Andres Torres name didnt come up in the end-of-season press conference Thursday that featured Giants manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean.Justin Christians did, and if he was watching the presser live on CSN Bay Area, he probably wishes it hadnt.Asked if Christian was a viable option in center field next season, Sabean responded with his typical -- and admirable in this age of corporate sports-speak -- pull-no-punches clarity.To paraphrase: Uh, no chance in hell.
Fair enough. Christian hadnt been in the bigs since 2008 before he showed up out of nowhere this September, and its not like he killed it. Hes a journeyman for a reason.Cody Ross was mentioned, too; his versatility, his ability to play center field. Dont read too much into it at this stage, but at the same time, dont be stunned if hes back. At least you know what you have in Ross: a streaky but at times extremely productive player who can do a lot of things and is a consistently positive presence in the clubhouse.Torres? Hes Christian and Ross all rolled into one in a sense; hes a streaky journeyman. But his 2011 was so different than his 2010 that his status as one of the 13 arbitration-eligible Giants is undeniable. That is, hes very likely to be non-tendered and sent on his merry way.He had a career year at age 32. He wasnt very good at age 33. Should the Giants expect anything better at 34?Probably not. Nobody should. And thats probably why his name never came up Thursday.Should it have? Do the Giants owe Torres anything for what he did on the way to the World Series? Tell us what you think.
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