Baseball Guru
12-13-2004, 09:37 AM
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=knight-hudsonremainswithasfornow&prov=knight&type=lgns
Sources told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Giants have agreed to a three-year contract with free agent Mike Matheny, who has spent the past five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. Matheny would replace A.J. Pierzynski, who was paid $3.5 million last season and is eligible for salary arbitration.
Asked if the Giants were close to completing a deal with Matheny, Assistant General Manager Ned Colletti said late Sunday, "There is no `close.' You're either done or not done."
The Giants' motivation for pursuing Matheny, 34, was equally obvious. Pierzynski and his agent recently proposed a multiyear contract that exceeded what San Francisco wanted to pay.
Though Giants management had publicly expressed interest in retaining the 27-year-old Pierzynski, who hit .272 with 11 home runs and 77 RBIs, his difficulty in meshing with teammates did not endear him to the club.
The Giants view Matheny as a more economical and defensively skilled alternative to Pierzynski. Matheny hit .247 with five home runs and a career-high 50 RBIs in 122 games this season while helping St. Louis win the National League title.
Sources told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Giants have agreed to a three-year contract with free agent Mike Matheny, who has spent the past five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. Matheny would replace A.J. Pierzynski, who was paid $3.5 million last season and is eligible for salary arbitration.
Asked if the Giants were close to completing a deal with Matheny, Assistant General Manager Ned Colletti said late Sunday, "There is no `close.' You're either done or not done."
The Giants' motivation for pursuing Matheny, 34, was equally obvious. Pierzynski and his agent recently proposed a multiyear contract that exceeded what San Francisco wanted to pay.
Though Giants management had publicly expressed interest in retaining the 27-year-old Pierzynski, who hit .272 with 11 home runs and 77 RBIs, his difficulty in meshing with teammates did not endear him to the club.
The Giants view Matheny as a more economical and defensively skilled alternative to Pierzynski. Matheny hit .247 with five home runs and a career-high 50 RBIs in 122 games this season while helping St. Louis win the National League title.