Fog City Baseball

SF Favorite Pat "the Bat" Burrell retires.

2012-01-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

With with two World Series rings, 292 homers, the former 1st overall pick of the 1998 draft calls it quits.

Pat Burrell returned home with a battered reputation when he joined the San Francisco Giants in early June 2010.

Once a feared slugger and one of the top run producers in the National League, Burrell had been summarily dumped by the Tampa Bay Rays, who got a tiny return (a .218 batting average) on their $16 million investment in him and didn't care for his sour attitude.

A change of scenery clearly did wonders for Burrell, who attended high school in San Jose and was reunited on the Giants with old buddies Aubrey Huff and Aaron Rowand.

Burrell, who announced Monday he was retiring at 35 because of a chronic foot injury, teamed up with then-rookie Buster Posey to energize the Giants' sluggish offense, helping them clinch the NL West title and win their first World Series since moving to the West Coast in 1958.

"Pat the Bat'' delivered 20 homers and 64 RBI in two-thirds of a season for the power-starved Giants, repeatedly coming through in the clutch. Just as significantly, he became a clubhouse leader and a unifying presence, a prime example of the "castoffs and misfits'' manager Bruce Bochy said formed his tightly knit club.

Burrell also gained cult status of sorts as the suspected man behind the mask worn by the character Brian Wilson identified as "the Machine,'' a big fellow clad in a bondage outfit who appeared on the background as the Giants closer was doing a national TV interview. Burrell has never publicly acknowledged playing the role.

He certainly played a bigger role in the Giants reaching the World Series than winning it, as he went 0-for-13 with 11 strikeouts against the Texas Rangers, making him 1-for-27 in his two trips to the Fall Classic.

But his one hit was a seventh-inning double that turned into the winning run of Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, the clincher for the Philadelphia Phillies as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays.

Burrell hit 251 of his 292 career home runs with Philadelphia to rank fourth in the history of the club, which drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998. He played nine of his 12 seasons with the Phillies, and though he never was an All-Star, Burrell was a key figure in turning what was a last-place team when he arrived in 2000 into a perennial power.

"Congrats Pat B for a great career!'' Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino tweeted. "It was amazing being your teammate for all those years in (Philadelphia).''

Miami Marlins sign Aaron Rowand

2011-12-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that Aaron Rowand was signed to a minor league contract with an offer to Spring Training. This contract, should Rowand make the Marlins Big League team, will pay him $480k reducing the Giants $12m obligation to him to just north of $11.5m. With all of that room now in the budget the Giants can, well do almost nothing. Oh well, it is less than it was.

2012 Roster

2011-11-30T12:07:00.001-08:00

The debate seems to be in full force about the line up and the roster moves necessary to make the offense productive this year.

With the trade of Jonathan Sanchez to KC, the lead off spot (and Torres as a starter) seems to be nailed down. Then come the assumptions, If Freddy Sanchez and Buster Posey return to full health and form, the questions fall to Short Stop and a backup Catcher. If the Giants sign Carlos Beltran, the backup catcher position comes into play, as the Giants have to make room for him on the 40-man roster. I think it spells the end of the road for Eli Whiteside and the Giants.

I like Eli, he's tough and has worked hard to stick around and be there behind Bengie and now Buster, however, the big question is "who provides the best option as a backup catcher, Eli or Chris Stewart?". Hector Sanchez is promising but needs more time in the minors, Stewart and Eli both are weak at the plate, though Stewart appears to hit for better power and that Arm! Stewart's quick release and canon of an arm put him in the lead, add to that the fact that Eli need more rest as the season went on, looking tired and unable to move well behind the plate.

I read an interesting comment to a similar question on Bleacher Report today. The commenter asked the question, "why don't the Giants have Pablo as the backup catcher?" The question is interesting, if you look behind the "are you crazy?" gut reaction. Pablo was a solid catcher for a long time. If he only comes in to give Buster the occasional rest, either out or at 1st base, then why not? The team does not loose either bat and the options for a backup 3rd baseman with Gillispie or possibly DeRosa (at significantly less money than the last few seasons, say $1, if he can do it.). This way the lineup does not weaken and the team can have Stewart come in late in the game for Pablo with fresh legs and that cannon.

The last issue is Short Stop. My feeling is that Crawford, has shown improvement and will continue to get better, along with his stellar defense, I would gladly give up a few BA points for his glove in the hole. If he can hit .250 or better, then we're in. If no, then the Giants can look for someone to add at mid season.

I doubt that Beltran, looking at a lineup consisting of:

1 - Cabrera
2 - F. Sanchez
3 - Beltran
4 - Sandoval
5 - Posey
6 - Schierholtz (if improved as last year)
7 - Huff or Belt
8 - Crawford
9 - Pitcher

will consider this offense any less than significantly improved, with a nasty heart of the order. Then add a consistent Sheirholtz and Huff/Belt and the Giants should blow through the West.

Giants sign Lopez, pick up Affeldt's option

2011-10-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 10/31/11 12:51 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants retained their left-handed bullpen complement and thus addressed one of the biggest issues facing them this offseason Sunday by signing Javier Lopez to a two-year, $8.5 million contract and picking up Jeremy Affeldt's $5 million contract option for 2012.
Lopez, 34, would have become a free agent after midnight Sunday. His effectiveness overall and as a left-handed specialist in particular made him among the most highly ranked performers eligible to go on the open market.
"I wrestled with wanting to test the waters, but ultimately trying to get back to the playoffs with these guys really made the decision easy," Lopez said in an e-mail response. "The pitching staff from top to bottom is special and being able to be a part of that excited me, too. Knowing the coaching staff and how [manager Bruce] Bochy and Rags [pitching coach Dave Righetti] use us helped as well. Getting Buster [Posey] and Freddy [Sanchez] back will really be nice. Both guys can only add to our offense and they were really missed."

Lopez's possible free agency apparently wasn't the only factor influencing the timing of the agreements. Affeldt said that his agent, Michael Moye, was attempting to negotiate a multiyear deal with the Giants. But, Affeldt said, "There were some logistical things to work out that didn't make sense for both sides."
Affeldt shared the widespread assumption that the Giants would retain either him or Lopez but not both. The Giants still must ponder decisions regarding six free agents and 13 salary arbitration-eligible players, which will strain their payroll. So when he learned of Lopez's deal, he figured that his three-year tenure as a Giant had ended. He then would have received a $500,000 buyout and entered free agency.
"So when they told me they were going to pick up my option, I was like, 'That's awesome,'" Affeldt said. "I enjoy being a Giant."
Aside from Affeldt and Lopez, the Giants' most experienced left-handed reliever is 26-year-old Dan Runzler, who was 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA in 31 appearances (one start) in 2011. Moreover, none of the potential replacements likely to test free agency (Mike Gonzalez, John Grabow, Damaso Marte, Trever Miller, Darren Oliver, Arthur Rhodes, J.C. Romero, George Sherrill, Brian Tallet) represents a significant upgrade over Lopez or Affeldt.
"As of last year, I think we did a pretty good job of making ourselves known as some of the better left-handers in the game," Affeldt said. "For them to bring us both back instead of one, it shows how much respect they have for me and Javy."
Lopez, who earned $2.375 milllion this year, enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2011, finishing 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 70 games. Opponents hit .221 off him, while left-handed batters mustered a mere .163 batting average.
Since joining the Giants from Pittsburgh in a 2010 Trade Deadline deal, Lopez has made 97 appearances without allowing a home run. This year, he and Brad Ziegler were the only Major League relievers who pitched at least 50 innings not to yield a long ball. He also permitted six of 43 inherited runners to score -- a 14 percent rate that was tied for third lowest in the National League.
"Anytime you win a World Series with a club, that automatically puts them at the top of the list," Lopez said in his e-mail, referring to the Giants' 2010 title. "SF is a great city and a great place to play. The fan support is amazing and it's a place where I feel comfortable playing."
Affledt, 32, finished 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 67 games before Sept. 8, when he accidentally cut his right hand while trying to separate frozen hamburger patties and was sidelined for the rest of the season. He limited left-handed batters to a .144 average, third best in the Majors behind Jonny Venters (.127) of the Braves and Koji Uehara (.130) of the Orioles and Rangers.
A Giants spokesman announced the deals' completion, which club management is expected to address officially Monday.
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

