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Shane Victorino was one of the lucky players to be selected to play for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Victorino signed a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox over the winter and departed from spring training early to go represent his country. In five games with Boston during camp, he went 0-for-11 with a pair of runs, four walks and three strikeouts.

One of four outfielders on manager Joe Torre’s United States roster, Victorino played a variety of roles. Ryan Braun, Adam Jones and Giancarlo Stanton were more dangerous threats, so Victorino didn’t see much time in the outfield. He did get his fair share of playing time, though.

Unfortunately for Victorino and Team USA, the Americans’ dream of winning the WBC came up short. The United States went 2-1 in Pool D play, but later lost two of three in Pool 2 and were eliminated from further contention. It’s the third straight year Team USA failed to make the semifinal round.

But let’s focus in on the play of Boston’s newest right fielder, examining how he did in the World Baseball Classic.

Patriotism: A+

I’ll give credit to any player that wants to play for their country. There seems to be a big disconnect between some of the top players in Major League Baseball and their desire to play in the World Baseball Classic, a topic that’s been widely discussed since the rosters were announced.

But that can’t be said for Victorino, who took part in his second WBC. It was an interesting decision considering he was new with Boston and decided that instead of developing close ties with his new teammates that he should take advantage of an opportunity that doesn’t come around too often.

Victorino is no longer in his prime, but he was more than proud to accept the offer. According to Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston, Victorino said:

To represent your country is something you dream of as a child. Putting on a USA jersey, I never thought growing up in Hawaii I’d wear a USA jersey and put on No. 50, to represent my state. I’m excited to wear 50 again. I’m pumped.

It’s encouraging to know that he so was excited to play for Team USA. Hopefully he’s just as excited to play for the Red Sox the next three years.

In-Game Results: F

I hate to say it, but Victorino was a major disappointment in my eyes at the World Baseball Classic. I understand that it’s a little early in the year to be playing such meaningful games and maybe he wasn’t as prepared as he could’ve been, but he was a non-factor for Team USA.

Here are Victorino’s game-by-game results:

Mexico vs. USA: 0-for-1 (PH)

USA vs. Italy: DNP

USA vs. Canada: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K (LF)

Puerto Rico vs. USA: DNP

Dominican Republic vs. USA: 0-for-1 (PH)

Puerto Rico vs. USA: 0-for-4, 2 K (DH)

As you can clearly tell, Victorino didn’t see a lot of time on the field. He started just twice and came off the bench twice, sitting the remaining two games. Even still, he didn’t make much of an impact. Combined, he went 1-for-11 with one RBI and five strikeouts.

Now, we can’t just throw out the excuse that the other pitchers were just better than the Americans because some players on Team USA played very well. Take David Wright, for instance. Even though he missed the final game due to injury, he went 7-for-16 in the WBC with three extra-base hits and 10 RBI.

I’m not trying to compare Victorino to Wright; I’m just stating that hitting in the international competition was possible. In fact, Victorino was the only player on Team USA with at least 10 at-bats not to hit at least .200. His bat just wasn’t there during the WBC.

Overall: C-

Once again, I love that Victorino decided to play. Since spring training started, he’s had just as many total at-bats as many other Red Sox players despite leaving camp to play in the World Baseball Classic. You can’t blame a guy for wanting to play for his country instead of playing exhibition games with the team he recently signed with.

But as I’ve stated, despite the experience, Victorino was horrible for Team USA. The United States as a whole played poorly at times and Victorino certainly was one of the reasons why. Does he deserve all of the blame? Absolutely not, but he deserves some of it. He only had one hit in 11 at-bats. That’s not good no matter which way you spin it.

Victorino couldn’t help Team USA win the WBC title, but here’s to hoping he makes a difference with the Red Sox in 2013.

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ESPNBoston’s Gordon Edes has reported that the Boston Red Sox and free agent outfielder Shane Victorino have agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract, pending a physical.

The deal is already being widely lampooned, with ESPN.com’s Keith Law saying the deal “vaults to the top of the rankings of the worst contracts signed so far this offseason,” in his insider column.

As of right now, Victorino is slated to be Boston’s starting right fielder, while providing backup depth in center field. However, the Boston outfield could continue to change as additional signings or trades are pondered.

ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted that entering the offseason, it was estimated by at least one front-office man that Victorino would be lucky to get a one-year contract for modest money.

One team guesstimated early in offseason that Victorino could be a good value buy at about $6-7 million on a one-year deal #explodingprices

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 4, 2012

The proof will be what is produced on the field, but right now there aren’t a lot of positive feelings about the Red Sox signing Victorino.

Click through to see three quick reasons why signing Victorino to such a large contract was a bad idea.

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When the Boston Red Sox pulled off their franchise-altering trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in August, general manager Ben Cherington spoke of how the club planned to be more “disciplined” going forward.

Assuming that’s still the case, I can’t wait to hear Cherington‘s rationale behind his decision to sign Shane Victorino. With the contract they’ve reportedly given him, the Red Sox are stretching the limits of the term “disciplined.”

Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe was the first to report that the Red Sox had a three-year offer worth $38 million out to the former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com came out and noted that the offer was actually worth $37.5 million. Big difference, you know.

At any rate, Alex Speier of WEEI.com was the first to report that the deal is done:

Sox have agreed with Victorino on 3yr deal

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 4, 2012

Indications are that Victorino will step in and play right field for the Red Sox, with Jacoby Ellsbury in center field and Jonny Gomes serving as the team’s semi-full-time left fielder.

Ideally, Victorino will also be stationed at the top of Boston’s lineup, perhaps in between Ellsbury and second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

However, I can’t really stress the word “ideally” enough right there. Victorino is only going to be a fit for the top of John Farrell’s batting order if he hits like he used to, and here, the emphasis is on “used to.”

Victorino didn’t hit all that much in 2012. His batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all declined from where they were in 2011, with his OPS falling over 100 points from .847 all the way down to .704.

In the years since he became an everyday player in 2006, Victorino hadn’t posted an OPS below .756. That’s a pretty telltale sign that the 2012 season was the beginning of a decline for the 32-year-old, and it’s just as concerning that things got worse for Victorino as the year moved along rather than better.

Upon joining the Dodgers in July, Victorino went on to post a slash line of .245/.316/.351 in 53 games. He was brought in to provide stability at the top of Don Mattingly’s lineup, but failed miserably.

But wait, it gets worse.

Per FanGraphs, Victorino suffered from poor plate discipline in 2012, swinging at a career-high 33.5 percent of the pitches he saw outside of the strike zone. This high chase percentage contributed to a low walk percentage and a slightly elevated strikeout percentage. His BABIP dropped to .278, slightly below his career mark of .296.

The worst part was how much Victorino‘s power dropped off. His ISO—a stat that measures a hitter’s ability to hit for extra bases—tumbled from .212 all the way to .128. That’s a flashing red light that signals he may be losing some bat speed.

Yet Cherington still agreed to pay Victorino almost as much money as he agreed to pay Mike Napoli, who can be counted on for an OPS around .800 and 25 homers per year. The Red Sox will also be paying Victorino almost as much as the San Francisco Giants agreed to pay Angel Pagan, who is younger than Victorino and coming off a career year. And his contract is for four years.

For what it’s worth, I had Victorino pegged as more of a $10 or $11 million-per-year player, even as the market developed into overpay city for center fielders. The Red Sox chose to give him almost $13 million per year instead.

On the bright side, the deal is only for three years, so the Red Sox don’t have another Carl Crawford disaster waiting to happen on their hands.

Heck, even I can admit that there’s a chance it could work out in the end. Victorino‘s deal will be a steal if he reverts to where he was in 2011. If he becomes even the steady producer that he was between 2006 and 2010, the Red Sox will have no reason to complain about his contract.

Furthermore, Alex Speier brought up a good point when he noted that Victorino could be shifted to center field if Jacoby Ellsbury is dealt any time between now and the trade deadline. And since his deal is only for three years and he can be easily moved around, he won’t block top-prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. from becoming an impact player at the major-league level.

But if you happen to be feeling optimistic at the moment, you had best pump your brakes. The notion of Victorino providing good value for his nearly $40 million contract hinges on him not being as woefully mediocre as he was in 2012.

If last season wasn’t a fluke, well, yikes.

