I thought I'd briefly take a look at him using Jack Moore's Four Factors method (BB%, K%, ISO, BABIP).
Here's Huff over the last three seasons:
He's down in every single category. His BB% is actually the lowest it's been since 2001, especially disconcerting coming off a season in which he bested his previous career-high BB% by 3%. His 2011 K% also represents a career high, as his previous high was 17.5% in (again) 2001. Due to a significant decrease in home runs (he's on pace for roughly 12 this year), his ISO has taken quite a hit, too.
The only somewhat positive thing we can discern from this data is that Huff has had some bad luck with balls in play, as just 25.3% of them have fallen for hits. We can certainly expect that to regress toward his career norm (29.2%).
Otherwise, there's just not much to like about this. After posting a remarkably good BB/K of 0.91 in 2010, Huff's down to a rather miserable 0.39...ZiPS projects a .338 wOBA for Huff the rest of the way, which is below average for a first baseman.
It's quite early, and there's a chance Huff significantly turns things around. But I'm inclined to already guess that, in the end, this two-year $22MM contract will have been a loss for the Giants. Not only has it put the Giants in a tough position -- blocking Brandon Belt, heir to the throne -- but Huff hasn't produced at all.
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