No playoffs, but I can still find 10 positive things about the 2011 Giants

2011-09-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Tim Kawakami breaks down the 10 positive things to take from the 2011 season and looks to 2012. I'm not sure I agree with the Zito position, but his lack of mention to Vogelsong, may mean that he believes Vogie will ask fro a few bucks as a free agent next year. Either way, the prospect of J. Sanchez and Zito as the 4, 5 pitchers isn't what I would be rejoicing about. I want Vogelsong back in the 4 spot and let the money and spring determine the 5 spot. Vogelsong has earned the spot.

POSTED BY TIM KAWAKAMI ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2011 AT 2:37 PM

-Many of us–yes, even a sweet & kind writer like me–have focused almost wholly on the Giants’ faults for the last several months.

Because there are faults. And because winning the World Series last year elevated the way the 2011 were–and had to be–judged.

Hey, the Giants owners themselves cut loose their managing general partner this season, so you know it’s a harsh time.

But after last night’s Arizona clinching, and with the Giants a few hours or days away from total playoff elimination, I figured it’s time to remember that there were, indeed, real bright spots to this season.

All was not lost. In fact, on balance, facing what the Giants faced and with the extra pressure of trying against hope to repeat, I’d say it was not a bad effort, realistically.

Not great, obviously. But not terrible.

* Here’s my list of the 10 most positive developments for the Giants in 2011…

1. They didn’t quit, when they could have done exactly that four or five separate times, starting in late-May when Buster Posey went down and continuing through just a few weeks aago.

Of course, the pitching is what kept the Giants churning, day after day, even in the lowest times. But it’s a credit to the entire roster that, when they all could’ve checked out, time and again, they didn’t.

Well, not all of them, anyway.

It was, in many ways, keyed by Bruce Bochy’s persona–stoic at times, but steel-eyed and determined to keep moving forward, if possible.

The most recent and perhaps most impressive example is the 8-game winning streak that started immediately after the Giants basically fell out of the NL West race and kept them in it mathematically, at least until the D-Backs started splashing in the outfield pool.

Bonus: The late run might’ve given Carlos Beltran something good to remember about his time in SF.

The Giants won’t get into the big free-agent bidding, but if Beltran doesn’t get a monster offer, he could be searching for a fallback, and maybe the Giants are a third-tier fallback for him.

-Conclusion: Bochy still has control of the clubhouse.

2. The Giants’ pitching was fantastic once again, and, even more importantly,stayed healthy despite carrying the whole burden.

Look at the injuries to Boston’s staff. Look at Atlanta’s staff. Look at the A’s.

Good pitching can be fragile and good pitching in back-to-back seasons of high-stress can absolutely get ravaged.

Yet, the Giants’ top starters were as good or better than they were in 2010–they got 30+ starts out of Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner.

That’s AFTER all those extra innings last October.

Plus, with the addition of Ryan Vogelsong (basically subbing in for Jonathan Sanchez, eventually), the 1-through-4 rotation was more dependable than ever.

And nothing is a better predictor for future health than past and current health. Especially for young pitchers.

No rotation ever goes forever without some injury issue, but these are excellent signs for the sustained long-term health of the Giants’ rotation.

Bonus positivity: None of the top four starters are eligible for free-agency this off-season. (Lincecum and Vogelsong are slated to hit arbitration, Cain has one more year before he’s a F/A, Bumgarner has more year before he gets to arbitration.)

Double-bonus positivity: The Giants seem to have finally given up the ghost on Barry Zito. He should comes to camp with less than a 10% chance of winning a starting spot in 2012.

What they do with Zito after that, I don’t know, but if they want to win, they can’t ever pencil him in as a regular starter.

-Conclusion: The Giants’ big three of Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner are long-term horses, and that alone should keep the Giants in contention into 2012.

3. Buster Posey is on track to return as a catcher for 2012.

Clearly, this still has to be proven once Posey gets to spring training and shows his ankle can take the day-after-day grind behind the plate.

But everybody knows that Posey is much more valuable to the Giants as a catcher than at first base or anywhere else he might have to be moved to.

There are a lot of guys as good as Posey at 1B in the NL. There are none who play catcher, except him.

Posey might never catch 140 games again, and might move to 1B eventually, but it’s a positive sign for the Giants to be talking solely about him as a catcher six months before Opening Day 2012.

-Conclusion: Posey is still odds-on to be the Giants’ most important player for the next decade, and teams with great catchers usually win consistently.

4. The Giants re-signed (and wasted some money on) Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell partly to maintain the good vibes of 2010, but they avoided over-committing to Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria.

I thought Uribe was a big, big loss, but he had a horrendous season with the Dodgers–2010 might’ve been his last flash. And it’s not like Miguel Tejada made anybody forget about Uribe or Renteria’s 2010 contributions.

And OK, the team’s commitment to Huff partially blocked Brandon Belt, but Belt had his own struggles this season. (Burrell doesn’t count as a big bad deal because he only cost $1M.)

But the reality is that the Giants could’ve gone nutso to bring back their 2010 heroes in free-agency, and all they really got stuck with is an extra year of Huff.

-Conclusion: The Giants’ payroll in 2012 isn’t looking good, but it could’ve been A LOT worse if they’d tossed money at two more aging infielders last off-season.

5. Pablo Sandoval re-emerged as a true middle-order hitter.

Really, until Beltran kicked it into gear a few weeks aftter his acquisition, Sandoval was the Giants’ only dangerous hitter.

The Giants sure need him. But they had better keep monitoring his weight, because it went back up as the season wore on.

-Conclusion: Sandoval and Posey are the core of the Giants’ lineup, and should be for many years. Now all they have to do is find three or four more solid hitters–which is better than having to find five or six.

6. The Giants ate up another year of the horrendous Zito contract(two more to go!) and cut loose Aaron Rowand (with one year left) and Miguel Tejada.

The problem is that, together, the money owed to Zito and Rowand still basically makes it impossible for the Giants to go after a huge free agent for another two years or so.

-Conclusion: Any year where the Giants are in semi-contention with the Zito and Rowand deals weighing them down is a pretty good year.

7. The Giants probably have found something in Brett Pill.

I was as skeptical as most were about a 27-year-old, six-year minor-leaguer, but all Pill has done is hit–1.019 OPS in his first 10 games–in his brief time in the majors.

Nobody should write him in for 500 plate-appearances next season, but given the Giants’ need for power bats, Pill has to be somebody they look at for time at 1B.

I think he goes into 2012 spring training slightly behind Belt in the 1B derby (and Belt can also play LF), and on almost equal footing with Huff. That’s being realistic.

-Conclusion: When somebody’s hitting in the high-minors, the Giants’ can’t afford to pooh-pooh anything about him, at any time.

8. The Giants have a budding closer-of-the-future in Sergio Romo.

Forget the triple to Goldschmidt last night–Romo has been incredible almost all season and did one of the toughest things in baseball: Followed up a good set-up season with a great set-up season.

