SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Edgar Renteria will become the second free agent to join the San Francisco Giants in as many days, with the team expected to announce Thursday that he will replace 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel.
Renteria will receive an $18.5 million, two-year contract.
“We have clearly passed all the hurdles and there’s nothing else to do on terms, nothing else to do in respects to a physical,” Renteria’s agent, Barry Meister, said Thursday in a phone interview. “I always let the team make the announcement.”
Giants general manager Brian Sabean has had a busy week, signing right-handed reliever Bobby Howry to a one-year contract Wednesday and following that up by getting things done with Renteria. The sides were close after a meeting Wednesday.
The Detroit Tigers declined to offer Renteria salary arbitration Monday.
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San Francisco also had been interested in Rafael Furcal, but the 33-year-old Renteria certainly became less of a medical risk considering Furcal – also being courted by the Oakland Athletics – was sidelined for all but 36 games last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers because of back problems that required surgery.
Sabean said after the 2008 season there was “zero” chance the Giants would bring back the 41-year-old Vizquel despite his popularity and still-reliable defense in the middle of the infield.
With the acquisition of Renteria, Sabean now might look to trade talented prospect Emmanuel Burriss. The 23-year-old Burriss, selected by San Francisco in the first round of the 2006 draft, played 95 games last season as a rookie.
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