SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) – The San Francisco Giants agreed to a $1.05 million, one-year contract with infielder Mike Fontenot, keeping him over second baseman Jeff Keppinger.

Keppinger and backup catcher Eli Whiteside weren’t offered contracts by San Francisco on Monday night.

Other arbitration-eligible players who were tendered contracts were two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, fellow starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, relievers Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla, infielder Emmanuel Burriss, third baseman Pablo Sandoval and outfielders Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan and Nate Schierholtz.

Among general manager Brian Sabean’s priorities is locking up Lincecum and Matt Cain for the long haul.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Read More: Pablo Sandoval (3B – SFG), Brandon Crawford (SS – SFG), Brandon Belt (1B – SFG), San Francisco Giants

In a conference call Tuesday with San Francisco Giants General Manager Brian Sabean, skipper Bruce Bochy, and team Vice President Bobby Evans had some offseason updates for a number of Giants players, including Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford.

Kung Fu Panda is mulling over the idea of shortening his trip to Venezuela to just about a week according Sabean and team Vice President Evans. His original plan was to play 10 games in his homeland. Pablo really wants to focus in on on his offseason conditioning program with Triple Threat Performance in Arizona, the group that helped him drop upwards of 40 pounds last Winter.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford will be a ‘spirited topic’ according to Sabean moving forward, who was impressed with his improvement in the Arizona Fall League this year. Skipper Bruce Bochy and Sabean agreed that the Giants might have to deal with Crawford’s low offensive production if they can’t improve through free agency or trades, though will not name him as the starter just yet. 

As for Brandon Belt, Sabean wouldn’t talk about his playing time next year, but had some nice things to say about his work in the Dominican winter league thus far. 

“He should be proud of his efforts,” Sabean said. “Fewer kids want to take on winter ball. He saw the value in getting more at-bats and finishing off what he wasn’t able to do because of the time he lost with the injury and somewhat (because of) the lack of performance.

Moises Alou, the GM of Belt’s Dominican team Escogido, has been sending Sabean positive reports on his progress and even saw some of him on tape as well:

“I was able to watch a couple of his games on Dominican TV and video and he made a concerted effort to make some adjustments. He was playable in the outfield, although we know his best position is first base. This was a nice step for him. 

For more on the Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles. 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

Brian Sabean’s office is connected to the San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse, only a matter of feet from where manager Bruce Bochy prepares for games. The close proximity makes for regular planning meetings, before first pitch and often well into the night after the final out.

CEO Larry Baer is committed to maintaining that continuity with his club, and took a step Tuesday by giving both the general manager and manager contract extensions taking them through the 2013 season with club options for 2014.

”They work exceptionally well together. That’s a key relationship,” Baer said. ”I strongly believe Brian and Bruce are the best at their craft in the game, and their track record shows that.”

The 55-year-old Sabean is the longest-tenured GM in baseball and has said he would like to stay put in San Francisco for the rest of his career. He became the Giants’ GM in 1996 after three years in player personnel. He was in the Yankees organization from 1985-92 as a scout, scouting director and player development director.

Sabean has a busy stretch ahead before spring training begins in February. On Wednesday, his wife, Amanda, is scheduled to give birth to the couple’s second son – the sixth son for Sabean. Then, baseball’s winter meetings begin next week in Dallas.

The top priority is upgrading the offense while leaving enough payroll flexibility to lock up star pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for what Sabean hopes is the long haul.

”Anything we’re going to do has to fit into a certain price point and give us enough flexibility to do other things,” Sabean said. ”Pitching is our gold standard and we’ll do all that we can to take care of that commodity first.”

Bobby Evans, the team’s vice president of baseball operations and Sabean’s right-hand man, said there have been preliminary conversations with the pitchers’ representatives that he categorized as ”an exchange of ideas and numbers.” Evans said he expects Lincecum, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, to be open to a long-term deal beyond two years.

”I don’t know how productive it is to get into specifics,” Evans said. ”I don’t thinks he’s closed off to anything short or long, per se. I think he’s very comfortable with short, but don’t think he’s closed off to anything long. I think he’s still open to that.”

Sabean hired the 56-year-old Bochy away from the rival San Diego Padres in 2007 to replace Felipe Alou.

”I think we have a mutual respect. We listen to each other, Brian for me is always available,” Bochy said. ”We communicate so much during the course of the season. We stay in the same building. There’s never any kind of distance or separation.”

Yet there wasn’t immediate success when Bochy arrived, and both men received harsh criticism along the way for moves they made and those they didn’t.

That all changed when they led the club to an improbable World Series championship in 2010 with a band of ”castoffs and misfits” as Bochy called them.

Baer had expected to get deals done during the offseason to keep both men around for the near future. Sabean and Bochy were instrumental in the team’s World Series title, the first for the franchise since moving West in 1958.

”I don’t take anything for granted. I’m thankful for their renewed commitment,” Bochy said.

The Giants went 86-76 for second place in the NL West and missed the playoffs this year, when they dealt with devastating season-ending injuries to 2010 NL Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey and second baseman Freddy Sanchez.

Baer recently assumed top decision-making duties from outgoing managing partner Bill Neukom, saying, ”Brian has seen the operation through all sorts of environments.”

That included the challenging days with home run king Barry Bonds and the move from Candlestick Park to the waterfront spot at 12-year-old AT&T Park.

”I don’t take the extension lightly,” Sabean said. ”Baseball’s a tough game to succeed in. I’m really thankful that I’m one of the original employees of the ownership group and as the ownership group changed or morphed, they recognized our commitment and hard work.”

All-Star slugger Pablo Sandoval is still deciding whether to spend a short stint in his native Venezuela, where Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted earlier this month and then rescued. Sandoval is training for a second straight offseason in Arizona after losing close to 40 pounds last winter.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I think that it is as good of a time as ever to show thanks to some athletes. I would like to take a look at some San Francisco Giants players that we should all be thankful for. Of course, nearly everyone on the team deserves some praise, but I am only going to focus on five players.

These hitters and pitchers have done a lot for the team, so they should be recognized.

Madison Bumgarner(notes)

The thing I am most surprised at is how Bumgarner went through the 2011 season without making a fuss about how much the offense let him down. In fact, nearly a majority of his starts resulted in the team scoring one run or no runs—if I remember correctly. He was the biggest victim of the Giants’ offense and never said a word about it. Some games he would simply go out there and dominate opposing lineups for as long as it took the team to give him some run support for the win. Undoubtedly, it is hard not to respect him and how well he actually pitched during 2011.

Tim Lincecum(notes)

They do not call him “The Franchise” for no reason! Watching Lincecum pitch is electrifying and a spectacle to behold. Undoubtedly, anyone who has ever watched one of his multi-strikeout games knows what I am talking about. Seeing him dominate opposing lineups is a lot of fun, and I hope he does not stop doing so for the years to come.

Buster Posey(notes)

Sure, Posey missed the 2011 season due to injury, but his presence was missed. I enjoyed watching him flash power and smart defense during 2010. Of course, I cannot wait for him to return in 2012 so that he can get back on track. Things look bright for the young catcher to say the least. All that matters is that he comes back from this injury with his bat and defense intact. In reality, it is hard not to like the guy.

Sergio Romo(notes)

Romo has quietly been an elite reliever during the past few seasons. Perhaps he has been one of the best, too. Without a doubt, he is enjoyable to watch with his ridiculous knack for striking out batters. I would not be as excited during the later innings of games if he was not stepping up to the mound most of the time. He will be with the team for the next few seasons, and I am very thankful for that.

Pablo Sandoval(notes)

Finally, we come to “Kung Fu Panda,” who is undoubtedly the team’s MVP from this past season. He hit for the cycle and smacked the ball around almost all season. Dropping the weight during the previous offseason really helped him return to form. With that in mind, I am more than appreciative that he worked hard because it paid off on the field and in the batter’s box. It was and will continue to be a thrill to watch him play baseball.

What players are you thankful for?

Obviously, you might not be a fan of the San Francisco Giants, but you are more than likely a fan of one or more other teams. There are bound to be multiple players that you appreciate for doing what they do. For some people, there are hitters or pitchers that are the main reason they like a particular team or even the sport itself. On that note, feel free to show some thanks to the athletes you appreciate!

For more information, visit The San Francisco Giants Site.

Derrick Williams is a fan of the San Francisco Giants and lived in the Bay Area for nearly three years.

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World Series momentum, a full field of All-Stars and dynamite pitching kept Giants in it till the end, but injuries, misfortune, a lack of a consistent offense derailed Giants’ chances at a repeat.

World Series momentum, a full field of All-Stars and dynamite pitching kept Giants in it till the end, but injuries, misfortune, a lack of a consistent offense derailed Giants’ chances at a repeat.

Bright spots: After receiving their World Series rings, left, the Giants opened their home schedule with back-to-back walkoff wins, above. At the midway point of the season, five Giants were bestowed All-Star honors, bottom, along with NL manager Bruce Bochy. Along the way, Ryan Vogelsong, far right, blossomed into a legitimate starter after toiling in the minors and Japan previously. By the end of the season, Pablo Sandoval, below, and Carlos Beltran, right, provided genuine power threats in the Giants’ lineup. Beltran was acquired in a midseason trade.

Walking wounded: Injuries were the theme of 2011 for the Giants. Buster Posey, above, Freddy Sanchez, right, Barry Zito, left, and Brandon Belt, below right, were just a few of the many players who spent time on the disabled list. Other moments the Giants would like to forget include Aubrey Huff’s performance at the plate and in the outfield, bottom, and the bench-clearing skirmish in a blowout loss to the Phillies in August, below.