-Conclusion: Brian Wilson is the guy, but he might not have to be the only guy in 2012, especially if his elbow keeps barking at him.

9. The Giants didn’t burn service time and rush OF Gary Brown to the big club in September.

A mid-season jump from A-ball to the big leagues is too much for a young hitter.

-Conclusion: Brian Sabean and his staff stuck to their guns on this one, and they were right. Justin Christian did everything Brown might’ve, and probably more.

10. They could win almost 90 games while also scoring the fewest runs in the National League.

-Conclusion: How many games can they win if they move into the middle of the offensive pack? Answer: They could have another parade if that happens soon.

Not a bad season, considering!

2011-09-25T11:22:00.001-07:00

I have hashed this season over with a bunch of people and what I come away with is, how many wins this team achieved considering:

The lack of offensive production
The lack of a regular lineup
The massive use of the DL
The significant players lost for huge portions of the season
The lack of contribution by significant veterans
The revolving door that was the 5th starter position.

and
The loss of our closer for the last quarter of the season

Considering this,
The Giants managed to be competative, or at least mathamatically in the hunt, until the 153rd game of the season. Not to shabby.

Consider this, the Padres lost 103 games...so far!

Hope is good...

2011-09-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

I hope that the Giants can sweep the Diamondbacks, but the West clearly belongs to Arizona, its theirs to win or loose.

I hope that the Giants can, baring the west, win the wild card, but it would require a continued collapse of the Braves AND the Cardinals.

I hope the 2011 season for the Giants is not over, but I am glad that it was more exciting over the last two weeks than I thought it would be.

I hope, going in to the winter break, that the unhealthy get healthy and are ready to go next year.

I hope something can be worked out with Lincecum, I would prefer long term, but I doubt he wants to leave any money on the table, Also, a short term contract lets him put some pressure on the GM to upgrade the offense.

Lincecum cannot be happy to be leaving wins on the table, he wants a few 20 game seasons. Here are a few of his comments"

"I just don't know how I'm going to feel five years from now, or three years. That's why I'd kind of like to take things step by step and why I liked the deal I got last year."

"It's just easier for me mentally not to have to put that kind of pressure on yourself [...] when you're signed to a long-term deal, it's like saying, 'I'm going to live up to every expectation."

"That's why I like going year to year, so I can improve on it and not sit on what I've done."

Lincecum's two year deal was for $24 million, which is what Cliff lee is going to make next season. He could easily walk into the Arbitration and ask for that as a starting point, settling for another two year deal worth $40 to $45 million.

I hope that the Giants can sign Carlos Beltran. He has indicated that he would like to be back in SF; however, his agent the notorious Scott Boras, has indicated that at 34, Carlos may be looking for his last "blockbuster deal".

Take from that what you will. Carlos may also be looking for a three to five year deal at $75 to $150 million.

Either way, with the injuries, the Giants didn't leave anything on the table and made quite a run for it considering. I don't know what the change in CEO will mean to the payroll for 2012, we will see!

I will be looking forward to the spring.

Go Giants!

SF Giants owners' spat came down to money, style

2011-09-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

"Some guy worth a billion dollars shouldn't be soaking an enterprise ... and if we're paying Bill $10 million a year (in total compensation), we can't put that into the team," said one executive committee member who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter.

Chronicle Columnist

Sunday, September 18, 2011

For all the talk about bad communication among fellow co-owners, Bill Neukom's exit as head of the San Francisco Giants came down to management style and money - specifically the size of the compensation package he felt he was entitled to for heading the organization.

The issue of just how much salary, bonus and other compensation and shares of the team part-owner-turned-CEO Neukom was entitled to was never finalized even after three years at the helm, those in the know said. And the issue started well before the team won the World Series.

"Everybody just thought it would be worked out after he took the job," said one source familiar with the team's inner workings.

Neukom, who did not return calls for comment, reportedly felt his work was worth millions more than his fellow owners were willing to pay. It just became a recurring sore spot - eventually coloring every decision the team made.

"Some guy worth a billion dollars shouldn't be soaking an enterprise ... and if we're paying Bill $10 million a year (in total compensation), we can't put that into the team," said one executive committee member who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter.

Still, the committee member said, the money issue might have been resolved had it not been for a perception that Neukom had overstepped his role as managing partner.

"His style was very different from (team president) Larry Baer's and others who run the business, and it started causing problems," said the source.

"I think Bill started to meddle in stuff more in the weeds than people anticipated, but then wouldn't resolve any of it. ... He wanted to put in the hours of the chairman, but have the input of a CEO - but then decisions stopped getting made."

Neukom asked to step down as Giants managing General Partner

2011-09-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

According to Mark Purdy of the SJ Mercury News, Bill Neukom has been asked to step down ans the managing general partner by the Executive Committee of the Giants' ownership group. Per the article, he was chastised by the committee for not running large spending by the group and not giving the whole ownership group credit for the teams success. The word is that Larry Baer will step in as the CEO of the team and affiliated companies in the interim.

Until the team announces this publicly and more information about his removal is known, you can check out the article below.

http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_18895752

Salaries and Obligations for 2012

2011-09-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Giants paid $95 million and it got them a World Series. In an effort to keep the band together and then to shore up the roster while shipping player after player to the DL the 2011 payroll swelled to $118 million (not including the money embezzled by a Giants payroll manager). Looking ahead to 2012, the money situation and obligations look like this:

2011 2012 Contract Length
Beltran, Carlos $20 mil FA 7 yr/$119M (05-11)

Zito, Barry $18.5 mil $19 mil 7 yr/$126M (07-13)+14 cl opt

Lincecum, Tim $14 mil Arb 3 2 yr/$23M (10-11)

Huff, Aubry $10 mil $10 mil 2 yr/$22M (11-12)+13 cl opt

Cain, Matt $7.3 mil $15.3 mil 3 yr/$27.25M (10-12)

Wilson, Brian $6.5 mil $8.5 mil 2 yr/$15M (11-12)

Ross, Cody $6.3 mil FA 1 yr/$6.3M (11)

DeRosa, Mark $6 mil FA 2 yr/$12M (10-11)

Sanchez, Freddy $6 mil $6 mil 2 yr/$12M (10-11), 1 yr/$6M (12)

Sanchez, Jonathan $4.8 mil Arb 3 1 yr/$4.8M (11)

Affeldt, Jeremy $4.5 mil opt ($4.5) 2 yr/$9.5M (10-11)+12 cl opt

Lopez, Javier $2.3 mil FA 1 yr/$2.375M (11)

Keppinger, Jeff $2.3 mil Arb 3 1 yr/$2.3M (11)

Torres, Andres $2.2 mil Arb 2 1yr/$2.2M (11)

Ramirez, Ramon S. $1.6 mil Arb 3 1 yr/$1.65M (11)

Casilla, Santiago $1.3 mil Arb 3 1 yr/$1.3M (11)

Fontenot, Mike $1,05 mil Arb 3 1 yr/$1.05M (11)

Burrell, Pat $1 mil FA 1 yr /$1M (11)

Cabrera, Orlando $1 mil FA 1 yr/$1M (11)

Mota, Guillermo $925k FA 1 yr/$0.925M (11)

Vogelsong, Ryan $ Arb 3 1 yr (11) (No one seems to know what he made)

Posey, Buster $575k 1 yr/$0.575M (11)

Sandoval, Pablo $500k Arb 1 1 yr/$0.5 (11)

Bumgarner, Madison $450k 1 yr/$0.45M (11)

Romo, Sergio $450k Arb 1 1 yr/$0.45M (11)

Schierholtz, Nate $432k Arb 1 1 yr/$0.4325M (11)

Whiteside, Eli $425k Arb 1 1 yr/$0.425M (11)

Runzler, Dan $418k 1 yr/$0.4185M (11)

Belt, Brandon $414k 1 yr/$0.414M (11)

Adrianza, Ehire Minor League Contract (MLC)

Burriss, Emmanuel MLC

Crawford, Brandon MLC

Edlefsen, Steve MLC

Ford, Darren MLC

Gillaspie, Conor MLC

Pill, Brett MLC

Sanchez, Hector MLC

Stewart, Chris MLC

Surkamp, Eric MLC

Rowand, Aaron $13.6 mil $13.6 mil (The Giants will owe $13.6 for 2012 minus any contract that he signs with another team)

Lets start at the top. I think the Giants should resign Beltran, but how many years and what kind of money will he be looking for will make it difficult. If the term is reasonable (a year or two, even though he will be looking for 3 or 4 years) then sign him, any more and its a tough pill to swallow (even though Sabean has been chugging them down lately). I would move him to left and get Schierholtz back in right, I just think Nate is better in right and that Beltran will be excellent in left (if Beltran is signed look for him to stay in right, just my two cents).

