The Giants signed OF Aaron Rowand yesterday to a five-year contract. The Giants were probably the only team that was willing to give Rowand a five-year deal. Although Rowand had a career year last season with the Phillies and made the All Star team, he is not a superstar.
Rowand won't be mistaken for Barry Bonds anytime soon. Rowand clubbed 17 of his 27 homers last year in hitter-friendly Citizens Park in Philadephia. He will be lucky to hit 20 with the Giants. Rowand does not strike fear in any starting pitcher at all. He probably does strike fear in some batters who are afraid that they will be robbed of a hit due to a great diving catch by Rowand in the outfield.
Rowand will find that hitting behind Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley is much different than hitting behind Dave Roberts, Omar Vizquel, and Randy Winn. Although he is a nice addition to the Giants roster, this hard-nosed gamer is not going to bring fans to the ballpark. Giants fans who had hoped that their team would sign Andruw Jones or the Japanese sensation, Kosuke Fukudome, are now stuck with Rowand for the next five years instead. Without Bonds, the Giants are in need of star power and although Rowand was an All-Star, he is no star.
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