That is according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, and why would he lie to me?
But it strikes me as an odd move.
Yeah he got a bunch of big homers when he came over to the Giants after being cut by Tampa.
And sure he is a graduate of Bellarmine Prep in San Jose was a local kid who helped the Giants win their first World Series title by the Bay.
But let's face it, a lot of Pat Burrell's production was a burst of power to prove Tampa Bay wrong... then he regressed into being the hitter that the Rays saw fit to cut.
He hit a combined .142 in the post season and went hitless in the World Series.
Hey you fans of sabermetrics... do you know what his OPS was in the World Series?
.133
That's not his batting average.
That's the sum total of his slugging percentage and his on base percentage.
And oh yeah, he had to be replaced for defensive reasons.
He struck out 11 times in the 4 games he played in the World Series and frankly looked like a guy who was done.
I thought, as did no doubt everyone else in the Solar System, that the Giants were going to pat Pat the Bat on the butt and say "Thanks for your help, here's your second World Series ring in three years, good luck."
Perhaps with his up and down career and having earned nearly $70 million in his career that this could have been the best way to go out... as a champion.
But he found a better way.
Cash another $9 million in checks.
I thought an outfielder like Austin Kearns (who can actually play the field) would have been an ideal fit for the Giants. And he would have been cheaper too.
But who am I to judge?
So look forward to a whole season of Pat Burrell playing 6 innings a game and striking out.
It's good work if you can get it.
