THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — After spending the off-season dealing with the uncertainty of free agency, Bengie Molina is right where he began, the No. 1 catcher in San Francisco, when general manager Brian Sabean’s "that ship has sailed" summation during winter negotiations proved premature.
One of the Giants’ most productive hitters in the previous three seasons, Molina learned another hard business lesson in the process, his third time through free agency.
After hitting a career-high 20 home runs in 2009 and averaging about 17 homers and 85 RBIs in three seasons with the Giants, Molina believed his numbers warranted at least a two-year contract.
The best the market had to offer was a proposal from the New York Mets that would have paid him US$5.5 million this season with a $5.5 million option for 2011 that would have vested had Molina seen enough playing time this season.
Molina back as Giants number one catcher
