Randy Winn wouldn't care if he ever spoke to the media. That doesn't mean he dislikes reporters. It's just that he doesn't crave attention.

But when anybody with a camera, microphone or notebook approached Winn during his four-and-a-half seasons with the Giants, he was cordial at the very least, thoughtful and engaging at his best and always -- ALWAYS -- accommodating. The phrase "no comment" didn't exist in his vocabulary.

That's part of the beauty of Randy Winn. While he surely appreciates the glory of being a Major Leaguer, he doesn't coat himself in it. Beating his chest and declaring, "Look at me!" isn't part of the job description for him. Rather, beating the other team is what it's all about.

Unlike Bengie Molina, Winn wasn't bound for a surprise return to San Francisco. Winn's two home runs in 597 plate appearances during 2009 doomed him with the Giants, who were bent on upgrading their offense. His departure essentially became official Wednesday with the all-but-finalized news of his agreement on a one-year contract with the New York Yankees.

Yet Winn merits a final salute as he leaves San Francisco. The man was, and is, a complete professional. Winn delivered a consistent effort whether he was thriving or slumping, healthy or in pain. By driving himself to excel in all facets of the game -- he's an excellent baserunner and a polished, underrated outfielder -- Winn separated himself from the sorry plethora of ballplayers who almost seem to refuse to improve themselves.

Body language says a lot about an athlete. That's by definition, since they make their living with their bodies. Winn always carried himself like a U.S. Marine -- focused, proud, intent on his impending tasks. It follows that a Marine veteran who's one of my regular e-mail pen pals named Winn as his favorite all-time Giant. The earnest diligence Winn exuded impressed this man to no end.

Winn maintained that attitude behind closed doors. Some guys slouch or shuffle through the clubhouse; Winn held his head high, leveled his gaze, maintained an even stride and almost never limped, despite sustaining painful leg ailments (which was the only subject he refused to discuss). One exception occurred when Winn noticed a group of reporters and began hobbling, trying to trick us into seizing upon fake news.

Indeed, Winn had a healthy sense of humor. It showed in his feigned disdain for the "Good Guy Award," given annually by reporters covering the team to the player whose cooperation is especially valued. This two-, three-year running gag between us and Winn ended last September when we voted him Good Guy for 2009. He clearly deserved it, and he seemed genuinely pleased.

Remember the familiar yet too-seldom-heard saying, "As good a ballplayer as he is, he's an even better person"? Winn could be president of that club -- along with Rich Aurilia and Dave Roberts, two other veterans who recently became ex-Giants. How fitting that they became known among the Giants as the "Rat Pack," a nod to the famed entertainment troika of Frank Sinatra-Dean Martin-Sammy Davis Jr. How sobering, though San Francisco's clubhouse remains filled with truly decent men, that they're all gone.

One of Winn's classiest acts occurred early this offseason. During a November conditioning camp held for Minor Leaguers at AT&T Park, the Giants supplemented the physical regimen by bringing in speakers to motivate and educate the prospects. Guests included J.T. Snow, general manager Brian Sabean and even Willie Mays.

Another speaker was Winn, who was about to plunge into free agency and thus wasn't technically a Giant. Yet he felt compelled to share some of the wisdom he had accumulated through 12 big league seasons. His message focused on the importance of being a good teammate.

That's the essence of Randy Winn.

The Yankees will quickly learn how lucky they are to have Winn in their midst. His professionalism will enhance the Yankees' aura as reigning World Champions. They'll cherish his ability to play all three outfield positions and his other diverse skills. On that club, any offense he provides will be a bonus.

Winn will be free to go about his business while the ravenous New York media descends on Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez and other Yankees stars.

But when reporters need to speak to Winn, he'll answer any question they have.

SAN FRANCISCO -- It'll be intriguing to see what other shoe will drop in the wake of the Aubrey Huff signing.

The Giants haven't announced who's leaving the 40-man roster to clear room for Huff. General Manager Brian Sabean said Wednesday that a space likely will be cleared by designating a player for assignment, not through a trade.

The fact that Sabean and his lieutenants have deliberated so long on this matter suggests that they're finding this decision more difficult to make than anticipated. Once it's announced, the player that's jettisoned probably won't be a big name. But you couldn't tell from the big buildup.