Lincecum will be looking for a 3 or 4 year deal, I say give him 7 and a pile of money. He has proven his skill, competitiveness, athleticism and durability. Also, offer Cain a similar deal, even though its early, and keep them together for the next 6 or 7 years, even though Cain is due a nice bump (from 7.3 to 15.3) I say nail him down.

I like Huff, but I have been clear that the amount and length, of his contract, was a mistake and his crappy season only makes it look worse. My issue with the money and term wasn't that he didn't deserve something for last season, it was that it wasn't realistic to assume his best season in years would be repeatable and with Belt & Pill looming, all I can say is dumb! Anyhow, he is here and were stuck with him, nobody will accept that money in a trade, but it may be possible to get someone to take a big portion of it (maybe $5 or $6 mil).

Ross, DeRosa, Burrell, Lopez, Cabrera and Mota are all free agents next season. I would love to see Mota and Lopez stay, but the rest of the league would love to break up the Giants bullpen. It may cost a bunch to keep those two. I really like Ross and DeRosa, but for $6 mill each and the role that DeRosa will play is too steep. Perhaps for less money, the team, management and I love the guy.

Ross, is a much more difficult proposition. He can platoon with Torres in center, take it if Andres has another down season (which would spell the end of him) or play any other outfield position to rest Beltran or Schierholtz, and comes through in the clutch offensively. He has had a bum season by comparison to 2010 and his career stats, but as a veteran, he should bounce back and his numbers in 2011let the Giants sign him at similar or less guaranteed with incentives.

Jeff Keppinger is a more difficult guy to place. With Freddy Sanchez coming back (we hope at 100%) Keppinger seems like the odd man out, but, I really like the guy on offense and defense; if Freddy isn't the guy he was, JK is a perfect replacement and possibly a good long term fit at second base when Freddy is gone. However, he will probably cost $3 mil next season and may want a 3 or 4 year deal to take less in 2012.

Cabrera is almost certainly gone. With Winter-ball and spring to see how Crawford develops, the team can look at the SS position and either Fontenot and/or Burriss as the infield utility guy. The question is if the team will ever value Burriss as much as they value Fontenot? If not, I think Burriss is gone to a Minor League FA contract, as Eugeneo Valez and others have. The Giants minor league system is very well developed and players can languish there, when they may get a better Big League shot somewhere else. I think Short Stop is Crawfords to loose. If he isn't where they want him to be, a short stop could be the big trade for Jonathan Sanchez and/or some other arbitration eligible player.

A bite on the payroll to note, is the $13.6 mil owed to Rowand for next season. If he gets a job elsewhere the difference is taken, but I think someone will give him $6 or $8 and the Giants will be on the hook for the rest.

Laslty, regarding the pitching staff, the only issue is having too many options. Zito isn't going anywhere unless the team is willing to eat $45 mil. and they won't. Zito's contributions & money owed vs. the uncertainty about Sanchez and question of Vogelsong's ability to repeat this years performance, make Zito a certainty to be back in the #5 spot. I hope Vogelsong can repeat and with Surkamp on the back burners, I would shop Sanchez. I hate to say it, but despite his obvious talent, his lack of mental control and the truckload of money that his agent, Scott Boras, will be looking for make him the guy to trade, but only for a significant upgrade, somewhere, such as Short Stop or Center Field.

Torres was off this season, raising questions of fluke performance last season, which leaves a weakness in center and at the lead off spot, without a clear options. Ross wasn't much better; Ford may still need some time to prove he's an every day player and Christian hasn't exactly set the world on fire.

As of this moment the opening lineup next year may look like this:

1 - Torres or Ross
2 - F. Sanchez
3 - Beltran or Sandoval
4 - Sandoval or Beltran
5 - Posey
6 - Schierholtz
7 - Belt or Huff
8 - Crawford
9 - Pitcher

Beltran, Sandoval and Posey can flip around and should be formidable in the middle of the order. If Schierholtz can continue to hit like he did this season, he would make an excellent # 6 as can Belt/Huff/Pill. Laslty, the 1 and 2 spot, table setters have to be able to get on and steal bases as Torress (in 2010) and Freddy can. This group, if productive, make Crawford's offense a bit less important; however, if he can hit .250 (and looking at his minor league numbers, he can) it's all good.

The final question is about the backup catcher. Eli is an excellent backup catcher, knows the pitching staff; however, he has been a significant drop off in offense from Posey and has a good, but not great arm. Stewart, has a cannon and was really good with the pitching staff, he can hit, but will he at the Big League level. Sanchez is the wild card. He has been very good and may require a year or two, but he would make a really good backup. So, the big question "will Eli be back next year?" I don't think so...

Let's look at the numbers. Current Obligations are; Lincecum will be at $20 or $22 mil, Zito is at $19, Cain at $15.3, Huff at $10, Wilson at $8.5, Freddy Sanchez at $6; which puts the big contract obligations at $79.8 mil. Plus, $13.6 for Rowand = $93.4 mil

Beltran will want at least another $20 mil, Affeldt has a $4.5 option, Lopez at $4 mil, Mota at $2 or $3 mil, then there is Romo, Sandoval, Schierholtz, Vogelsong, Casilla, Rameriez, Torres, J. Sanchez, Fontenot and Keppinger who are all arbitration eligible and I don't have a clue what the team will pay them and if any will be traded. My point is that the payroll could easily go through the moon and the big money to Rowand, Zito and Huff will add to the difficult crop of these Arbitration eligible negotiations even before you add Ross, DeRosa and Burrell into the mix.

So, what will next years payroll look like?

If I missed something or you think I'm wrong, let it fly, I want your input...

Update1: If the Giants do not sign Beltran then the lineup will probably look something like this:

1 - Torres or Ross
2 - F. Sanchez
3 - Sandoval
4 - Posey
5 - Belt or Huff
6 - Schierholtz
7 - Ross or Burrell
8 - Crawford
9 - Pitcher

Unless significant changes are made.

Do or Die! This is the weekend...

2011-09-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Don't the number of games left in the season fool you, this weekends series against the Diamondbacks is THE series of the year and the last real chance for the Giants to deliver on any hope of returning to the playoffs for 2011.

The D-Backs are entering this series at 78-59 with a full 6 game lead in the NL West over the Giants with only 25 games left. On top of their lead they have a 9 game winning streak going,

Madison Bumgarner's performance and Pat Burrell's return to the line followed the designation of Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada, along with September call ups Brendan Crawford, Darren Ford and Emmanuel Burris; all have to be motivating factors going into this weekends shootout with Arizona.

