The Giants announced this week that managing partner and CEO Bill Neukom is going to retire at the end of the year, but that hasn't stopped him from weighing in on some of the offseason's free agents. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle has the latest (all links go to Twitter):
- Neukom says the Giants “loved” C.C. Sabathia when he hit free agency after the 2008 season. ”I honestly believe he had a serious interest in coming with us." The Giants didn’t sign Sabathia since they weren’t prepared to pay "for years beyond which the time we think you’re not worth that amount of money.”
- Sabathia can opt out of his seven-year, $161MM deal this offseason.
- Neukom weighed in on Albert Pujols with openness that MLB executives rarely show when publicly discussing other teams. “Is he worth $30MM per year for ten years?,” Neukom asked. “The Yankees don’t need a first baseman. Nor does Boston. Maybe the Cubs. Maybe the Dodgers. But is there a wealthy team that can afford to do that, say to themselves he will not be worth it for the last three or four years of a ten-year deal but we can absorb that?”
- I examined the market for Pujols and Prince Fielder last week.
- Neukom guesses that agent Scott Boras will ask for a five or six-year deal for Carlos Beltran. The switch-hitting outfielder says he’d consider returning to the Giants if they find a way to add some offense.
duke neukom?
Would love to see Prince in Baltimore or Pitsburgh and Albert go to Cubs, Mets or Dodgers…
Reignite old time powers and revitialize fadding major markets…most likely a pipedream, but could help baseball popularity overall…
Would love to see a Pujols pressconference saying that he is “taking his talents to the ____________” Now that would be funny! Ok off point…
Albert ain’t going to the Mets or Dodgers, two broke teams. Pipedream is right.
Ya. Hilarious.
Plus CC stays for another 6 year deal for $150 with Yankees…they will pay out the nose for him to stay
no way the Yankees are doing that. You are either a Mets fans or Sox fan. They will not add 6 more years, are you on drugs or just plainly a fool? 3 years, tops
Uhhh.. CC is under contract for the next 4 years at $23MM per. Are you on drugs or just plainly a fool?
Fellas I think you both misunderstood each other. Mr Jeter over there thinks you’re saying they’re going to add 6 years to his already 4 year deal making it a 10 year deal, which is absurd. Mr. Mikeclyne probably means they’ll turn those 4 years left into a 6 year deal which is the general expectation, the addition of 2-3 more years.
Soooooo, what you’re saying is that he will opt out of his current contract so he can sign one with a shorter term? Sounds like a strong financial move to me.
Is that a pic of will the thrill?
Did you just jizz in your pants? Must be then.
Why are the Dodgers always linked to these HIGH priced players when their team is in bankruptcy? They will not be allowed to increase payroll ESPECIALLY since they are having to take out loans to make payroll NOW….and the team is also in DIVORCE court….the higher his payroll makes the franchise worth higher which will INCREASE the $$ he will have to pay in alimony….it’s in his best interest to CUT payroll if he doesn’t sell the team…..
The Rangers were allowed to increase their payroll while in bankruptcy b/c they had a NEW owner in place and just waiting on the formality of the court to completed
“retire”. Kicked to the curb. Tomatao. Tomato.
The Giants didn’t sign Sabathia since they weren’t prepared to pay “for years beyond which the time we think you’re not worth that amount of money.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA at the team with Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand on the payroll.
Different management. Zito and rowand were under Peter Magowan, not Bill Neukom
Same GM…
Zito wsnt sabeans doing. It was under order of magowan.
You do know that being a GM doesn’t automatically mean you just sign whoever. In the case of the Giants there is a panel of over 30 investors. 10 Investors have say and Magowan was the most vocal in the Zito deal…
Ok. Zito signing or not. Does anyone see the slightest, most remote chance of the Giants springing 30m a year over 7 seasons for Sabathia? Cause you can write it down that the NYY will gladly go that amount at the LEAST in order to keep that patchwork of 60 day injury rehab refugees that they call a rotation intact, not counting him.
No …our pitching is already tops in baseball….neeeeeed bats!
Sabathia could hit cleanup for the Giants if they signed him.
What if the Marlins made up for all their years of not spending by locking up CC and Prince?
attendance would go down. everyone would be at the zoo to see the new flying butt-monkey exhibit
Obviously the Giants will sign Sabbathia to a 210/7 deal and play him at 1B and hit him 4th when he doesn’t pitch because he’ll be the 3rd best hitter on the team behind Sandoval and Posey.
The giants shouldn’t even consider a high profile pitcher until zito is off the books. We already have great pitching and if volgelsong comes back next year as strong as he was this year they will have a solid 1 thru 4 and then they can have zito Sanchez surkamp fight for the 5th spot. I really hope the giants throw money at a hitter instead
I can totally see the Giants overpaying Beltran. He’s been able to hit in San Francisco and he fits the mold of the kind of player they typically sign. The team sells out every home game and should have plenty of money to spend, even with the two horrible contracts and their young players due for a raise. If they don’t go out and sign two or three real hitters this winter it will be a massive failure. The team squandered most of the career of the greatest hitter of our generation with below average pitching. Now, they seem like they are doing the opposite, letting the league’s best pitching staff be backed by the worst offense.
Their pitchers during the Bonds era would have been fine in today’s game… too bad we didn’t have a bunch of juiced pitchers like Clemens to make up for every hitter being a robotic muscle.