-- Nice to know that Huff has a sense of humor. Asked if he had any thoughts about AT&T Park's dauntingly spacious dimensions for hitters, he cracked, "If Barry Bonds can hit home runs there, I can, right?"

Huff's stock fell last season when he was traded from Baltimore to Detroit and eventually lost his regular's status. He hit .189 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 40 games.<p/>

"When I got there, I was hoping to play every day. It didn't turn out that way," Huff said. "I'm not making excuses. It just didn't pan out."<p/>

-- In so many words, Sabean admitted that the Giants initially weren't considering Huff, who he said ultimately came under consideration by a "twist of fate when other avenues ended up not being pursued and thus became our best option."<p/>

Translation: Huff entered the picture after Adam LaRoche spurned the Giants' reported two-year, $17 million offer.<p/>

There's virtually no way that LaRoche will command close to that kind of money in this market and with his limited number of suitors. The terms "short-sighted" and "ill-advised" come to mind. There are simpler ones, like "dumb," but I haven't reviewed my libel laws lately.

Once LaRoche removed himself from consideration (I wonder what he's thinking these days), the Giants learned to love Huff, a 10-year veteran who has hit .280 or better six times, totaled 20-plus homers six times and exceeded 100 RBIs three times.<p/>

 "The more we examined what he has done and what we need, we thought this would be a good fit," Sabean said. "Quite frankly, he has the track record we were looking for."

-- Chris Haft

Here's a note from a fan expressing a sentiment that has been echoed by numerous sfgiants.com readers this offseason:

Do the Giants have any interest in Mike Jacobs to play first base? I know they liked him in the past. They can probably get him at a nice price to compete with Travis Ishikawa.
-- Chris P., Phoenix, AZ

If I had a dollar for each e-mail I've received about Mike Jacobs, I'd be able to pay off my older daughter's college tuition for the rest of the school year. OK, that's a slight exaggeration. But the voice of the fan is always compelling when it's unified.

Jacobs isn't a premier free agent like Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. He isn't even considered a second-tier free agent. But he did hit 51 home runs in the previous two seasons. Jacobs would have an AT&T Park concession-stand menu item named after him, kind of like the "Cha Cha Bowl" saluting Orlando Cepeda, if he homered at that pace for the Giants.

These are the same Giants who ranked last in the Major Leagues with 94 home runs in 2008 and next-to-last in the National League with 122 homers last season. Granted, power isn't the cure-all to the Giants' offensive woes. But you have to wonder whether Jacobs might be worth signing to a one-year contract for a low base salary and enough performance bonuses to reward him for a job well done.

The Giants, who continue to seek offensive help, have contacted Jacobs' agent, John Boggs. Their interest in Jacobs appears minimal, however. "They haven't given any indication that he's a player they've targeted," Boggs said Monday. "But he could be the answer to completing their lineup."

Maybe Jacobs, 29, can be this year's Russell Branyan, who amassed 31 homers for Seattle last year after averaging 12 in the previous six seasons.

Boggs told me that I was the first reporter to ask him about his client this winter. This doesn't qualify me for Mensa. Jacobs possesses plenty of statistical baggage. His on-base percentage dipped below .300 in each of the last two seasons and he hit just .228 with Kansas City in 2009, prompting the Royals to release him last month when they needed a 40-man roster spot for the Rule 5 Draft, of all things. He played only 15 games at first base for the Royals, prompting doubts about his ability to handle the position.

But many teams need power. And Jacobs' 2008-09 home run output can't be denied. After clobbering 32 two years ago with Florida, he hit just 19 last year. Yet given the adjustments Jacobs faced due to switching leagues, that was hardly a precipitous drop. He bats left-handed, an ominous trait to take into AT&T Park. But most observers agree that his slugging ability is legitimate.

The Giants surely believe that they can acquire better hitters than Jacobs, and maybe they're right. But third baseman Adrian Beltre's agreement with Boston removed another potential option from the Giants' list. Unless they're considering other first basemen (Adam LaRoche, Branyan, Carlos Delgado), contemplating the largely untapped supply of second basemen (Felipe Lopez, Orlando Hudson) or pondering the wisdom of adding an outfielder (Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Ryan Church, Xavier Nady), they might have to look harder at performers like Jacobs as Spring Training approaches.