If Victorino can’t turn things around, he won’t be much good for the Red Sox as a potential replacement for Ellsbury or as a placeholder for Bradley, either. His 2012 performance suggests pretty strongly that he’s closer to being a fourth outfielder than he is to being the All-Star starter that he used to be.

As such, he won’t have any value on the field or on the trade market if he continues to fall apart. The Red Sox could have to eat a sizable chunk of Victorino‘s deal if they do decide to get rid of him somewhere down the line. Either that, or they’ll just have to pay him and grumble to themselves while he does nothing to earn his checks.

Relative to the club’s revenue stream and how much payroll space it has, Victorino‘s deal certainly can be perceived to be a “low-risk” signing (albeit barely). And since 2012 may have been a fluke, it can also be characterized as a “high-reward” signing.

But if that’s the kind of signing the Red Sox were after to fill out their outfield depth chart, why not aim much lower on the risk front? Instead of Victorino, why not Scott Hairston, Nate McLouth, Nate Schierholtz or incumbent right fielder Cody Ross? He’s been reported to only want $25 million over three years, but the Red Sox paid far more money than that over the same amount of years to a player they don’t know they can rely on.

Or the Red Sox could have just stayed in house and finally given Ryan Kalish a shot. He’s had a rough couple of years, but he’s still too young to be labeled a lost cause.

The point is that the Red Sox didn’t have to gamble on Victorino. There were other options out there with less risk and smaller price tags attached to their names. There were also options with higher price tags and better abilities (see Swisher, Nick) that could have been brought aboard.

It’s easy to see why the Red Sox chose to gamble on Victorino. It’s harder to see why they, in all their wisdom and discipline, figured that he was worth a $37.5 million roll of the dice.

This signing won’t cripple the Red Sox, but they could come to regret it. 

In other words, it’s precisely the kind of signing they wanted to stay away from.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. 

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Shane Victorino statistically had the worst full season of his career in 2012.

Yet, the Red Sox still signed the free agent to a three-year, $39 million deal.

Victorino posted career-low numbers in batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.

Last season, the 32-year-old hit .255 and slugged .383 with 72 runs, 29 doubles, seven triples, 11 homers and 55 runs batted in. He had a career-high 39 stolen bases, but he also posted a career-high 80 strikeouts and a career low .704 OPS.

Not once in the 2012 season did the Hawaiian native hit greater than .290 or slug greater than .450 in a month (excluding October, in which he played three games).

In the final two full months of his contract year, Victorino hit .239 with only 13 extra base hits and 15 RBI combined.

The soon-to-be Red Sox right fielder really hasn’t been that great over the last three seasons.

Since 2010, he’s hit .264 and averaged approximately 84 runs, 27 doubles, 11 triples, 15 HRs and 62 RBI. The long-time National Leaguer has averaged 31 stolen bases a season, but with his on base percentage declining and hitting a career low in 2012, his stolen base total should see a decline as well.

By signing Victorino, the Red Sox will no longer be pursuing other free agents like Josh Hamilton, Cody Ross and Nick Swisher.

The Red Sox could have signed Hamilton to a three-year deal worth twice as much as Victorino’s, but instead they decided to save $30-plus million and pass on one of the best hitters in the league.

The Red Sox could have re-signed Ross, whose AVG vs. LHP was 28 points lower but SLG% vs. LHP was 118 points greater Victorino’s, to a less expensive three-year deal,. Instead, Ben Cherington passed on a player who hit. 298 and slugged .565 at Fenway Park last season, while Victorino is 2-for-14 (.143) in his career at the ballpark.

The Red Sox could have even went with Ryan Kalish, who will return in 2013 healthy and hit for a greater AVG and SLG% in 2010 (his only significant playing time) than Victorino did in 2012, but instead the Red Sox, it appears, will not be patient with the young prospect.

Almost $40 million over three years is a lot to pay a player who hit just .230 and slugged .332 against RHP last season.

In fact, former GM and current ESPN analyst Jim Bowden predicted that the two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner would sign for three years and approximately $30 million. Bowden noted that Victorino is “in decline” and “his contract will exceed his talent because of his makeup.”

The Red Sox looked past that and overpaid the free agent’s predicted, overpaid contract by about $10 million.

Victorino will bring a good glove and speed to the team, but his offensive numbers are in decline.