Baseball insiders have been surprised by the D-Backs staying power with exceptional pitching and hot bats that have lead them to the division lead. The question is, "Can they keep it up?". Can they keep winning and hold off the Giants. There isn't a second place for the NL West, with the Atlanta Braves holding a 9 game lead over the Cardinals and the Giants, its more probable to catch Arizona for the Division than it will be to catch Atlanta for the Wild Card.

Obviously the Giants pitching should be excellent with Cain, Lincecum and Vogelsong going this weekend, so the big question will be, once again, "Will the bats show up?"

Who would like to see Torres get on base how ever that has to happen, START LOOKING AT BAD PITCHES AS OPPOSED TO SWINGING AT THEM, TAKE A WALK ANDRES. Keppenger and Pablo have been great and fun to watch. Beltran needs to start hitting with power, Huff has to either hit or sit and Ross must start to grab some of lst years magic or this team is done. It will be nice to get Nate back, I only hope the time off doesn't hurt his bat. Also, as a side note, I much prefer Scheirholtz in left field over Beltran, he just plays the position better.

Any thoughts?

One for the books: The Giants have set records this season and last month for:
Lowest runs scored in a month since 1999 with 77
Fewest wins in a month since 1999 with 11
3 of 5 Lowest run support in baseball for Bumgarner, Lincecum and Cain
Worst offensive production with RISP, batting .115

On the last 4-6 road trip the team placed 5 on the DL and six others missed time with injuries. Last season the Giants used the DL 15 times for 13 players. This season they have used the DL 28 times for 20 players, so far!

Side note: The Phillies picked up John Bowker from the Pirates AAA affiliate to fit into the gap left by the injured Ross Gload. He will pinch-hit and play both corner outfield positions and first base. The former Giants hit .306 with 15 home runs and 76 RBI's in 106 games while in the minors and is a career .301 pinch-hitter in the majors with SF and the Pirates.

Who's ready to write off this season?

2011-08-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

It looked like a great opportunity to go back and defend the title, until..

One injury after the other and dead bats from those playing. Several of the guys playing are or have been playing hurt while the 20th player (not all of them unique) just went on the DL. The D-Backs have been so-so, such that the Giants are only a couple of games back. However, if they can't beat the Astro's how can the Giants beat anyone?

We know they can compete and win, with this team. The first half showed just how grim things could get (players on and off of the DL then goes Buster Posey and Freddie Sanchez) and that thought it all, the Giants kept winning. With the acquisition of Keppenger and Beltran, I think that the Giants could go on a tear if only Huff and Ross would heat up. We miss Torres speed and bat and the bullpen has looked tattered over the last two weeks (after being so brilliant for so long), but can they over come?

Can we pull out a playoff spot? If so, can the G-men compete?

I think they can, but will they?

Sabean has a habit of "rewarding" veterans by over paying, it continues to bit hard.

2011-08-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that I am going to pick on Brian Sabean about this one issue. In general, I really like what he has managed to do with the team since becoming GM and hope he stays for a long while. He has built out the Giants minor league system into one of the four best producers of MLB talent in the game (especially Pitchers). He has also made trades that have surprisingly, strengthened the team each year. Of course there are those trades that have been duds, like the Sidney Ponson, Shea Hilenbrand and the king of the duds, the A. J. Pierzynski trade that sent Nathan, Liriano and Bonser to the Twins. In contrast, he make stellar trades for Jeff Kent, Kirk Rueter, Jason Schmidt, Robb Nen and Cody Ross; while recently grabbing cast offs Huff and Burrell.

Trades aside, the deals that brought several to the team in recent years, just do not make any sense. Randy Winn and Dave Roberts were great Giants and are reportedly good guys, but hardly worth $9 and $7 mil per season. The same can be said for Aaron Roward ($9.5 mil per season where he has never earned more than $4.5 in his prime) and averaged $3.5 mil, Aubry Huff's new contract if for $22 mil over two seasons or $30 mil over 3 years (Two years @ $10 mil per and a club option for a third @ $10 mil or a $ 2mil buy out), where he has never earned more than $8 in his best years and $4.5 mil on average (There is a reason that he was only $3 mil in 2010). Edgar Renteria, who was a brilliant clutch hitter in the post season, has made us forget that he spent most of the season, as well as the 2009 season, on the DL for $9 mill per season (average $8 mil per plus a $2 mil buy out) and then there is Barry Zito who had never earned more than $8 mil and averaged $5 mil with Oakland, received a 7 year $126 mil deal with a option for $18 mil or a $7 mil buy out. That's right, it will cost the Giants $7,000,000 to send him packing in 2014 or $18,000,000 to keep him making the total deal worth $133 mil to get rid of him after 2013 or $144 mil to keep him through 2014. By the way, the option would become guaranteed if Zito pitches 200 innings in 2013, 400 combined innings over 2012 and 2013 or 600 innings from 2011-2013 and Zito has a full no-trade clause, we may have him in 2014, like it or not.

It may not be fair to put the Barry Zito deal squarely on Brian Sabean, as Peter McGowan has fallen on his sword over this one. However, knowing what we do about the Giants, it's Sabean who makes these things happen and works with a group inside of the Giants to sell it to the investors. I am certain that Sabean AND McGowan made the Zito deal happen and it is tragic. Not because of the failed promise, but that he was never going to live up to that deal. Trade Rumors and the Chronicle have both published that the largest offer for Zito was a 5 year deal for $75 mil from the Mets and a far less expensive 7 year deal from the Rangers. The Mets GM said after the Giants deal,

"We were not willing to go to the seven-year areas he said he had," said Minaya, who conducted studies on the performances of pitchers with lengthy deals. "This is one guy who has been healthy, and we all wish him well. At the end of the day, the history ... I could not recommend to my ownership to go to seven guaranteed years."

Minaya looks like a genius over this one.

ESPN reported that the deal was the highest for a pitcher in baseball history and "Only Alex Rodriguez ($252 million), Derek Jeter ($189 million), Manny Ramirez ($160 million),Todd Helton ($141.5 million) and Alfonso Soriano ($136 million) have contracts with more guaranteed money.

Huff probably could have been singed for $6 or $7 mil per season and with Belt crawling up the walls in the minors, why not sign him to a one or two year deal at $6, while Belt feels his way in. Did Sabean really think Belt would be another Ishikawa?

Renteria was told that the team would buy him out and offer him $1 mil, effectively giving him $3 mil for this season. He turned it down and went to the Reds for $2.01 mil. With the injuries (which you cannot for see) he would have filled in for Pablo at third and then short, effectively negating the Tejada and Cabrera deals (Unless Renteria got hurt); which cost the giants a prospect and Tejada's salary, which far exceed the extra $1mil. Unless Renteria was determined to go elsewhere after the Giants bought him out of the $10 mil due on the option for 2011.

I think Miguel Tejada would have taken less than $6.5 mil, but not much less. Like Zito, Aaron Rowand's deal was just too long. If it were a three year deal then we wouldn't be talking about this. He would have been gone after the 2010 season and that would be that, but they are both still here and its killing us to watch them struggle and sit on the bench. Last season the top paid guys were Zito, Rowand and Renteria.

The Beltran deal makes more sense now than it did when it was a rumor, but his trip to the DL hurts BAD. The revolving door at second base following F. Sanchez has hopefully stabilized with Keppinger (whom I really like the way he plays and he only costs the prospect who may or may not have made the Giants rotation). DeRosa's wrist has cost $6 mil per season.

With all of the unforeseen injuries and frantic signings to keep on track, which the Giants are not, the high cost of several over paid veterans seems like a foreseeable mistake that someone like Sabean should have been able to avoid. Or is it, when he screws up, he goes big or goes home?

