Armando Benitez On The Block

The Giants are looking to trade 34 year-old reliever Armando Benitez, though he needs to prove he's healthy first.

The Giants' head trainer isn't allowed to discuss the condition of Benitez's knee, but he can tell us that Benitez's attitude is just peachy.  Helpful.  We do know that Benitez will throw off a mound today for the first time since September.  We also know that the team would like him to lose a few pounds.

Even with the inflated market for relievers, I can't see the Giants drumming up much interest in Benitez.  He's not young.  His control has always been poor, and his strikeout rate has been down in recent years.  And he makes $7.6MM.  The Giants should probably hang on to him and hope he gives them 35-40 helpful innings.  They'd probably have to take on $5MM of his salary in a trade.  Even then, a team like the Marlins might be better off using internal options.

Comments

[buggy]

If by nasty you mean awful. Then I agree.

[NYs Maine Man]

Benitez is horrible-- see 2000 WS. He is old, fat, and has a bum knee, so health for this chump is out of the question. They should cut him.

[nrmax88]

What is there to even say about Benitez. As a met fan, he broke my heart more times then I care to remember (Thanks you Chipper Jones and Brian Jordan). This guy would be the best closer in the league until the playoff games or late september playoff atmosphere games came around. Then he was just a bum. He just simply could not handle any pressure. It really was horrible to endure for those years he called Queens his home.

[xaseq]

He's only 34? Damn, it seems like he's 40.

[Atobe]

Benitez used to be one of the best closers in baseball man. It was only a couple of years ago he was an all star for the marlins in a lights out type of year. Yeah health is a major issue with the guy which is why the giants would be dumb to trade him. If he can somehow stay healthy and pitch like he used to then he will be a good deal for 60 innings before september or so

[ArodSucksAtLife]

I went out there last year to catch some Sox/A's games, and he was just getting torn apart by people at bars, and on the radio. It is interesting how much he is despised, while the big domed left fielder can do no wrong.

[Neifi_Chicken]

He is despised because all that matters for players is what they do between the lines.

Between those lines Bonds is an incredible force and Armando is putrid

[tmar]

"The Giants' head trainer"

Is that the guy who worked on Bonds?

[CardinalFan#1]

A good friend of mine has a son on the Giants roster, Patrick Misch. Has he looking and does he have a chance to stick with the Giants?