-- Chris Haft 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Could the New York Yankees' acquisition of Curtis Granderson affect the Giants? Probably not. But if the Giants were so inclined, they might be able to coax an outfielder from the World Champions.

The Yankees probably wouldn't want to trade Melky Cabrera, since he's only 25 and relatively affordable, having earned a base salary of $1.4 million last season. But he could be deemed expendable if New York decided it had a glut of outfielders. Cabrera was linked to the Giants in trade rumors a couple of years ago, which of course means nothing.

The Yankees also have Nick Swisher, the former Oakland Athletic who probably wouldn't mind returning to the Bay Area. Swisher propelled 29 home runs out of the Yankee Stadium launching pad and compiled a .371 on-base percentage despite hitting only .249 last season. But Swisher's mildly pricey, as he's owed $15.75 million over the next two seasons.

Though most speculation has linked the Giants to corner outfielders, general manager Brian Sabean said that one or two scenarios "possibly" exist in which the club could acquire a center fielder, who would prompt Aaron Rowand to move to left field. But, Sabean added, "We're not asking Aaron to move and we don't anticipate that he'll move."

*****

Nate Schierholtz has helped himself by playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. The 25-year-old candidate for the right field job entered Wednesday batting .339 in 15 games for the Gigantes de Carolina, helped partly by tutelage from San Francisco's globe-trotting hitting coach, Hensley Meulens.

"I give Nate a lot of credit," Sabean said. "We really appreciate what he's doing to go to winter ball and he has made some changes with Hensley. Everybody's pulling for Nate. He's got too much passion for what he does and he works at it. He's a good outfielder (with a) good arm, good baserunner. We just haven't seen enough consistency with the bat, or more so the power that we thought we'd have at this time. But he certainly (has) a captive audience right now. He wants to be out there."

-- Chris Haft

INDIANAPOLIS -- Each manager attending the Winter Meetings participates in a half-hour question-and-answer session with reporters. Here are highlights from Giants manager Bruce Bochy's stint Tuesday:

-- On Eugenio Velez's on-base percentage, which has been lower than desired for a leadoff man (the role he's expected to play in 2010): "It's something to work on. We know how important that leadoff guy is in getting on and on-base percentage. Your hope is the experience of getting playing time is going to help increase his on-base percentage and his discipline at the plate and his hitting ability. This kid just continues to get better and better. So that's part of the growing process for young players, especially a leadoff hitter. I think the more Eugenio leads off, you hope that he does get better and finds more ways to get on base for you."

-- On Edgar Renteria's position in the batting order if Freddy Sanchez bats second: "Where we are right now, Sánchez could hit second or third. You know, it's not etched in stone that he will be our No. 2 hitter depending where we are at going into Spring Training. It's nice to have that flexibility with him, because I think he would be a pretty good No. 3-hole hitter, and I think he does a pretty good job in the 2-hole. I think we could put Edgar in the 2-hole, who has a lot of experience in there, and drop Freddy to the 3-hole."

-- Where does Fred Lewis fit in? "Right now, Fred is one of our outfielders who will compete for a spot with John Bowker and Nate Schierholtz, Velez, (Andres) Torres. I know that's a lot there, but where we're at right now, he's in the mix with the other guys."

-- Any chance you might consider Fred as the leadoff guy, since he had a decent on-base percentage? "I put him there last year. Fred actually came up to me. He wasn't too comfortable leading off, and so I took him out of that spot. But that was my hope for him, to lead off, because he does see pitches.  He does get on base. You know, he has speed and he could be a good leadoff hitter, but the guy has to want to do it and be comfortable.  He admitted that he was not real comfortable with it."

-- How do you see right field playing out? "It's going to be competitive. Nate obviously is going to be in the mix there. He's playing winter ball and doing a nice job in Puerto Rico. My guess is it will be deep into spring before we know how we are going to have those guys placed in the outfield."

-- Is there any reason for optimism about Aaron Rowand putting up better numbers overall? "For me, Aaron had a good first half.  Second half, he did tail off a little bit. But really, going into probably mid-August, his numbers were pretty good. ... To have a normal year for him, that might be hitting .270 (with)15 to 20 home runs and driving in 75, 80 runs. Sure, I expect Aaron to have those kind of numbers at the end of the year."