All Salary Data comes courtesy of Doug Pappas, and the Society for American Baseball Research.

Manufactured Rowand controversy

2011-08-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am sick of the bloggers and a few sports writers making a big deal out of the Rowand statement to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times.

The issue is an out of context excerpt from the article:

JC: Thing you miss most about playing for Chicago?

Rowand: Wearing the road uniform. And you know why? Because it said ‘Chicago’ across the front. I got goose bumps every time I would put it on.

JC: Not so with San Francisco?

Rowand: [Pause] Let’s talk about the Bears again.

And this is how a blogger responds to the statement:

Now, my first initial thought? San Francisco is where he works. He doesn’t have to like the city or the fans, for that matter. I’ve never known any sane professional athlete outside of Lance Berkman who didn’t care for SF, but Aaron never struck me as the brightest crayon in the box so I’ll let that pass. Fine. He can prefer Chi-town to The City.

Second thought being Rowand was an intricate part of the White Sox World Series team, something he was far from last year during the Giants run. Okay, so the White Sox ring has more value and merit to him – understandable. Silly, but, I get it.

The story was about the Bears an his childhood affinity for them. The interviewer asked him about SF compared to Chicago on his jersey and, as he later clarified, instead of saying something that might be taken out of context and upsetting someone from SF or Chicago, he asked that the interview get back on track.

If these bloggers were to ACTUALLY pay attention to the comment IN CONTEXT, he would have read that Rowand was not bashing SF.

It is extremely annoying when people manufacture controversy just because they don't like him or the way he has been playing while in SF, especially when they take something out of context AND go the extra mile to "interpret" the comment for everyone without a basis in fact. Rowand has mentioned several times that his play has been disappointing and that he does not feel like he is living up to his contract. His professionalism, despite his, the teams and the fans frustration; has been exemplary and as a DH, he has been stellar (.325 Avg. per CSN Bay Area)

If I want to get frustrated about anything it's how Sabean can continue to "reward" veterans with asinine contracts that do not make sense. Rentaria, Huff, Rowand & Zito quickly come to mind. I'll pull some numbers and hit this again in another post. But, this Rowand controversy, just isn't worth the manufactured weight of the argument.

Following the Phillies visit, how worried should the Giants be?

2011-08-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

That question really depends on your level of optimism or pessimism. If your a Glass is half empty person, then you should really be concerned that Carlos Beltran has not been hitting consistently or with power. You should be concerned that Ross, Torres, Schierholtz and especially Huff are still not hitting. You should be concerned that the offense is batting .225 and only .174 with RISP. The bullpen struggled a bit (by their standards) over the last 10 games. Lastly, you should be concerned that the team is 2 for their last 10 since leaving Philly and have hit 15 home runs in the last month and every single one was a solo, an almost improbable feat.

If your a Glass is half full type, then you should be happy that Cabrera and especially Keppinger have been fantastic, Pablo is tearing it up and the pitching staff has been solid. Additionally, the Phillies pitchers while good, looked hit-able, but the Giants poor plate appearances made them look better than they were. Only the 2-9 loss against the Phillies and possibly the 1-6 loss against the D-Backs were out of reach to a team that isn't slumping.

What I take from this is that the Giants have a lot of moving parts right now, with several of them not hitting. If Torres can improve is OBP and average and Huff can start hitting, then Beltran can start swinging with power as opposed to "just try and get on". It would be nice to see Schierholtz and Ross hitting again with power and frequency. With those minor offensive improvements the Giants can beat anyone, especially the Phillies. As long as we are in August and remain in or near 1st place, I am not concerned. However, September is fast approaching and anyone can get hot, lets hope its the Giants.

Side Note: MLB reviewed the bench clearing scrum between the Giants and the Phillies. The ruling was that Shane Victorino would get a 3 game suspension and a fine for charging the mound and shoving an umpire. Ramirez, Whiteside and the Phillies Polanco would get undisclosed fines for their parts. I think the Giants dodged a bullet, especially with Whiteside and possibly Pablo Sandovol, both getting off easy and all together, respectively.

The Trade Deadline is gone are the Giants a better team?

2011-08-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Brian Sabean worked some magic and gave up a top prospect to nab Carlos Beltran, which certainly makes the Giants a better team (thought 2 for 18 over the last 4 games isn't what we were hoping for). However, Orlando Cabrera is a more puzzling acquisition. Offensively his numbers are not any better than Tejada's and offensively he is a minor upgrade over Tejada and less so than Brendan Crawford (Crawford's .190 batting average is a clear indication that he just isn't adjusting to Major League pitching and may need more time in the minors). However, Fontenot has both the offensive numbers and defensive range. lastly, Tejada is due $6m and the Giants knew that Tejada has lost a bit of range, so if Sabean and Bochy were counting on more offence, then certainly Cabrera doesn't make much sense? Does it???

Crawford is headed down to the Minors to make room for Cabrera, Hall was designated for assignment and Burriss was sent down. Zito has another "injury", so there is now room for Sanchez to come off of the DL and Freddie Sanchez is now "officially" out for the rest of the season. Is the new policy to keep players on the DL when Bochy isn't sure what to do with them? Tejada is due back soon, as is Burrell, DeRosa and presumably Zito has to come off at some point. My bet is on a DL shuffle until September 1st when the roster expands to the full 40.

Anyone know what Sabean and Bochy are thinking? Or is this just a spend and patch until ... what? Guys can't get out of their funk if they don't play. A bunch of money isn't hitting, sitting on the bench or hanging on to the DL. Anyone???

I'm also ignoring the Cincinnati series for a few reasons 1) it gave the Reds some hope, 2) it was a worse than normal pitching performance, 3) the series was a worse than average bullpen performance and 4) no bats, even from our new right fielder. The trade deadline is always a weird time for a team and after the Phillies series it clearly impacted the Giants (that's my explanation and I'm sticking to it).

Update: Initially Mark DeRosa's return date was "August", however, as of this afternoon it was changed to TDB, and he was moved to the 60-day DL.

Giants will welcome Carlos Beltran to SF. Some serious roster decisions are on the horizon!

2011-07-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

According to a Cincinnati paper, where the Mets are playing the Reds, Carlos Beltran has waived his no trade clause and is coming to San Francisco (in Philadelphia) on Thursday morning when the deal will be officially announced. Insider info has the deal done with the Mets picking up $4m of the remaining $6.5m of Beltran's contract and the Giants handing over baseballs #2 pitching pitching prospect, , the Giants #1 pick in the 2009 draft, righty Zack Wheeler and possibly one my prospect to be named later. Wheeler is significant in that the Giants will be giving up draft consideration for Beltran, who most likely will run in the open waters for a multi-year contract for the next few seasons, making this a rental of this hitting skills for the rest of the season. As the current pitching staff begins to cost the Giants considerable money to keep intact in the next two season, new blood is often injected and others are allowed to seek more money elsewhere.

I recently predicted that this deal wouldn't happen because of the cost ($6.5m remaining on Beltran's contract) and the pitching that the Giants would have to give up, with a small nod to the current platoon of outfielders, especially the recent play of Nate Schierholtz in right field and the fact that Beltran has always been #15, a number belonging to skipper Bruce Bochy.

The money has largely been taken care of by the Mets sending over all but $2.5m and the pitching, by taking a top prospect and not a starter. The outfield is still a clogged group and will become more so when DeRosa and Burrell come off of the DL. However, in the mean time it looks like Beltran will take right field (having to learn AT&T's difficult angles, while Ross and Schierholtz will probably platoon in left. Ross and Torres are less productive and both have seen their playing time reduced. As for the number 15, according to Bochy, "it's nothing that a Rolex can't cure", he said with a smile.

