ESPN.com - San Francisco Giants

OFFSEASON PLAYER MOVEMENT

Player signed	Player lost
RHP Tim Worrell (option picked up)	OF Reggie Sanders (option declined)
RHP Robb Nen (mutual option)	3B David Bell (player declined option)
SS Neifi Perez (waivers)	CF Tsuyoshi Shinjo (waived)
OF Marquis Grissom (free agent)
2B Ray Durham (free agent)

Complete Player Movement

Contigency plans


	Grissom


	Durham

Jeff Kent was offered arbitration by the Giants on Dec. 7 -- but just in case things don't work out with the former MVP, they also signed two players who might help replace him. Second baseman Ray Durham and outfielder Marquis Grissom signed with the NL champions, and in , the Giants agreed to continue negotiating with Kent, their star second baseman and Barry Bonds' most dependable teammate. Durham crossed the Bay from Oakland to sign a $20.1 million, three-year contract with a $7 million player option for a fourth season. Grissom left the Dodgers for a $4.25 million, two-year contract with a club option for 2005.

Gammons: Diamond notes | Shinjo waived

Alou signs three-year deal


	Alou, 67, is thrilled to return to the Giants.

Felipe Alou was hired Nov. 13 to manage the NL champion Giants, returning to the team he played for in the 1950s and '60s. The former manager of the Expos inherits a team that came within six outs of a World Series title and replaces the popular Dusty Baker, whose contract was not renewed. The 67-year-old Alou agreed to a three-year contract. He was 691-717 in 10 seasons managing the Expos. He played for the Giants from 1958-63 as part of a 17-season major league career in which he hit .286 with 206 homers and 852 RBI. "I'm thrilled to go back where it all started for me. Many times I never thought I would get back there," Alou said.

Stark: The right move | Ratto: Burning bridges

The Mag: Dusted | Taxing Baker

High-five: Bonds wins MVP


	Bonds also won the MVP award for Pittsburgh in 1990 and 1992 and for the Giants in 1993 and 2001.

Barry Bonds became baseball's first five-time Most Valuable Player, winning the NL award unanimously on Nov. 11. Bonds received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. None of his previous MVP wins was unanimous. Bonds also won the MVP award for Pittsburgh in 1990 and 1992 and for the Giants in 1993 and 2001, and is the first player to twice win the honor in consecutive seasons. No other player has won an MVP award more than three times, and only 10 others have won it in consecutive seasons. The 38-year-old Bonds won his first NL batting title this season with a .370 average and set records with 198 walks, 68 intentional walks and a .582 on-base percentage.

Gwynn: A Giant task

Felipe Alou is exactly the type of manager that the Giants need after Dusty Baker. He's someone who has had success as both a player and a manager in the big leagues. And when he was in Montreal, Alou was one of baseball's best managers. The players will respect what Alou has done, but the transition will still be difficult. His hardest job will be to convince the players he will not be like Dusty. He will be his own manager.

