Rich Aurilia, a good guy and seemingly one of the few players not being hauled into court on steroids and perjury, has taken an unusual and not-exactly generous deal to stay with the team he's played for most of his career. He's been offered a million bucks -- but on paper, he's been demoted to the minor leagues.
The unconventional deal results from a combination of Aurilia's advanced age and the recession. If Aurilia can make the team in spring training, he stays in the bigs and gets his seven figures. This off-season, teams are doing these conditional, minor league deals like mad. Our old pal Omar Vizquel just took such a deal with the Rangers, Andruw Jones and Kevin Millar -- just a year or two removed from their All-Star days -- were forced to take the same.
Fans hate to see this. Players who have been role model, high-effort, day-in-day-out guys for years are stuck with demotions while other players with perhaps not as much work ethic still receive otherworldly offers.
Aurilia himself had other minor league offers from the Cubs, Phillies, and Blue Jays. But you'd think a fellow who's still hitting .281 -- and can capably play every position in the infield -- would be offered an arrangement more in line with his production. But any deal that also keeps Raquel Aurilia in the Bay Area is good for San Francisco fans.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who can't capably play one single position in the infield.
