Lineup shuffle, and clearing up a factual error

Wilson Valdez is getting his first start today in place of Rafael Furcal. Ramon Martinez started the first four games in Furcal’s absence. And Mike Lieberthal is getting his first start behind the plate because it’s a day game after a night game, and even iron man Russell Martin needs to rest once in a while. … If you read my off-day feature on Juan Pierre in Friday’s Daily News, I reported that the Giants offered Pierre a three-year, $30 million contract, to which Pierre had all but agreed when the Dodgers came in at the last minute and blew the Giants away with a five-year, $44 million deal that Pierre accepted. While it’s true the Giants did OFFER Pierre three years and $30M, the deal they almost agreed to, according to multiple sources I have talked to this morning, was four years and $36M after the Giants increased their offer. That makes the Dodgers’ offer of five years and $44M more understandable — and more necessary to get the deal done. I THOUGHT I had done my homework on that one, but obviously, I hadn’t done enough. My apologies.