2011 SF Giants Spring Training discussion

digicat

In their first big move of the off-season, the Giants inked 1st baseman Aubrey Huff to a 2 year, $22 million contract (10/10/2 buyout), making him the 3rd highest paid player on the team, behind Zito and Rowand.

Huff led the Giants in just about every offensive category in 2010.

Last week they also added a few kids to the 40 man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft:

OF Thomas Neal
SS Ehire Adrianza
P Jose Casilla
P Steve Edlefsen
P Clayton Tanner

Two guys got taken off the 40 man:

1b Brett Pill was outrighted to AAA.
P Waldis Joaquin was released, and was claimed by the White Sox.

Giants have 5 other free agents who are testing the market and may leave:

LF Pat Burrell RE-SIGNED
P Guillermo Mota signed to minor league deal
SS Edgar Renteria gone
SS/3b Juan Uribe gone
OF Jose Guillen



Giants stud 1b prospect Brandon Belt slugged his way from A to AAA through the 2010 season, then put on a hitting clinic in the AFL. Hopefully he'll keep up his production in 2011. If the Giants decide to call him up, Huff has shown that he's a capable outfielder, and will easily move out to RF or LF.

stevek

Any truth to the rumor they may move back to New York?

CollectorAtWork

I thought they overpaid for Huff a bit. That might've been a career year for him, so I hope he doesn't become another Rowand. Would've preferred if they could've gotten him for $8mil, but I heard that the Giants just matched another team's offer. So, if they didn't do this deal, he would've left. At least it's only 2 years. I still would bring back Burrell and Uribe on the cheap if possible.

BTW, if the Giants decide to splurge and the Jeter / Yankees falls through, what would you think about the Giants signing Jeter for 4 years at 20mil per? I've read that the Yanks are offering 3 years at 15, but are willing to go up to 3 years for 21. However, they won't give Jeter the 4th year (or more).

digicat

<< <i>BTW, if the Giants decide to splurge and the Jeter / Yankees falls through, what would you think about the Giants signing Jeter for 4 years at 20mil per? I've read that the Yanks are offering 3 years at 15, but are willing to go up to 3 years for 21. However, they won't give Jeter the 4th year (or more). >>



Hmm. I don't know. Jeter's coming off of the worst season of his career, and he's 36. Then again, the only other guy the Giants could get would be Juan Uribe, who may get signed anyway to play 3b as a backup plan, if Pablo eats his career away.

stevek

Giants suck!

Okay, that's my last dig at the Giants for beating my Phillies in the playoffs.

CollectorAtWork

Would you pick up Manny for left field if you could get him at 8mi for 1year?

digicat

<< <i>Would you pick up Manny for left field if you could get him at 8mi for 1year? >>



I guess it depends on how well he's recovered from his injuries from 2010. He was a shadow of his former self with the White Sox. I'd rather have Burrell back. He worked well in the Giants clubhouse, and he and Huff seemed to make each other better last year.

digicat

Juan Uribe is now a Dodger.


Well, that messes things up a bit. Uribe's value was as a power hitter and a super-utility guy who could play 3rd, SS, and 2b.

Now, the Giants have problems at 3rd and SS with no obvious solutions.

If Pablo Sandoval gets his career back on track, that will fix the 3rd base issue, but there's a huge hole at SS that can either be filled with a rookie like Manny Burriss, who can't hit, or a free-agent.

Well, Mark DeRosa could play 3rd if Pablo totally fails.

Garabaldi

<< <i>Would you pick up Manny for left field if you could get him at 8mi for 1year? >>



You do not want Manny now. When he was productive you would put up with his antics, but he is a shell of himself.

larryallen73

Uribe will probably be booed just like Brett Butler was. Classy 'frisco fans!

digicat

<< <i>Uribe will probably be booed just like Brett Butler was. Classy 'frisco fans! >>



Only while he wears the Blue. Just like with Jeff Kent and Butler, once it comes off, he's one of us again.

SanctionII

Gigantes thread year round thanks to digicat

Understandable since die hard Ginats fans had to wait 5+ decades before SF finally brought the WS Trophy to Baghdad By The Bay.

However, can we let the Giants get some well deserved R&R and turn our attention to the compelling drama unfolding before our very eyes weekly as the Raiders and 49rs romp through the NFL regular season.

In fact, I think that the 49rs are playing as I type this reply.

Maybe, just maybe both teams will end the season with a total of between 10 and 12 wins, combined.

Laugh you say at the 2010 Raiders and 49rs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well both of them have kicked sand into the facemasks of my favorite NFL team, the 3-8 Broncos

CollectorAtWork

Here's Jeter as a Giant

digicat

Late last season, I LOL'ed as Miguel Tejada bumbled around the infield on defense for the Padres as they cratered in September.

