It's been one week.......

It's been one week since Nick Punto signed a contract that could be worth $13+ million over three seasons.

It's been one year since Nick Punto posted one of the worst offensive seasons in the history of baseball. Need proof? Check out the VORP stats at Baseball-Prospectus.com here. He's a full 8 runs worse than the next guy on the list and in two and a half times as many plate appearances! A quick search reveals that his final total of -27.1 is good for 5th worst of all-time. (Note that David McCarty's 1993 season with the Twins is good for 4th worst, Cristian Guzman's 1999 season 7th worst, and switch-hitting catcher Matt Walbeck's 1994 campaign clocks in at 11th. This is Twins territory. Get to know 'em.)

Surely 2007 must have been an aberration if the Twins are willing to reward this man with such a contract. Well, if Punto's next 3 seasons match his last 3 seasons (2 of which include his "best" ones spent playing for contracts), he will make $137,755 per RBI, or $79,882 per run, or--in more useful terms--about $17 per missed sacrifice bunt.

More enhancements are coming. I just figure there's no rush. There are two (possibly three) full seasons of Punto to follow. Judging by the 587 comments that got posted on the Star Tribune comment board within 24 hours of the signing, everyone is as excited as I am.

Go Twins.