on top for a long long time.The area offers so much for players a Latin owner. We will have to overpay to get certain free agents but Boras is all about the money therefore the M’s should be in the race for any free agent. The FO just has to be as committed as they expect the fans to be.
    Can not understand why Clement is not even mentioned as a possibility here as many posting far more informed than me point out he is the best fit for M’s.
    It is difficult to understand that FO could appear so out of touch.

  26. Grant on December 1st, 2004 11:00 pm

    -Off-topic
    Matsuzaka just signed back with the Seibu Lions for 2.5 mil the richest contract ever in Pacific league, but word is that he may be coming to MLB as soon as next year.

  27. Sweezo on December 2nd, 2004 12:27 am

    OT: In case anyone missed it, the Thursday edition of the SF Chronicle details the Giambi brothers admissions of past steroid use. It appears Jason Giambi comes fairly close to implicating Bonds, but stops short of actually doing so.

    Suddenly the Giants signing of Benitez becomes second page news for the Giants.

  28. Paul Weaver on December 2nd, 2004 12:31 am

    I don’t see how the Giants will have any money left to sign starters.

    Wright?!?!?!?! No, oh no, nonnonononononono.
    Save the money. Give a minor leaguer a shot.

    Maybe all these signings are economic indicators of rampant inflation.

  29. JPWood on December 2nd, 2004 2:04 am

    Finally a local sports writer who does his research, and pulls no punches, and again lambasts Finnegan’s Delgado+Sexson theory.
    I give you David Andriesen in this morning’s P-I:
    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/201981_first02.html

  30. John on December 2nd, 2004 2:12 am

    “Prototype,” huh? Just a while ago, it was “catalyst.”
    Who the heck screens these utterances?
    Reminds me of “New Mexico, Old Mexico.

  31. enkel on December 2nd, 2004 2:54 am

    good article reinforces the fact that one of the Bels are the way to go.Drew if he would come here. Upside with them no gamble on age health. Better younger legs with the Bels.Most importantly addresses need which signing 1ST base does not do.It seems so many holes in lineup to fill why all this attention to 1st base?
    Hope the FO is considering a few of those great trade suggestions posted here.Especially to Cincy & Tampa Bay..

  32. DMZ on December 2nd, 2004 6:09 am

    reinforces the fact that one of the Bels are the way to go.Drew if he would come here. Upside with them no gamble on age health.

    Uh… Drew, at least, is a serious health risk.

  33. John on December 2nd, 2004 8:11 am

    Hmm! This might be the time to pull the trigger on a “trade:”
    FRANKLIN for SCHMIDT, or IBANEZ for BONDS.

  34. Jon Helfgott on December 7th, 2004 10:43 am

    Is USSM closed? No posts for a few days is completely understandable, but no comments? What’s goin on?