After officially re-signing shortstop Omar Vizquel on Friday, Giants General Manager Brian Sabean said his next priority would be to sort out his options at third base.

He is close to ruling out one free agent third baseman because of his excessive demands, and no, it isn't Alex Rodriguez.

It's Pedro Feliz, who is seeking a three-year contract. Sabean said Feliz might be positioned to get such a deal in the current market, but it wouldn't be from the Giants.

"If that's the case, it's not something we're going to pursue," Sabean said. "At least not at this time."

The Giants aren't ready to rule anything out with Rodriguez, even though he could break his own record as the priciest free agent in history.

Sabean said the Giants weren't among the clubs to engage Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, this week at the general manager meetings in Orlando. The Giants will remain passive observers for the next few weeks as well, believing there is little to be gained in the early fluff of negotiations.

"You'd have to gauge if it's legitimate interest or if it's simply to drag in as many teams as possible," Sabean said. "You could look at the Giants and say, 'They need a marquee name' and gravitate to us. . . . (But) how do we know if he wants to stay in A.L.? How do we know what he really thinks of San Francisco?

"The best tact is for us to be on outside looking in until this thing gets defined.


Knowing Scott's diligence, this thing will go to or through the winter meetings (in December)."

The Giants took the same tact with Boras last winter, lurking through November before surprising the industry by signing left-hander Barry Zito to a $126 million deal.

The Giants' third-base options are greater on the trade market. Sabean said he "covered a lot of ground" at the GM meetings and prefers to do the bulk of his roster reconstruction through dealmaking.

But he shot down reports that he is shopping right-hander Tim Lincecum, who led all rookies with 150 strikeouts last season.

"The only way it's come up is if teams ask about him, and that's where it ends," Sabean said. "I'm not in a position to think there's a trade out there where we could trade Lincecum. But when you finish 20 games under .500 in last place, you have to listen."

Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera might be the only player that could be worth sacrificing Lincecum in a deal. Sabean wouldn't directly answer a question about the elite hitter, whom the Marlins are attempting to trade because he is due to make about $10 million in arbitration.

"Players like that will command a lot of interest and a lot of return," he said.

Sabean said he decided to move forward with Vizquel, knowing he had few other options at shortstop. Club officials did not consider Rodriguez among them.

Vizquel, who turns 41 in April, will make $5.5 million next year with a vesting club option for $5.2 million in 2009. He can guarantee the option by appearing in 140 games next year - something no 40-year-old shortstop has done since Luke Appling in 1949.

Vizquel played in 145 games last year - including 127 after his 40th birthday.

The option language could set up a sticky situation if Vizquel struggles, especially if he's close in September. But Vizquel said he understands that his performance will dictate how often he plays.

"If you start slipping, I don't think they will reward me with that," said Vizquel, who spoke on a conference call just before playing his second game for Leones in his farewell tour of the Venezuelan Winter League. "Everybody knows I love playing the game. I don't like taking days off. I'll try to be on the field every day."

Vizquel is coming off a terrible offensive season in which he needed a second-half rally just to lift his average to .246. His .621 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentages) was the lowest among all everyday N.L. players.

Sabean hoped the year was an aberration, saying Vizquel could bounce back given his skills and track record. Vizquel said he wasn't sure what went wrong, but he felt strong all season and was determined to improve on his numbers.

Vizquel agreed that his struggles at the plate probably influenced the managers and coaches who vote on Gold Glove awards. Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins prevented Vizquel from winning his third consecutive and 12th overall.

"I knew my offensive numbers probably would cost me," Vizquel said.

Sabean said it's possible voters took Vizquel's defensive skills for granted, adding that nobody plays the position better on a day-to-day basis.

"He's never in the training room," Sabean said. "He's always ready to play. . . . There's nobody better to learn from because he still has passion of a rookie and plays every game like it's his last."

Sabean said he hoped Vizquel would help groom prospects Emmanuel Burriss and Brian Bocock, one of whom could be ready to succeed Vizquel in a year or two, though Bocock had arthroscopic right elbow surgery after the season.

Vizquel has played 2,570 games at shortstop and is 13 away from tying the major league record held by fellow Venezuelan Luis Aparicio.

The Giants are banking on him continuing to buck the odds as a shortstop in his 40s. He is one of three shortstops in major league history to play more than 100 games at the position after his 40th birthday.

Vizquel's nine errors were the fewest among full-time N.L. shortstops last season, and his .986 fielding percentage ranked second, one thousandth of a point behind Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki. Rollins was a point behind Vizquel, at .985.

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