The Red Sox overpaid for Victorino and should have looked elsewhere, or even within, for a right fielder.

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After shedding millions of dollars in bad contracts last season, the Boston Red Sox Tuesday surprised a lot of people by signing Shane Victorino to a three-year contract for a reported total of $38 million (via Boston.com). 

The 31-year-old outfielder is expected to be the Opening Day right fielder for the Red Sox and could spell center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury when needed.

Grabbing someone with the ability to steal over 30 bases a year and has Gold Glove defensive ability really is not the worst thing the Sox could have done, but signing someone who cannot consistently hit left-handed pitching and teaching him to play right field for three years is another matter.

In essence, they gave Torii Hunter money for a player that is a bit faster, but has less power.

For all the talk of fiscal prudence, Victorino becomes the second player in as many days to get around $13 million per year.

While that seems to be the going rate for mid-level players this offseason, it does make you wonder why the Red Sox would spend that much money to fill that hole in right field when they have prospects in their farm system. Maybe the speculation of trading Ellsbury is true and Shane was actually brought into play center field, his natural position.

Like Mike Napoli, the other big contract signed so far during the Winter Meetings, Victorino did not have a great season during the last year of his contract.

Stealing a career high 39 bases between time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, Victorino actually had a career low batting average of .255 and an OPS+ of 91. An average MLB hitter should have an OPS+ of 100.

Victorino also struck out a career high 80 times.

When he plays well, he can hit for his speed. Twice, he led the National League in triples and has hit more than 10 three times in his career. If he can find the gap in Fenway’s spacious right center and that 420-foot triangle in dead center, he could get back into double-digits in triples again.

As with some of the other signings so far this offseason, the big question is the length of the deal. Boston basically had a “get out of jail free” card after dumping salary onto the Dodgers.

In an upcoming season that really doesn’t look like they’re going to be in the playoff hunt, was this the right player to spend money on?

*Statistics via Baseball Reference.

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The Boston Red Sox are making moves at the winter meetings that make sense, like signing Mike Napoli to play first base on a three-year contract.

First, there was a tweet from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo saying that the Sox are close to signing Shane Victorino to a three-year contract. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal then tweeted that the dollar amount for the potential signing would be $37.5 million.

WEEI’s Alex Speier has reported that it is a done deal.

Yikes.

$37.5 million for Shane Victorino seems like a lot of money for a player who looks to be on the downside of his career. The 32-year-old Victorino isn’t a bad player, but the Sox could have done better to upgrade their outfield.

The switch-hitting Victorino struggled in 2012, ending the season with a slash line of .255/.321/.383 split between time with the Phillies and Dodgers. Looking at his splits, he batted only .229 against right-handed pitchers last season while batting from the left side.

Given the heavy right-handed nature of the Sox lineup right now, this isn’t really going to help them.

As a three-time Gold Glove winner, Victorino will bring much better defense to right field, both at Fenway and on the road. He also has speed, racking up 39 steals last season.

Victorino is also viewed as a good clubhouse guy and a player that does a lot of the little things, as well as bringing energy and a very good postseason track record.

But it begs the question: Why would the Sox hold firm on Cody Ross for two years and then turn around and give Victorino three?

Offensively, Ross is the better player. Defensively, Victorino is the better player. Ross was a known quantity for the Sox, but they were unwilling to go to three years and $25 million for Ross.

But they felt fine going to three years and adding an extra $12.5 million to the contract that they wouldn’t give Ross to bring in Victorino. It seems like an odd decision when the Sox could have held out to see if the market would drop for Nick Swisher, Josh Hamilton or Michael Bourn.

It just seems odd.

The only way this move makes real sense right now is that it gives the Sox flexibility to do something with Jacoby Ellsbury this winter if a good offer comes along.

It also protects the Sox when Ellsbury potentially leaves at the end of the 2013 season as a free agent, giving the team insurance in both center and right field.

At first glance it sure seems like the Sox are settling for Victorino and overpaying for him at the same time. Not a good combination.

I’m sure the Sox have their reasons, but if this is their right field answer, I’d have rather had Cody Ross back.

Statictics used from Baseball Referece.

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Free-agent outfielder Shane Victorino has inked a deal with the Boston Red Sox.

