Giants decline Huff's 10 million option for 2013

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Aubrey Huff is taking his Rally Thong to the cleaners.

In a move that all parties anticipated, the Giants declined a 10 million option on Huff for 2013, instead choosing a 2 million buyout that amounts to a parting gift between the club and the steeply declining first baseman.

Huff, 35, will be long remembered as the most valuable offensive performer from the 2010 World Series championship team. His inspirational undergarments helped to rally his teammates to clinch the NL West title on the final day of the regular season. He hit a two-run home run in Game 4 of the World Series at Texas, too.

He gave the Giants tremendous return in 2010 after they signed him to a 3 million contract as a free-agent afterthought, hitting .290 with a .385 on-base percentage and 26 home runs while scoring 100 runs.

He gave them much, much less productivity after signing a two-year, 22 million deal just a few weeks after the victory parade in 2010. Huff slumped badly while hitting .246 in 2011 and was even less effective this season. He lost his starting job to Brandon Belt by the end of April, he failed to cover second base in an odd, walk-off loss at Citi Field on April 21, and caused controversy two days later when he went home without prior permission before the Giants played a doubleheader against the Mets.

REWIND: Anxiety lands Huff on 15-day DL

He later went on the disabled list with what he and the club described as an anxiety disorder. Huff landed on the DL again in June after injuring his knee while trying to hurdle the dugout rail in the moments after Matt Cain threw his perfect game June 13.

RELATED: Huff hurts knee celebrating perfect game

Huff made the postseason roster as a pinch hitter and was 1 for 9 with a walk and one run scored, in Game 2 of the NLCS -- his first time crossing the plate since May 23.

Huff hasn't announced his retirement, but if his career is over after 13 seasons, he'll end it as a .278 hitter with 242 home runs and 904 RBIs for the Devil Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers and Giants. He won a Silver Slugger award as the designated hitter in Baltimore in 2008, when he hit .304 with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs.

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