Edgar Renteria played 72 games last season, one of which included a very important 7th-inning home run against Cliff Lee. So the Giants offered the Colombian shortstop a cool million to do it again. (One hopes!) As the Chronicle's John Shea points out, that's a pretty standard salary for a backup shortstop. Except it's not very much money to someone who made some very key plays in the postseason, not to mention nearly $83 million total in his baseball career.
Speaking to ESPN Deportes [quotes translated to English on the Chronicle], Renteria says: "That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect."
"To play for a million dollars," he says, "I'd rather stay with my private business and share more time with my family. Thank God I'm well off financially and my money is well invested." We won't begrudge anyone who has enough money to retire and spend more time with the kids, but just please don't go running off to the Dodgers, OK?
