UPDATE (1/20/2011 at 8:39 p.m.): According to Mychael Urban of CSN Bay Area, the Giants and Suppan have finalized a minor league deal. If Suppan makes the major league roster out of camp, he stands to make $1M next season. Quite frankly, I wouldn't pay him the league minimum because he'll likely provide replacement level value or worse. Then again, it's not my money.
Original Post (1/20/2011 at 6:47 p.m.): Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that Giants are "close" to signing free agent pitcher, Jeff Suppan, to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
Presumably, if Suppan makes the Giants 40-man roster, he will serve as either a right handed option out of the bullpen, or as rotation depth in AAA. Suppan, 36, has poor velocity; allows far too much contact; walks too many batters; and allows too many home runs. In other words, he lacks all of the skills a pitcher needs to survive the grind of pitching in the major leagues. After watching Suppan struggle to perform well enough to be considered a replacement level player in each of the last three seasons (worth -0.9 WAR), I'm not sure he'd be even the Giants sixth or seventh best option for either one of those roles.
Last season, Suppan completed the ludicrous four year $42M contract he signed with the Brewers prior to the 2007 season. This past June, the Brew Crew finally admitted their mistake, and mercifully cut the pitcher. Seven days later, he was signed by the Cardinals as a Dave Duncan reclamation project. Unlike Jeff Weaver, Joel Pineiro, etc., Suppan proved to be beyond repair. He finished the season with a 3-8 record, 4.89 FIP, and 0.0 WAR.
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