Beltran's offensive numbers (hitting .289 with a .904 OPS, 15 homers, league leader in doubles and 66 RBI's) will be a nice change with Huff, Ross and Torres on a long term slump and Sandoval and Schierholtz leading the team with a .806 and .768 .OPS respectively. Clearly, Beltran is going to the #3 slot in the order with Pablo moving to #4 and Huff, Ross/Schierholtz in a 5/6 slots.

Now, here comes the tricky part. How does he fit into the roster? The pitching staff is set and the outfield isn't going anywhere. Whiteside and Stewart are set as are all of the veterans (since none have been mention in trade talks). This leaves Burress, Belt and Crawford, who can be sent down to the minors. There is further complications in the 25-man roster when Jonathan Sanchez comes off of the DL, with Vogelsong pitching better than he and Zito, someone will have to go into the bullpen and either the Giants send down another fielder to carry a fat pitching staff or do something (release or designate) someone to make room. Additionally, August appears to be the month that Burrell, DeRosa, Hall, Tejada and possibly Freddie Sanchez will come off of the DL. Where are they going to go and will they stay on rehab assignments until the roster expands?

One thing is for sure, the roster has a lot of moving parts, with difficult decisions to be made about the future of several players and the production of others going into the stretch. It would be nice to see some of those rewarded with another season and some serious money, delivering in the second half. I think Beltran is a shot over the bow for Huff, Burrell and Ross. Hall, Rowand and Tejada all have short term opportunities to start helping this team out, as Beltran is expected to do for the next few months. Let's hope Bochy can continue to play the roster shuffle while working his magic. Who's in? I am.

The Second Half

2011-07-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Now that the All Star Game has passed and we have had a good look at where the Giants are (record, health, pitching, etc..), it is a good time to look at the trade deadline, expansion and the dog days leading to the playoffs.

My feeling is that, while the Giants are maintaining, they are far from where they need to be to be competitive for the playoffs. The fact that they are in first is nothing short of miraculous considering the injuries and lack of production from too many important bats. lets recap...

Injuries
Freddie Sanchez - Gone for the season
Buster Posey - Gone for the season
Mark DeRosa - May be back before the playoffs
Johnathan Sanchez - Out for now (1st rehab start this weekend)
Bill Hall - Should be back soon

Absent Offensive Production
Aubry Huff
Chris Stewart

Emmanuel Burriss

Brandon Crawford

Eli Whiteside (much improved over the last 5 games)

Pat Burrell
Cody Ross
Andres Torres
Aaron Rowand

I would have added Miguel Tejada to the list a month ago, but lately he has been hitting well, and Mike Fontenote except he is in a gray area having only recently being activated from the DL.

So, we have dead bats in the outfield, except for the recent run from Nate. The only production from the infield has been from Sandoval (also, recently activated) and the pitching staff. The only difference between this year and last is more injuries this year and more 1 run or walk-off wins.

So, solutions... anyone.. Please do not say Carlos Beltran. His contract just doesn't make sense unless Sabean is willing to start dropping Burrell, Huff and/or Rowand/Ross. Are we willing to give up on those non-producers?

Torres needs to start leading off with a better OBP (.823 last year, .672 currently this year) with a .044 drop in batting average this season.

Huff was paid a pile of money and his OPS has dropped from .881 to .660 with a .052 drop in batting average this season, so far.

Burrel and Rowand aren't even playing because when they do they strike out. Stewart and Whiteside are in the difficult position of having to suddenly catch this staff full time and produce at the plate, which Whiteside seems to be improving with a jump in his batting average of almost .050 points and the all important RBI's.

Are we ready to give up on this team and hire a gun for the stretch, parking good players who were instrumental in last years run and wins or do we hope for health for the rest of the season and for some of these guys to pick it up?

My vote is to look at a catcher for the season to compliment Whiteside and give Steward more time in the minors and then wait out Huff, Ross, Burrell & Torres. These guys can carry us again. The question is who would the catcher be? Ivan Rodriguez, Jose Molina, someone else??

This will certainly keep Bochy's wheels turning.

As usual, let me know if I screwed something up, if you agree or disagree and if your interested in contributing to this site.

UPDATE: Looks like Burrell is on the DL now as well.

Don't forget to catch Showtime's new series "The Franchise: A SEASON WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS"

2011-07-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

http://sports.sho.com/#/baseball

The hobbling Giant

2011-05-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Injuries plague the Giants at this point in the season. I originally thought that the type and timing of the injuries weren't that big of a problem. Most teams suffer some injuries and they generally come in clusters, but the recent blow to Buster Posey is huge. Take Barry Zito, Pablo Sandavol, Mark DeRosa, Darren Ford, Santiago Casilla, Mike Fontenot, and the recent return of Andres Torres and Cody Ross; none compare to the depth of impact on the Giants of the injury to Buster Posey. Though young, his management of the pitching staff and calling of games has been nothing short of masterful, add to that the loss of hit bat will make and the situation is dire. Pablo's return will be key, to regain his bat and Eli Whiteside can handle the came and the pitching staff, just not like Posey can. Plus the combination offensive/Defensive player that he is will be felt.

I hope that the call ups can prove surprising, but the loss of Posey is nothing short of a disaster.

Fun fifth win in the 11th featuring the youth.

2011-05-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Ford knocks a single and steals second (as if everyone didn't see that coming) leading to a Buster Posey walk to setup the force followed by a knock to right field, by Burress. What followed was both highly entertaining (unless your a A's fan) and indicative of Giants baseball at the moment. Darren Ford turned on the after burners and from second base just beat out a throw from right filed to win the game, in the 11th inning. This was the 13th victory at home for the Giants of 18 home games, the 11th by one run and the 7th by walk off. The whole team has stepped up to contribute when it matters most, just not at the same time, such that the team wins comfortably. I'm not sure if it qualifies as torture yet, but I am in.

Too soon to tell

2011-05-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well Giants fans, I am watching the last game in the Giants/Dodger series and one thing is clear...this is going to a another season down to the wire. The lack of offensive production is once again going to determine wins and losses. The pitching staff (all hail Vogelsong for filling in brilliantly) are going to keep games close. So, its back to the one and two run wins or losses. The real question is, can the Giants put up the one or two runs late to nail down the game or take the lead? Its just too soon to tell.

Zito still out for a bit, Pablo still out for a bit, DeRosa looks like he is out for a bit (when his opportunity to play third presented itself, down goes his wrist; poor bastard).

Did anyone really think paying Huff a pile of money (way more than anyone else as offering, sound familiar?) would result in more production? I expect the same from him, but now the Giants are paying twice a much for the privilege.

Your thoughts?

Major League Pitching

2010-12-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

By Brad Morrison

MLB General Managers who found themselves asking how to address the Giants pitching rotation have had to take another look and ask how to address the Giants AND the Phillies pitching rotation. When you layout the yard stick, its easy to match Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Bumgarner against any playoff pitching 4 in baseball (after their performance in this years playoffs and World Series); however, now that the Phillies have added Cliff Lee, its impossible not to reassess the length of the stick.

I'm sure Brian Sabean thought the Giants were in good shape by singing his arbitration eligible guys (securing the bullpen) and getting Tejada to replace Uribe at SS. With Burrell and a few prospects, leaning back in his office chair with a smile and feeling good about their 2011 chances wasn't out of the question.

