This can't be anything but bad news.
Tino Martinez is a free agent, and the sinking in my gut is paralleling Martinez' rise to the top of the Giants free agent 1st baseman list, I think.
Hey, you might call guessing, but I call it divination.
He's hits lefty. He has some power. He won't be expensive. He's old. He's won World Championships. He's from New York.
He's a veteran. He's savvy. He's salty. He's crafty. He's handsome. He was a Yankee.
And there is no way on God's green Earth that you could convince me that Brian Sabean won't covet him on some level.
Don't get me wrong -- it wouldn't be the worst move Sabean could make. If Martinez was guaranteed to put out the same production as last season (.249/.328/.439 with 17 homers, 49 RBI in 303 at-bats) in a platoon role with Lance Neikro, then I really don't think it'd be too bad. I'd rather have those Tampa Bay numbers from 2004, but then, I'd also like to win the lottery, too.
But he is 37, going on 38 within a month. While I realize Sabean has faith in the Fountain of Youth that has apparently been renamed McCovey Cove, I don't share the same faith, and I bite my nails whenever he signs anyone north of 35 years old.
(sigh) As long as he was cheap, I guess. Oh, yes, cheap. Think baby chickens. Cheap. The Yanks declined a three million dollar option they had on Tino, and the Giants should decline to pay him that much, too.
Two million, do I hear two? Sold! To the native East Coaster with the perpetual goatee!
You heard it here first, never forget.
1 comment:
Hell no! The only reason to bring in Tino with JT out would be to save salary. Keep JT instead of Tino, or better yet, ship Niekro and Merkin Valdez to FLA for Delgado. NOW!
And while I'm at it, get your hands on Morris or Millwood, while giving Tomko the slip. Damn, I should be GM.
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