Great News for Dodgers: Giants Bullish on Benitez in 2007

ESPN.com reports that the Giants are fired up on Armando Benitez going into spring training. Since it's insider only, I'll just pass along the key points:

Feb 9 - Giants GM Brian Sabean has discussed Armando Benitez with other teams, but clubs want to see how healthy he is and how he throws this spring, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Benitez, who is entering a contract year, voluntarily arrived early in Scottsdale, Ariz., so the medical staff could assess his progress after he spent the last five months working to strengthen the muscles around his arthritic right knee.

"He's been here almost a week and his attitude has been great," head trainer Dave Groeschner told the newspaper Feb. 8. "He's doing exactly what we want. ... I think he's putting his best foot forward, which is all we ask right now."

It's easy to have a great attitude when no one else has reported to camp yet and you get the whole team spread to yourself. Especially if you're Benitez, who (unlike Todd Bozeman), has never met a ham sandwich he didn't like.

And it's easy to be positive on Benitez when you're trying to unload him before May hits and he's melting down all over the mound. 2006 stats: 17 saves, 8 blown saves. Here's hoping they keep him right where he is. In San Francisco. In front of the team spread.

UPDATE: For those regular SoSG readers who think I'm just too willing to pick on the overweight folks (e.g., Olmedo Saenz Pavilion), read this quote I just found from deeper in the aforementioned SF Comical article:

In an interview with KNBR on Wednesday, Bochy reported Benitez was "a couple, a few pounds overweight," a discouraging report since the pitcher was supposed to be getting in shape over the winter to take pressure off his knee. Groeschner downplayed Benitez's weight, however.

"I'd say he's about the same as he was," the trainer said. "Obviously, I don't think it's a secret we'd like him to drop a few pounds. He's working on it. We're pushing nutrition on him. It's not easy, lifestyle changes. Obviously, due to his injuries there are lots of challenges for his conditioning, so we're trying other things."

Sure, fat people are easy targets (literally). But it's not just me! It's coaches and head trainers too!