on a hitter's contract without appreciably increasing the risk. It's yet another reason I think the DH rule undermines baseball. The NL is automatically at a disadvantage when there is a much greater financial risk to securing a top offensive player long-term, when, by the last two years of his contract, he may only be half a baseball player. Half a baseball player is all an AL club needs in that situation, and anything more for them is gravy. Half a baseball player in the NL is a REALLY expensive pinch-hitter, and nothing more.

It then ceases to be a function of the money, and becomes a function of the time. If the Giants can't realistically reserve more than, say, five years of TIME (and, of course, its accompanying paychecks) to devote to the player due to the ever increasing risk beyond that, then the Giants are in the unenviable position of having to overbid each year of the contract to account in the aggregate for the final two years that the AL club can offer.

If, for sake of argument, it was 5 years vs 7 that we were talking about (may in reality be more or less), and 20 mil a year average (again, may be more, but the math is easier that way), the Giants must pay an extra 40 million past the 100 million he was "worth" over that five years, just to remain competitive.

No WONDER the AL is turning into a homerun derby, and the NL is turning into 1890's small-ball, when the NL has to pay between a quarter and a half as much AGAIN to secure the same power-hitting talent.

The reality of the situation is that the Giants have to find a middle-ground, which means they are playing chicken with Pablo's agent. They aren't going to offer the full 40% more for the 5 years, they'll offer slightly less to encourage Pablo to stay more than half a ball player. He realizes that will keep his stock high for another contract in years 6 and 7, and in that way, he is incentivised by more money in the first 5 years than the AL would pay him, but bears some of the risk that he loses out on whatever more he would have gotten total from Boston if something unfortunate happens (career ending injury...or career ending weight gain ) and this ends up being the last contract he ever signs. In either case, it boils down to the NL team having to offer more than the player is "worth," while still bearing the brunt of the risk if it all goes south.

I can't blame Pablo, but it sure sucks for the Giants, and I can't blame them if they decide it's not worth it. Trouble is, in this case, with the dearth of available good 3rd basemen, "worth" becomes a very relative term.