Countdown to Scottsdale #19: José Guillen, OF

I sing the song of José Guillen, who very nearly brought the Giants another round of attention over a subject that has been far too dissected in recent years, yet still managed to contribute a tiny bit to the success of the eventual World Series Champions. I was not a fan of acquiring Mr. Guillen's services. In fact, I'm pretty sure I begged the Giants not to do it. But such is life when your passion is also a business and you have zero control over how that business is run...

Okay, so maybe you do have one option. You could stop going to games, spending money on concessions and gear, watching the games on TV, listening on the radio. You could divest yourself of every accoutrement that goes with being a fan, but you can't. You won't. You accept José Guillen at face value. And for the first week or two, he seemed like a decent rental. But by the end of the season, his achy knees and complete lack of plate discipline colluded to make him a hot mess of 0-fers.

When the team entered the playoffs with Cody Ross suddenly holding down a starting role, it was seen and defended as a baseball decision, and for all intents and purposes, it was. But if it was, the timing of our front office was impeccable. And it didn't hurt that #RossIsBoss went all Berzerker on the Braves, Phils, and Rangers. Still, I'd say Mr. Guillen deserves a ring just for putting on the uniform, and while one might argue that his absence during the postseason speaks to a lack of respect, I'd rather not think of the questions he and his teammates would have faced every night in October had he been there. There's no dark cloud lingering over the Giants because of anything he's done, on the field or off. In the end, his time here was a wash.

Thanks, José.