It was a good exchange. It is important for any player of his stature to hear a fair assessment of where he stands and where the organization is heading.

That's a fair assessment.

We are very fortunate to have been able to acquire a player of Gary Payton 's stature. He is a proven veteran and will be a big addition to this team.

I think there are many qualities. One, he's arguably the best defensive second baseman in the game. Two, he brings a great deal of energy to the field. And three, he's also a pretty good offensive player for the position.

The offense isn't really clicking yet. It's probably too early (to draw conclusions), but as we know, the two teams we played were really pretty good. We want to be in every game and that's been the case. The two lopsided games (a 12-5 victory at Colorado and a 7-0 victory at Milwaukee) were both in our favor.

He's a little unorthodox in his delivery, but obviously has a great arm. Valverde has the stuff.