Buster Posey Treading Water in the Bay

Since the Winter Meetings about a month ago, Buster Posey must have been enjoying his workouts and preparation for the starting catcher slot next season.  Buster probably felt even better when GM Brian Sabean confirmed his stance on not pursuing Molina, "That ship has sailed. That's not going to be a fallback position for us."  Molina's negotiations with the Mets on a multiyear deal just a few days ago only added to Buster's satisfaction.  Then, Tuesday morning arrived and rumors were saying that Molina had rejected a multiyear deal from the Mets basically on a change of heart.  Molina rejected a $5 million offer from the Mets to return to the Giants for $4.5 million. 

First of all, what is Molina thinking turning down that extra half million dollars.  Are times that good for aging catchers?  Maybe he wanted to build on his performance from a year ago (.265/ 20/ 80) enough to get a lucrative multiyear deal after next season.  Do you really believe he did not 'like the Mets'?  It's not like he's going to the AL and has to learn a whole new set of hitters.  You got to wonder why he did this.

Now on the Giants standpoint, was the $4.5 million money well spent?  You can argue that they Giants could have allocated that money to another FA position player or put it in the "Saving Lincecum trust fund" for post arbitration years.  Or yolu can also argue that it's all even in the long run and it only delays service time for the already record setting $6.2 million upfront bonus baby in Buster Posey (now second all time to Strasburg).  On another note, did the Giants pitching staff (aka. Lincecum and Cain) really want Molina back to call the games or did they not feel Posey was ready?

There is one thing pretty clear through all this mess.  Buster Posey got the short straw and his development will remain struck in neutral.  Buster has already been delayed enough.  Remember when Buster managed to squeeze out 17 AB's in the month while watching a slightly injured Molina call meaningless September games?  Posey's offensive talents are clearly advanced.  He's raked at every level and in two years time managed to put on seven different uniforms moving from level to level.  Sabean, let the kid play.  The whole city of San Francisco wants him playing and I'm sure he'd blend in nicely with Lincecum, Cain, and the revamped Kung Fu Pablo.  For a second I thought that the Giants were finally becoming younger and open to giving youngsters a chance.  Hopefully they don't pull this kind of treatment on the NeXt star--Madison Bumgarner.