The news comes to us via Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

Sox have agreed with Victorino on 3yr deal

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 4, 2012

The 32-year-old veteran was one of the top free-agent outfielders available this offseason, and despite his advancing age, the two-time All-Star still has plenty of value.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Victorino’s three-year deal is worth $39 million.

Victorino and #RedSox: Three years, $39M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 4, 2012

Victorino is a three-time Gold Glove winner, and his defense remains above average. He can play any position in the outfield with competence, but he is at his best when roaming in center.

He also swiped a career-high 39 steals last season, and he was caught stealing just six times. He remains one of the elite base-stealers in the game. If age is going to rob him of a step, it has not happened yet.

However, there are some concerns with diminishing production at the plate. 

While playing in 154 games last season for the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, Victorino hit 11 home runs with 55 RBI, which is his lowest HR total since 2009 and fewest RBI since 2007. 

Victorino also hit just .255, which set a new career low, not counting his 73 at-bat stint as a rookie for the Padres in 2003, for the career .275 hitter. That average came with a OPS of just .704, which is also his lowest since 2003. 

Now, before reading too much into those numbers, it is important to consider this fact pointed out by The Dallas Morning News: “Last season, Victorino hit more line drives and ground balls than he did in 2011.”

That is a great indication that Victorino’s drop-off last season is not a sign of a player battling the rapid decline of skills that comes along with age; rather, it reveals a player that suffered more from bad breaks.  

This is a solid signing that will bring not only a well-rounded skill set to the lineup, but also veteran leadership to the clubhouse. 

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Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has certainly proven himself this winter as being a man of discipline.

Well, thus far anyway.

In signing David Ross, Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli there has been one consistent theme: overpay for shorter contracts while filling a need.

The Red Sox gave free agent catcher Ross two years and $6.2 million to be a back up; or so it seems.

They followed that move up by signing Gomes to a two-year $10 million contract, which had some fans scratching their heads. For all intents and purposes, Gomes will likely be a fourth outfielder. Many fans have been clamoring to Boston sports radio, calling for the team to bring back Cody Ross.

Reportedly, Cody Ross is looking for a three-year deal in the ballpark of $25 million—a price the team has yet to cough up for the slugger.

By adding Mike Napoli to the mix, once again the team likely overpaid, giving him a three-year deal worth $39 million. However, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports had reported, Napoli wanted four years. 

By overpaying Napoli, they got the player they wanted at the length of contract in which they’re comfortable.

Now, according to a tweet by The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, the Red Sox are the front runners for Shane Victorino.

Red Sox front runners on Shane Victorino. Offered three year $38 mill deal.

— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) December 4, 2012

Should the Red Sox land Victorino, they’ll be getting exactly the type of player Cherington has been looking for: a right fielder that can play some center field—once again according to Cafardo, per his Extra Bases Blog.

The Red Sox would be gaining a switch-hitting outfielder with three Gold Glove Awards to his name.

While fans may be quick to point to his off-year in 2012, there are several facets to his game that cannot be overlooked.

Obviously, he is a solid defensive player. Having a weaker defender at first creates a need for a strong right fielder. This is exactly what the team is looking at with Victorino and Napoli on the right side of the field.

In addition, it gives the team another bat at the top of the order with solid speed. He stole 39 bases last season and has swiped 30 or more bags four times in his career.

Additionally, Victorino led the National League twice in triples with 13 in 2009 and 16 in 2011 while hitting seven last season.

With the money that has come off the books for this team, the Red Sox are slowly putting together a solid team with good clubhouse guys on short-term deals.

In other words, the exact opposite of what the Boston Red Sox have been for so many years.

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It’s Day 2 of the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. and rumors continue to swirl, all while free agents are scooped up off the market (see Dan Haren to Washington via USA Today).

One of this winter’s top targets is outfielder Shane Victorino, who has as many as seven suitors according to Jon Heyman of cbssports.com.

Of those seven teams, almost half of them reside in the AL East division (those being the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees).

All three of these teams are either contenders or a few pieces from being contenders, and the Yankees and Red Sox have the money to spend (though both teams are saying they’re going to be slightly more conservative than they have been in years past).

With the Rays recently losing B.J. Upton to the Braves, the Red Sox having major holes in their outfield and the Yankees having lost Nick Swisher to the free-agent market, one can see why Shane Victorino should be heavily favored to land somewhere amongst those three AL East teams.

