Giants release Aubrey Huff

The San Francisco Giants announced Thursday they would not pick up a contract option on first baseman-outfielder Aubrey Huff, thus making him a free agent. San Francisco will pay Huff a $2 million buyout rather than the $10 million he would have made if the Giants had kept him on the club. The Giants were expected to let Huff go after he became only a part-time player in 2012 due to a knee injury and a diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Huff, 35, batted only .192 with one home run in 52 games during the recently completed season, one that resulted in San Francisco's second World Series title in three years. During the Giants' 2010 World Series run he hit .290 with 26 home runs and 86 RBI.