-- You mentioned last year around this time that he may play fewer games, and he did. Seeing that he did tail off again, might you have the same mindset? "Yeah, I have talked about this, too. I haven't with Aaron, but I did try to call him the other day. With the tailoff the last couple of years, it's something I'll sit down with Aaron this spring and talk to him about, maybe try to give him a break now and then in that first half to see if that can help him in the second half."

-- Chris Haft

INDIANAPOLIS -- This has nothing to do with the Giants and virtually zilch to do with the Winter Meetings, but I'm compelled to extend this tribute to Whitey Herzog, who was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee and appeared here Tuesday.

I was a fledgling writer when my boss at The Cincinnati Post sent me to St. Louis to put together a featurish story on the Cardinals preceding the 1987 National League Championship Series against San Francisco (OK, there's my Giants relevance). In terms of experience with Major Leaguers, I was as green as Busch Stadium's artificial turf.

At least I knew enough to start gathering my quotes well before gametime, which is proper practice when writing a non-news story. As I recall, I might have interviewed a Cardinal or two before deciding to talk to Herzog, the exceedingly successful Cardinals manager.

I approached Herzog's office as if it were a pit of snakes. There he sat behind his desk. Surely, I feared, this rough, tough man would bite my head off. Trying not to sound intimidated (and failing), I asked Whitey if he had a few minutes. He must have sized me up in 0.6 seconds -- young, inexperienced, clueless, but earnest. Whitey invited me in and answered my first couple of questions, genially and expansively. He quickly put me at ease.

Suddenly a reporter from WFAN (the Cardinals were playing the Mets) burst into Herzog's office, oblivious to my presence. "Hey, Whitey," he boomed. "How about some time for ..."

The reporter didn't finish his sentence. Herzog pounced on the guy as if he were an umpire who had just blown a call. "What the (expletive) are you doing?!?" Herzog bellowed. "Can't you see I'm talking to this gentleman?!? Get the (expletive) out of here!!!"

The WFAN man scurried away. I was at once stunned and honored. Herzog had treated me as if I were a 20-year veteran of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Whitey calmly and instantly refocused his attention to me. "Now, where were we?" he asked.

It should come as no surprise to you what angle I chose for my story: The true Most Valuable Player of the NL East champion Cardinals, I wrote, was Whitey Herzog. So much for objectivity (though numerous comments from players supported my case).

Congratulations on reaching the Hall of Fame, Whitey, but you made my Hall of Fame a long time ago.

-- Chris Haft

INDIANAPOLIS -- To nobody's great surprise, Giants general manager Brian Sabean said Monday in his daily Winter Meetings briefing that Eugenio Velez and Andres Torres will enter Spring Training as the leading candidates to bat leadoff.

As was the case with most spots in the batting order, leadoff presented problems for the Giants last season. Their No. 1 hitters scored 94 runs, 14th in the National League and eight fewer than the league average. They hit .258, 12th in the NL and 14 points below the league average. Their .312 on-base percentage, good for 14th, fell .028 short of the league average.

Many readers have pointed out that Velez, despite his brief second-half surge, would be a poor choice to hit leadoff, given his .308 on-base percentage last season. Torres accumulated only 152 at-bats in 75 games, but .343 his on-base percentage outshone Velez's. Torres also struggled to stay healthy, going on the disabled list twice with left hamstring strains.

Sabean mentioned that none of this takes into account what position Velez or Torres would play. Bruce Bochy will have a chance to discuss this issue further when he holds a question-and-answer session (as all Major League managers do at the Winter Meetings) on Tuesday.

***

As managing general partner Bill Neukom concentrated on another activity but sat within earshot in the Giants' suite, Sabean reiterated that the club's payroll would remain "in the realm of last year," probably in the low $90 million range. Due partly to the settlement the Giants will have to reach with Tim Lincecum, the two-time Cy Young Award winner who's eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, they'll need every penny (except Brad).

***

As the Giants continued searching for a catcher to play regularly while top prospect Buster Posey continues his apprenticeship, Sabean ruled out two possible fill-ins already on the roster: Pablo Sandoval and Ryan Garko.

