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12-09-2002, 07:04 PM
Finley turns down offer from Giants to stay in Arizona
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Associated Press
PHOENIX -- Centerfielder Steve Finley turned down a more lucrative offer from the San Francisco Giants and re-signed Saturday with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a two-year deal worth $11.25 million.
Steve Finley
Center Field
Arizona Diamondbacks
Profile
2002 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R SB AVG
150 25 89 82 16 .287
The Diamondbacks offered salary arbitration to Mark Grace, Brian Anderson and Greg Colbrunn.
In addition, the team agreed to minor league contracts with right-hander Armando Reynoso and utilityman Chris Donnels.
Arizona declined to offer salary arbitration to infielder Jay Bell, right-handers Mike Morgan and Rick Helling, and setup man Mike Fetters. They can't re-sign with the Diamondbacks until May 1.
Finley, voted the team's most valuable player last season by the Arizona chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, chose to the stay with the Diamondbacks largely because of his family.
''He's pretty happy there,'' agent Tommy Tanzer said. ''He likes the manager. He likes the organization. He likes the city.''
Finley, 37, has 108 homers for the Diamondbacks since signing with them as a free agent in December 1998. He gets a $500,000 signing bonus, $4 million in 2003 and $6.75 million in 2004.
''Steve has been a great player for us and has been a major part of this team that has won three division titles and a World Series'' Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said.
Finley signed with Arizona after helping San Diego reach the World Series. One of the top defensive centerfielders in the game, he also was a streaky hitter in the left-handed heavy Diamondbacks lineup.
The Diamondbacks' negotiations with Finley intensified after the proposed trade for Colorado's Larry Walker fell through.
Finley also was being courted by the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics.
Tanzer said the Giants offered $13.75 million over two years in a deal that, including incentives and an option clause, could have reached $18 million.
''We were under the impression he was going to go with that, but he didn't,'' Tanzer said.
By offering salary arbitration to Grace, Anderson and Colbrunn, Arizona can negotiate with them through Jan. 8.
If the 36-year-old Donnels makes the major league club in 2003, he would earn $425,000. He signed a similar deal a year ago, and after Matt Williams broke an ankle in spring training wound up on the big league roster.
Donnels hit .238 with three homers and 16 RBI in 80 at-bats in 2002 andt led Arizona's pinch-hitters with 10 hits and eight RBI.
Reynoso, 36, appeared in only two games, spending most of last season recovering from an operation to repair a herniated disk in his neck. He would gets $650,000 if added to the major league roster,
Anderson, 30, went 6-11 with a 4.79 ERA in 35 games (24 starts) last season while the 33-year-old Colbrunn batted .333 with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 72 games.
Grace, 38, hit .252 with seven homers and 48 RBIs in 124 games in 2002 and has said he may retire after one more season. Grace and managing general partner Jerry Colangelo had said during the season that they had a handshake deal for him to return to Arizona for one more season, then become part of the Diamondbacks' broadcast team.
But as negotiations went on, the sides could not reach an agreement.
weeeee :clap2: :clap2:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press
PHOENIX -- Centerfielder Steve Finley turned down a more lucrative offer from the San Francisco Giants and re-signed Saturday with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a two-year deal worth $11.25 million.
Steve Finley
Center Field
Arizona Diamondbacks
Profile
2002 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R SB AVG
150 25 89 82 16 .287
The Diamondbacks offered salary arbitration to Mark Grace, Brian Anderson and Greg Colbrunn.
In addition, the team agreed to minor league contracts with right-hander Armando Reynoso and utilityman Chris Donnels.
Arizona declined to offer salary arbitration to infielder Jay Bell, right-handers Mike Morgan and Rick Helling, and setup man Mike Fetters. They can't re-sign with the Diamondbacks until May 1.
Finley, voted the team's most valuable player last season by the Arizona chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, chose to the stay with the Diamondbacks largely because of his family.
''He's pretty happy there,'' agent Tommy Tanzer said. ''He likes the manager. He likes the organization. He likes the city.''
Finley, 37, has 108 homers for the Diamondbacks since signing with them as a free agent in December 1998. He gets a $500,000 signing bonus, $4 million in 2003 and $6.75 million in 2004.
''Steve has been a great player for us and has been a major part of this team that has won three division titles and a World Series'' Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said.
Finley signed with Arizona after helping San Diego reach the World Series. One of the top defensive centerfielders in the game, he also was a streaky hitter in the left-handed heavy Diamondbacks lineup.
The Diamondbacks' negotiations with Finley intensified after the proposed trade for Colorado's Larry Walker fell through.
Finley also was being courted by the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics.
Tanzer said the Giants offered $13.75 million over two years in a deal that, including incentives and an option clause, could have reached $18 million.
''We were under the impression he was going to go with that, but he didn't,'' Tanzer said.
By offering salary arbitration to Grace, Anderson and Colbrunn, Arizona can negotiate with them through Jan. 8.
If the 36-year-old Donnels makes the major league club in 2003, he would earn $425,000. He signed a similar deal a year ago, and after Matt Williams broke an ankle in spring training wound up on the big league roster.
Donnels hit .238 with three homers and 16 RBI in 80 at-bats in 2002 andt led Arizona's pinch-hitters with 10 hits and eight RBI.
Reynoso, 36, appeared in only two games, spending most of last season recovering from an operation to repair a herniated disk in his neck. He would gets $650,000 if added to the major league roster,
Anderson, 30, went 6-11 with a 4.79 ERA in 35 games (24 starts) last season while the 33-year-old Colbrunn batted .333 with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 72 games.
Grace, 38, hit .252 with seven homers and 48 RBIs in 124 games in 2002 and has said he may retire after one more season. Grace and managing general partner Jerry Colangelo had said during the season that they had a handshake deal for him to return to Arizona for one more season, then become part of the Diamondbacks' broadcast team.
But as negotiations went on, the sides could not reach an agreement.
weeeee :clap2: :clap2: