Giants sign INF Emmanuel Burriss and C Eli Whiteside to one-year contracts

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The San Francisco Giants have signed infielder Emmanuel Burriss and catcher Eli Whiteside to one year Major League contracts, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today.

Burriss, 26, bounced back and forth from Triple-A Fresno to San Francisco on three different occasions last season and ended up hitting .204 (28-for-137) in 59 games with the Giants in his fourth season at the Major League level. He started 28 games, appearing at every infield position as well as left field. 

Burriss, who was the first Major League baseball player to graduate from the Washington, D.C. public school system since 1981, has appeared at the big league level with San Francisco in each of his last four seasons, batting .250 (146-for-584) in 222 games while going 35-for-47 in stolen base attempts.

Whiteside batted .197 (42-for-213) with career-highs in doubles (8), RBI (17) and games played (82), along with hitting a career-high tying four home runs after being thrust into more of a starting role in 2011 after Buster Posey went down with a season-ending injury in May. The Mississippi native also started a career-best 64 games behind the dish.

The 32-year old owns a lifetime .218 average (104-for-478) with 20 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs and 41 RBI in 196 games over parts of four Major League seasons with Baltimore (2005) and San Francisco (2009-11).