The Giants have no desire to expose Sandoval to catching's physical rigors, which could hamper their best offensive performer at the plate. "It's too high a risk," Sabean said. Sandoval started three games behind the plate last year, when he led San Francisco with a .330 average, 25 home runs and 90 RBIs. He caught 11 times in 41 games as a rookie in 2008.

Garko won the 2003 Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top collegiate catcher while attending Stanford University. He has never caught an inning in his four-year Major League career, though he caught 141 games in the Minors.

***

Speculation that the Los Angeles Angels might be pursuing outfielder Jason Bay, regarded as one of the market's few premier free agents, sparked spinoff gossip: Were the Angels to sign Bay, they could be compelled to trade outfielder Juan Rivera.

Rivera would nicely fit the Giants' needs for a proven hitter. The 31-year-old hit .287 with 25 home runs and 88 RBIs in 138 games last season. Moreover, he'll earn only $4.25 million next year and $5.25 million in 2011. But the combination of Rivera's skill and relatively modest salary might prompt the Angels to demand a package of players beyond the Giants' capabilities.

-- Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- Preparing for the possibility that they won't re-sign Bengie Molina, the Giants have contacted the representative for Yorvit Torrealba, another free-agent catcher.

Giants general manager Brian Sabean said last Monday that the Giants wouldn't offer Molina, their regular catcher for the previous three seasons, more than a one-year contract, given 22-year-old Buster Posey's impending readiness for the Major Leagues. Sabean also reiterated his belief that at least one other team will offer Molina the multiyear contract he seeks.

Conceivably, if the Giants signed Torrealba, their backup catcher from 2001-05, he would handle the bulk of the playing time until Posey developed sufficiently.

Melvin Roman, Torrealba's agent, confirmed the Giants' interest. "They called and asked about him," Roman said Monday. "But as of right now I have no other comment."

Torrealba rejected a two-year, $4.5 million offer from Colorado earlier this offseason. The Rockies also declined to pick up a $4 million option on his 2010 contract, which made him a free agent. Torrealba is a "Type B" free agent, so though the Rockies would receive a "sandwich" draft pick if another team signed him, the signing team wouldn't lose one of its selections.

-- Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants are eagerly waiting for Zack Wheeler to grow into a Major Leaguer before their very eyes, with an emphasis on "grow."

Wheeler, 19, already stands 6-foot-4. One of his brothers also is 6-4 and another is 6-6. Their father, Barry, is 6-3 while their mother, Elaine, checks in at 5-9.

"I'm hoping to grow a half-inch," said Wheeler, San Francisco's No. 1 selection in June's First-Year Player Draft who's participating in the club's conditioning camp that began Monday at AT&T Park. 

Extending the measuring tape would give Wheeler a bigger frame to accommodate the 10 pounds he hopes to gain. Currently at 185, Wheeler should easily carry the extra weight even if he doesn't grow a millimeter.

The added bulk would bode well for Wheeler's fastball. The right-hander, who received a reported $3.3 million bonus after the Giants selected him sixth overall, learned this as an upperclassman at East Paulding (Ga.) High School.

"Between my junior and senior year I gained 15 pounds," Wheeler said. Before the weight gain, Wheeler said, his velocity dwindled from 92 mph in the first couple of innings to the high 80s for the rest of the game. But Wheeler related that as a senior, he was able to touch 96 mph as late as the seventh inning.

-- Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- If the Giants can't re-sign Bengie Molina, they ought to consider bringing back Yorvit Torrealba, who caught for them from 2001-05 before being sent to Seattle in the Randy Winn trade.

Torrealba was a capable backup for the Giants and has remained an effective performer with Colorado for the past four seasons.

Torrealba's 31, but he's far from physically eroded. He has played more than 100 games only once in his eight Major League seasons. He hit only two home runs in 213 at-bats last season with Colorado, but he batted .291 and recorded a .351 on-base percentage, north of Molina's corresponding figures of .265 and .285.

Moreover, Torrealba's likely to be affordable. He rejected a two-year, $4.5 million offer from Colorado. The Rockies also declined to pick up a $4 million option on Torrealba's 2010 contract, which made him a free agent. Torrealba is a "Type B" free agent, so though the Rockies would receive a "sandwich" draft pick if another team signed him, the signing team wouldn't lose one of its selections.

-- Chris Haft