Chronicle sportswriter Henry Schulman runs down the latest signings and arbitration offers from San Francisco and Oakland.

It turns out J.T. Snow’s fateful, futile dash for home plate in Florida that ended the Giants’ 2003 season will not be his last act in a San Francisco uniform.

With hours to spare before the deadline to offer their free agents salary arbitration, the Giants on Sunday re-signed Snow to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with a $2 million option for 2005 that will be guaranteed if Snow makes 450 plate appearances in 2004. If he fails, the club still can exercise the option or pay Snow a $250,000 buyout.

Pretty good news, right? I liked Snow and will be glad to see him back with the Giants. But there’s more:

At the same time, the Giants officially cut ties with longtime shortstop Rich Aurilia and last year’s closer, Tim Worrell, by declining to offer them arbitration. Also gone for the same reason are Sidney Ponson, Benito Santiago, Eric Young, Andres Galarraga, Jose Cruz Jr. and Marvin Benard.

To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. It’s hard to work up much baseball-related emotion in December, but this is disheartening.