Victorino may be a center fielder, but he is willing to play corner outfield positions as he has done so in the past.

As a switch-hitter he’d fit in well at Yankee Stadium and Fenway hitting from the left side, as both of those parks have short right field fences.

In Tampa he’d be able to play the position he prefers and would still be joining a competitive team, with one of the best sluggers hitting behind him and one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball.

The Red Sox reportedly talking to Nick Swisher, according to this tweet from Jon Heyman:

#redsox talking to swisher now. A possibility.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 3, 2012

We could see the Yankees and Tampa Bay turn the heat up on their efforts to sign an outfielder of their own to match Boston’s move.

Should the Nick Swisher talks prove to be unsuccessful, Shane Victorino would be the next logical choice for the Sox, seeing as Michael Bourn would probably only play center field, a position the Sox already have filled with youngster Jacoby Ellsbury.

With the intense competition in the AL East being so stiff (especially with the Toronto Blue Jays now being legitimate contenders), each of the three clubs has an increased incentive to outbid their division rivals and pick up the Flyin’ Hawaiian.

Expect to see Victorino with one of those AL East clubs in 2013.

Follow @LeafsWriterBR

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Whether or not the San Francisco Giants are able to re-sign center fielder Angel Pagan, the team is lacking in outfield depth.  With a free-agent market full of big-name outfielders (Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn), the Giants have several options.  

The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Shane Victorino is the best fit for San Francisco.  

The Giants were successful in 2012 for a variety of reasons, two of which included their ability to manufacture runs and their unique team chemistry.  Victorino would not only contribute to, but would also ultimately strengthen, this style of play.  

These are only a few of the reasons the Giants should take a good look at the Flyin’ Hawaiian.

San Francisco hitters may not be the most patient at the plate, but they do make a lot of contact. Second baseman Marco Scutaro led all of MLB with a 92.5 percent contact rate, and fellow G-men in the lineup followed closely.  

Shane Victorino possesses an impressive contact rate of his own.  He put the bat on the ball 86.8 percent of the time in 2012.  He is not afraid to swing and put the ball in play, which is an attribute complemented by the rest of the Giants’ lineup.  

In addition, Victorino only struck out 12 percent of the time and maintained a nine percent walk rate. While he doesn’t leave the bat on his shoulders often, he is no free swinger.

If the Phillies successfully sign Angel Pagan to a four-year deal, an offer reported by Ken Rosenthal via Fox Sports, Victorino would make a fine replacement in the leadoff spot.  After all, the Flyin’ Hawaiian didn’t get his nickname for nothing. 

Last season, Victorino swiped 39 bases for Philadelphia and Los Angeles while only getting caught six times.  He makes things happen on the base paths.  The Giants need a guy who can not only get on base, but who can put himself into scoring position and give Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey more RBI opportunities.  This is a lineup that doesn’t hit a lot of long balls, but that can hit safely consistently.  More baserunners means more value to every line-drive single.  

Put Pagan back into the equation, and Victorino would be equally effective batting fifth or sixth in the order.  He muscled 29 doubles last season, equal to his career average.

Along with their strategy of manufacturing runs, the Giants thrive on their ability and willingness to play as a team.  Victorino has an excellent clubhouse reputation and has already played with right fielder Hunter Pence while the pair covered the outfield grass in Philadelphia together.  He is a team guy with the right intangibles to fit right in in San Francisco. 

Not to mention, Victorino’s defense has been exceptional enough to earn three Gold Gloves.  

As an added bonus, Victorino played for the Dodgers last season with the knowledge of his role as a “rent-a-player.”  His time with Los Angeles was basically his opportunity to showcase his talents to other teams as his free agency approached.  While he ultimately underperformed, batting only .245, imagine the poetic justice of Victorino punishing the Dodgers for providing him with a clearly temporary home?  

Looking at Victorino as a serious option for the Giants in 2013 is not to give up on Angel Pagan.  But Victorino could potentially pick up the slack.  Ideally, Victorino would be a welcome reinforcement in a Pence-Pagan San Francisco outfield.  Either way, the switch-hitting center fielder should be under strong consideration among the powers-that-be in the Giants’ front office.  

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