The surprise signing by Cliff Lee to the Phillies, which wasn't considered an option due to the trade of Lee to Seattle for "financial concerns" and the cost of replacing Werth. However, Lee signed a 5 year $120 deal (with a vesting option and a possible 6th year) which will add him to the assault force of Halliday, Oswalt and Hamels for at least the next two seasons. The big questions remaining when you look at the Giants chances against the Phillies to repeat are focused on the 5th starter and the Phillies bullpen/closer. Phillies are clearly taking a "shot over the bow" at the Giants and hoping that the big 4 rotation can take them deep into games while keeping the score low so they don;t have to score 6 or 8 runs to win a game. If they can compete in 2 to 1 ballgames, the power of Werth is potentially less important, as the Giants have shown

Clearly the Giants, by retaining their pen and with Brian Wilson in tow, are the favorites to close out a game. So, the Giants should be able to push through the west, with about 50 assumptions and offensive concerns working for us this year. However, since the Padres have dealt Adrian Gonsolez and the Dodgers are a mess (particular due to the ownership marital problems and a new head coach), it remains to be seen how healthy the Rockies can stay as well as the question of a repete performance from Ubaldo Jimenez.

A match-up against the Phillies in the NLDS or NLCS will be interesting. Clearly, Brian Sabean will be looking at his team and comparing them to the strong in the west and the Phillies all season. No doubt he will make some mid season and late season moves if the Phillies deliver and stay healthy.

Giants fans, we are in for a wild ride in 2011, we will have to wait a few months into the season before its dubbed torture or not.

Defending the crown is a delicate balance, what it takes to repeat

2010-12-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

By Brad Morrison

Do the Giants really want to get the band back together. The answer is an emphatic Yes... and No...

Budget, skill, age, length of contracts, youth and prospects all play a part in ensuring a team like the Giants can compete against the other teams in the West who will desperately trying to upgrade. The big questions are will the Giants have to break $100m and the answer is yes, without a doubt; will the two big money guys of Zito and Rowand contribute $30m worth toward a return to the series, and the answer is probably not, but there isn't anything that the Giants can do about it since nobody will take them without the Giants shouldering all of their contracts. Which leaves $70m plus for Lincecum's $13'm and Huff's money, probably somewhere around $9m or $10m depending on other teams interest in him.

The next level of questions revolve around Uribe, Burrell, all of the arbitration eligible players and prospects. The Giants may lose Uribe if he and his agent want a long term contract, I suspect the Giants will offer 1 or 2 years where Uribe wants 3 or 4. Burrell, after a nice stretch had such an abysmal playoff's that the Giants should be able to sign him (if they even want to) for something very reasonable. Pat Burrell should not be over looked having contributed so much to the Giants playing well enough to catch and pass San Diego, but when the real rubber was to meet the road, he just didn't deliver. This will significantly reduce the teams interested in him (where the opposite situation exists with Uribe). If the Giants lose Uribe, then I hope they give Burriss a shot, the kid has nice defensive numbers and looked like an option last season until he broke his foot in Spring Training. His offensive numbers in winter ball and in the Spring will tell the tail. The free agent marked for Short Stops is a bit soft, but there are a few 1 or 2 year guys out there.

The arbitration eligible guys of Torres, Ross, Fontenot, Sanchez, Ramirez, Ray, Castilla and Lopez should get nice offers. These guys are key, especially the pitchers. Keeping the rotation and bullpen together is the only way to build on what made the Giants successful in 2010. A less effective pen is not an option, since every other team in baseball will be seeking to do the same thing. As for Torres, Ross and Fontenot, you have to keep them. Torres doesn't make a pile of money and was one of the best center fielders in baseball. His ability to lead off and speed on the bases is required. If Torres is to progress he has to learn to be a better base stealer. Cody Ross is one of those guys that is hot and cold during the season but was lights out in the playoffs. Offer him a 2 or 3 year deal and move on. He offers a nice right or left field and occasional pop at the plate. With Pablo's ability to play 3rd and hit in question and Freddie Sanchez's health always an issue, Fontenot is a good guy to have as a utility infielder, especially with Uribe's status up in the air.

As for Prospects, the Giants have Crawford and Adrinza at short stop, it remains to be seen if they can transition into effective big league shortstops offensively (no Troy Tulowitzki's here) but at lease the position, with Burriss should be covered defensively in the next year or two. The best prospect comes in the form of 1st baseman Brandon Belt. This kid is a legitimate hitter with a nice glove. I would like to see him stay in the minors for another season and then come up for the 2012 season to work with Huff, but if he rips it up in the minors he could find his way up earlier. If he turns into the stud that Posey is likely to, what a potent middle of the order punch for years to come. Obviously, if he can beat out Huff at first, Huff can transition to the outfield for the remainder of his contract.

The moral of this story is that many team will try to emulate the Giants success, with better hitting. They will find it difficult to put the complete rotation, plus bullpen and closer that the Giants have for several years and a ton of money, together. However, without a better offense the Giants will continue to struggle to win games and will not cement their starters as 20 game winners until they do. The hope was that Sandoval and Posey would produce the nucellus of a potent offense, but that remains to be seen. I caution against assuming Posey will be brilliant next season, though I hope and that Pablo Sandoval can come back, but I hope.

Update: The Giants signed Aubry Huff to a two year $22m deal, paying him $10m for each of the first two seasons with a $2m buy out on a club option for 2013. While I like Huff and encouraged the Giants to sign him, I think $22m is too high a price to pay. Huff, 34 years old, has never made more than $8m and was released in 2009 after having a miserable season. I hope that he continues to produce, but as is often the case, career high seasons after being released are not repeated.

Update 2: Well its a done deal, the Giants will miss the pop and club house enthusiasm of Juan Uribe. My understanding is that the Giants offered him a two year deal and he went with the three year $21m deal that the Dodgers offered. The only thing that grinds a Giants fan more than loosing a player is loosing him to the Dodgers. As much as I like Juan Uribe, I hope he flounders in L.A.

Update 3: Hours after Juan Uribe signed his deal with the Dodgers, and claimed to have no control over where he play's, several times; the Giants signed former A's, Oriels, Padres short stop Miguel Tejada to a one year $7m deal to fill in the hole at Shortstop. Tejada is an able SS with a good bat, though he has lost some pop over the years. I think he will be a good match to Freddie Sanchez in the middle, with a better glove than Uribe and a clubhouse attitude similar to Uribe. Once again, I think he is getting a bit too much money, but at least the term is reasonable.

Bochy's brilliant pitching move and the choice NOT to play Vlady

2010-10-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

By Brad Morrison

Bochy moved Matt Cain back to the number 2 spot because, as a fly ball ground ball pitcher, AT&T is certainly a flyball pitchers friend; much more so than Arlington. This proved itself out no less than three times when two certain homers in Texas and one maybe homer, were two were fly outs and the first one was a shot off the top of the wall that bounced back into the yard and Torres quickly threw the ball in leaving a shocked and frustrated Ian Kinsler standing on second where he was stranded.

Ron Washington's decision to sit Vladimir Guerrero looked like a wash late in the 2-0 game, when the lack of Vlady's bat may have made the difference, but two sharp hits to right field during the game, that Guerrero never would have tracked down and Cruz did, would have resulted in at least one if not two Giants runs.

None the less, with Cain's brilliant 7 2/3, along with Lopez and Mota, the lack of a single run out of the Texas lineup meant that any number of Giants runs would have been enough, well before the 8th inning bullpen meltdown from Texas.

So, on to Texas where the home run friendly ballpark at Arlington and the DH will change the game. Will Bochy keep the same lineup and DH Pablo, Ishikawa or put Schierholtz in right and DH Burrell? I can't wait to find out and this time I hope Sanchez tosses another no hitter, or at least brings that same stuff with him.