You probably already know I think Brian Sabean is one of the worst, if not the absolute worst, general managers in the majors. So he didn’t disappoint in the off-season: he re-signed Aubrey Huff, and paid him way way way too much money.
Here’s the thing: nobody expected last year’s Giants lineup to be anywhere near as good as it was. And it’s not that they were wrong – the Giants simply hit a performance high last season. And performance highs tend to regress to the mean the following season. That’s why you don’t re-up Huff, a 34-year-old 1st baseman who’s one season removed from an absolutely miserable performance that left him with virtually no options at the beginning of the 2010 season.
But hey, what’s $22 million down the drain when you’re already paying Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand $186 million to sit on the bench?
Also, you generally don't pay a guy like Huff more money at Age 34 than he has ever made before. Sabean found Huff for just $3M last season – why doesn't he think he can find a similar player for $3M this season?
Huff historical salary:
Age 36: $10M (or $2M buyout)
Age 35: $10M
Age 34: $10M
Age 33: $3M
Age 32: $8M
Age 31: $8M
Age 30: $4M
Age 29: $6.75M
Age 28: $4.75M
Age 27: $2.5M
