KCBS In Depth: Giants CEO On Keeping World Series Champs Together
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The off-season goal of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants is simple. "We're going to try to keep the team together as much as possible," Giants CEO and President Larry Baer said in a half hour interview on KCBS In Depth, "and fashion a team that can take a good shot at defending the championship."
Center fielder Angel Pagan has agreed to a new, four-year deal, following the signing of relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt. Still unsigned is shortstop Marco Scutaro. "This is the world of sports business and professional sports salaries and you never really know for sure until you get into it with the agents," said Baer.
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Brian Wilson, the Giants closer recovering from a second arm surgery, is now free to sign with another team since the Giants did not tender him a contract. But Baer said he's hopeful he'll return. "He has an injury situation and we're going to try to bring him back in a way that will give him some guaranteed dollars and then add incentive to that. We can't guarantee that another team will come back and say well, two-times the Giants guarantee, and that can always happen," said Baer.
"So if he is not a Giant going forward we wish him well, but we're going to do everything we can to make him a Giant going forward."
Meanwhile, Baer also addressed the issue of former Giants star Barry Bonds becoming eligible for Hall of Fame voting for the first time.
"It's going to be a vote of the writers, and we're going to leave it to the writers," Baer said. "We're not going to get into handicapping it or saying what should happen. Barry Bonds had an incredible Giants career. There was controversy especially at the end, not as much at the beginning."
In the past, the Giants have said they would not give up their territorial rights to Santa Clara County and allow the A's to move to San Jose. But Baer wouldn't discuss the issue. "I can't say anything because I don't know. It's in the hands of the commissioner's office, and I think that it's going to be resolved one way or the other by the commissioner and that's the way it should be."
Baer said the Giants welcome the Golden State Warriors' move to San Francisco, but have concerns about traffic and transportation in the area when the Giants play and an event is scheduled for the Warriors' arena. The Warriors plan to build their arena on Piers 30-32, just north of AT&T Park.
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