Punto: Say it isn't so!

[Chance]

Punto will be signing with the A's. There went the Twins hope of a utility infielder...

[Winston Smith]

Nooooooo, we still have hope they'll bring Drew back.

[Chance]

Thanks for talking me off the ledge, Winston.

[johnnydakota]

You are forgetting Boof Bonser and Nick Blackburn as well.I hear Hoey has found his fastball.

[Chance]

I didn't know Hoey lost his fastball? Or are you saying Hoey found Blackburn's fastball? If that is the case, awesome!

[Knotholemike]

See. This proves it. All the good FAs go to the West or East coasts.

[Riverbrian]

I like making fun of Nick Punto as much as anyone. Actually... I like making fun of everyone.

 

However... 36 Years Old and The A's just signed him to a 3 Million dollar deal.

 

For someone who was much maligned by Twins Fans and still is today apparently.

 

He just signed another contract. He still has a major league job when so many others don't. And... He signed with another winning team.

 

I think it's possible that we may have under-estimated Mr. Punto.

 

Half Seriously and I stress Half Seriously... (I'm half serious... half the time)... Half Seriously... I also point out... That the Twins stopped winning the moment he left town.

[cmathewson]

I just lost a lot of respect for Billy Bean.

[Thrylos]

However... 36 Years Old and The A's just signed him to a 3 Million dollar deal.

 

Let us not forget that Terry Ryan signed the (then) 38 year old Jamey Carroll to a 6.5 million dollar deal with an option to boot...

[Chance]

Personally, I'm a big fan of Punto. He wins everywhere he goes. He makes great plays in the field and solidifies a defense. I'm not upset that he signed elsewhere, but I would have liked him as a utility infielder. He isn't much worse with a bat than what we have anyway. I just posted this for fun.

[Seth Stohs]

The bashing of Punto is one of the more frustrating things for me. Did he get too big of a contract the year they were going to make him the starting SS? Yes. Was he a very good defensive player at 3 infield positions? Absolutely. He's also always taken really good, long at bats, and gets on base. He's had a very good career as a utility infielder.

[Thrylos]

The bashing of Punto is one of the more frustrating things for me. Did he get too big of a contract the year they were going to make him the starting SS? Yes. Was he a very good defensive player at 3 infield positions? Absolutely. He's also always taken really good, long at bats, and gets on base. He's had a very good career as a utility infielder.

 

That's the key here. And it is not Punto's fault that Ron Gardenhire had him start instead of being in a utility role. If people want to point fingers, they should point them at the manager and not at Punto.

[Pius Jefferson]

The Punto bashing for some goes beyond misuse by the Twins.

[Chance]

I honestly don't see the issue with Punto as a starter. He has above average defense at 3 infield locations and he isn't suck a black hole on offense as people think. He should never have been a 1 or 2 hole hitter but a guy with a career .248 is from the worst this team can do. If he would have been paid what he should have been paid people would have been glad to have him. I would let him start for my team as a SS in the 9 hole.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Unbelievable glove. Bat him 8 or 9 and start him 150 games at second, third or short if necessary.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Let us not forget that Terry Ryan signed the (then) 38 year old Jamey Carroll to a 6.5 million dollar deal with an option to boot...

Can't I hate them both?

[Riverbrian]

That's the key here. And it is not Punto's fault that Ron Gardenhire had him start instead of being in a utility role. If people want to point fingers, they should point them at the manager and not at Punto.

 

Yeah but... I'm not sure we had a better player to play instead... And we had a nice run of winning seasons with Punto playing a lot.

 

Throw the stats out on Punto... He didn't hurt the Twins at all.

[ashbury]

Throw the stats out on Punto... He didn't hurt the Twins at all.

 

Not until his first playoff in 2006, the infamous one the Twins lost to the As. First game, he went 0-3 - he came up with a man on base all four times up, he did execute a sacrifice bunt, otherwise in a game lost 3-2 he exemplified what's wrong with going small when you get past the regular season.

[Riverbrian]

Not until his first playoff in 2006, the infamous one the Twins lost to the As. First game, he went 0-3 - he came up with a man on base all four times up, he did execute a sacrifice bunt, otherwise in a game lost 3-2 he exemplified what's wrong with going small when you get past the regular season.

 

Why can't you repress painful moments like the rest of us!

[Halsey Hall]

Good for Nick. Good guy, good player, always giving it his all. I still wish we'da kept him.

[The Wise One]

Yahoo says he signed with the A's.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/punto-agrees-1-contract-athletics-195343107--mlb.html

Will this end the Beane is a genius talks?