NEWS AND NOTES

GM Brian Sabean reportedly has discussed trading RHP Russ Ortiz to attract a topflight bat.
The Giants declined arbitration for OFs Kenny Lofton, Reggie Sanders and Tom Goodwin, 3B Bill Mueller and INF Shawon Dunston, continuing a huge offseason shakeup for the pennant-winners who came within one victory of a World Series title.
Former Detroit manager Luis Pujols will be the first base coach for Felipe Alou, who is keeping three holdovers on his coaching staff. Remaining from former manager Dusty Baker's staff are pitching coach Dave Righetti, hitting coach Joe Lefebvre and bench coach Ron Wotus, who will be in his fifth year as bench coach. Lefebvre was first base coach last season. Gene Glynn will serve as third base coach and Mark Gardner as bullpen coach.
With rookie pitchers Kurt Ainsworth, Jesse Foppert and Jerome Williams on the horizon, the Giants are willing to deal one or two starters for bats, ESPN.com's Peter Gammons reported.
The Giants claimed INF Neifi Perez off waivers from the Royals on Nov. 20. Perez, a shortstop who also can play second base, gives the Giants another backup plan if Jeff Kent leaves the NL champions as a free agent.
Dusty Baker was hired to manage the Cubs on Nov. 15, accepting one of baseball's most challenging assignments. Baker – who agreed to a four-year contract, thought to be worth between $14 million and $16 million – takes over baseball's long-time losers less than a month after leading the Giants to the World Series.
Closing arguments wrapped up Nov. 18 in the trial over who gets to keep Barry Bonds' historic 73rd home run ball, and a judge said he'll rule in mid-December.
According to USA TODAY calculations, each player on the Angels will receive full shares of $229,351 for defeating the Giants in the World Series, the smallest winning payout since a record-high $312,042 in 1998, when postseason ticket prices virtually doubled from the previous year. When checks go out next month, the Giants each will get $ 152,900. The teams also will get less. The Angels and Giants will split $16.3 million. Last year Diamondbacks and the Yankees divided $18.4 million.
Barry Bonds outslugged Japanese star Hideki Matsui in a home-run hitting contest Nov. 15 at Tokyo Dome. Bonds, who hit 46 homers in the regular season, defeated major-league prospect Matsui 8-5 in the showdown before Game 5 of the seven-game exhibition series between the major league all-stars and their Japanese counterparts.
Closer Robb Nen decided to stay with the Giants, exercising his $8.6 million option Nov. 11 rather than take a $2 million buyout and become a free agent. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Nov. 8, and the team expects him to be ready for the start of spring training. Nen has a $9 million option for 2004, with a $2 million buyout if he declines it.
LF Barry Bonds and 2B Jeff Kent won Silver Slugger awards Nov. 5. The award honors the best offensive players at each position in each league and was voted on by major league managers and coaches. It was Bonds' 10th Silver Slugger.

Give the sports fans on your list the gift of SPORTS!
ESPN Style!

DID YOU KNOW

Dusty Baker became the first manager in nearly three decades to leave a team right after reaching the World Series. Dick Williams led Oakland to the 1973 championship and then retired -- he was hired by the California Angels during the 1974 season.

AUDIO/VIDEO
Video Giant Job
Felipe Alou is excited to get the chance to manage a team coming off a World Series appearance.
Standard | Cable Modem

Decision Time
Dusty Baker has been weighing his options.
Standard | Cable Modem

Heavy Heart
Dusty Baker is disappointed after the Giants loss.
Standard | Cable Modem

ESPN.com: HELP | ADVERTISER INFO | CONTACT US | TOOLS | SITE MAP
Copyright ©2002 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.


		More Useful Everyday


	�2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

2002 NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
TEAM	W	L	PCT	GB
Arizona	98	64	.605	-
San Francisco	95	66	.590	2.5
Los Angeles	92	70	.568	6.0
Colorado	73	89	.451	25.0
San Diego	66	96	.407	32.0
Complete Standings


AVG	B. Bonds	.370
HR	B. Bonds	46
RBI	B. Bonds	110
RUN	B. Bonds	117
SB	R. Sanders	18
WIN	2 tied @	14
SV	R. Nen	43
ERA	K. Rueter	3.23
Complete Team Statistics: Batting \| Pitching


C	B. Santiago	ROTATION
1B	J. Snow	L. Hernandez
2B	J. Kent	R. Ortiz
3B	D. Bell	J. Schmidt
SS	R. Aurilia	K. Rueter
LF	B. Bonds	R. Jensen
CF	K. Lofton	CLOSER
RF	R. Sanders	R. Nen

S.F. Giants Basic Tee Our Price: $12.99	S.F. Giants 2002 Authentic Collection Premiere Jacket Our Price: $109.99
View all team products


Nov 21: Claimed infielder Neifi Perez off waivers from the Kansas City Royals; purchased the contracts of pitcher Jerome Williams, infielder Lance Niekro and outfielder Jason Ellison from Shreveport of the Texas League (AA).
Nov 14: Named Felipe Alou manager; agreed to terms on a three-year contract with Alou.
Complete Team Transactions


No significant injuries.