There’s no doubt that Andres Torres‘ 2011 was disappointing. It’s something I’ve reviewed in detail, and I seem to have become somewhat of a Torres apologist. In essence, he fits the mold for the prototypical underrated player: stellar defense, an above-average walk rate, elite baserunning skills, and up-the-middle positional value. Torres enters his second year of arbitration this offseason, and the Giants, faced with their set payroll restrictions, will have to decide whether he’s worth retaining. Though he’s 33, and posted an underwhelming slash line of .221/.312/.330, I believe (quite adamantly) that the Giants should tender him a contract — or find some other way to bring him back for next season.
First and foremost, Torres will not be expensive. He made $2.2MM last offseason, and because of the substantial dropoff in performance, he’s not exactly due for much of a raise. MLB Trade Rumors projects him for a bump of ~$300K in salar...
Original Story:
