The Giants inked Omar Vizquel for another year and the slick fielding shortstop will make $5.3 million in 2008. There’s a club option for 2009 that could put the final price tag of the deal at $10.2 over two years.
On the one hand, you’d think they’d be able to find someone better then the 40 year old Vizquel. He had a tough time at the plate and his .621 OPS was the worst in the National League out of players who qualified for the batting title. Still, he led the National League in Revised Zone Rating he just didn’t make many plays outside of his zone. So you get a shortstop who, while past his prime, still makes the plays that he’s supposed to. He’d just be a lot more valuable even if he was just a league average hitter.
In the meantime, I guess it’s better then giving away the farm for a guy like Miguel Tejada. And while $5 milion isn’t chump change, it’s kind of the going rate for a mid-tier player. The question is, can Vizquel get back to mid-tier.