Today, Miguel Tejada is a Giant, signed to a 1 year, $6.5 mil deal.

Well, at leat these icons are free to use, because I suspect I'll be using them a lot next season:

lanemyer85

UZR/150

Renteria +6.9 (appx 550 IP at SS)
Uribe +3.3 (appx 850 IP at SS)
Tejada +0.3 (appx 500 IP at SS)

so I guess compared to other options Sabean was exploring, Tejada isn't too bad. Offense won't be that much different than Uribe. Tejada should hit for a better avg with Uribe having more power. They both are allergic to taking a walk however. Regardless, allegedly Sabean was exploring a trade for Jason Bartlett - he of a league worst -13.8 UZR/150 so it could have been worse. Tejada on one year compared to Uribe at 3 years, personally I'll take Tejada.

digicat

<< <i>Renteria +6.9 (appx 550 IP at SS)
Uribe +3.3 (appx 850 IP at SS)
Tejada +0.3 (appx 500 IP at SS)

so I guess compared to other options Sabean was exploring, Tejada isn't too bad. Offense won't be that much different than Uribe. Tejada should hit for a better avg with Uribe having more power. They both are allergic to taking a walk however. Regardless, allegedly Sabean was exploring a trade for Jason Bartlett - he of a league worst -13.8 UZR/150 so it could have been worse. Tejada on one year compared to Uribe at 3 years, personally I'll take Tejada. >>



Actually, I was kinda hoping that the Giants would make a move for J.J. Hardy...
2010 Hardy
.268/.320/.394; OPS+ 93; +12.8 UZR/150; 2.4 WAR

2010 Tejada
.269/.312/.381; OPS+ 90; +0.3 UZR/150; 1.3 WAR


Unless there are some factors about clubhouse fit and attitude that I don't know about, it seems like the Giants considered Tejada to be a "bird in hand." With Hardy, they'd have to trade for him, or wait for the Twins to cut him loose, which it looks like they're going to do. I guess Hardy was the "two in the bush."

Then again, given his youth, Hardy would want a multi-year deal at $5mil/year, and I know that the Giants still want to see if slick fielding minor league SS Brandon Crawford will figure out how to hit.

digicat

Well, I guess one of the nice things about the Giants signing Tejada is... I already have his RC from my MVP collection..

lanemyer85

I'd probably rather have Hardy as well just for his superior defense compared to the others, but in the end, there really isn't much difference in the overall value of the 3 - Hardy, Tejada, or Uribe. Plus Hardy would cost at least an upper mid-tier prospect and I'm sure you know, after Belt and Wheeler, the Giants organization isn't really teeming with quality prospects they can really afford to give up.

available SS

Shortstop CareerTAv 2010 TAv 2010 WARP2 2008-10 WARP2 2011 Pay
Jeter .290 .261 3.1 11.7 FA
Reyes 277 .276 3.2 10.3 $11M
Bartlett .267 .257 3.2 10.1 ARB (2010: $4M)
Scutaro .257 .259 2.9 14.9 $5M
Hardy .262 .262 1.8 9.6 ARB (2010: $5.1M)
Renteria .263 .261 1.4 3.1 FA
Uribe .245 .266 2.8 7.8 $5M
Cabrera .251 .247 0.6 1.7 FA
Tejada .273 .254 2.4 12.1 $6.5M

CollectorAtWork

I like the signing of Tejada. I think 1 year at 6.5 mil sounds about right. I like the concept for the Giants to sign their core (e.g., Lincecum, Cain, MadBum, Wilson, Posey) to long term contracts and fill in the rest with short year contracts while waiting to see if prospects develop.

CEOBIDMC

ugh. Tejada. cant believe anyone pays him to play anymore.

digicat

Today the Giants re-signed Pat "The Bat" Burrell to a 1 year deal. I don't know for how much yet. If he comes cheap, I like it.

Edit to add: Pat signed for $1 mil, plus incentives. Wow! This is a "I've got enough money, I just want to stay in SF" deal.




They couldn't break up the Huff/Burrell bromance. That would just be wrong.

digicat

Giants have 8 arbitration delegable players they need to tender contracts to on Thursday, or they become free agents.

CF Andres Torres
OF Cody Ross
IF Mike Fontenot
P Javier Lopez
P Jonathan Sanchez
P Santiago Casilla
P Ramon Ramirez
P Chris Ray

My guess is that they'll say "bye" to Chris Ray.

I thought that they'd ship Fontenot off too, but Brian Sabean mentioned that he talked to his agent recently.

I can see the Giants giving contracts to all of the other guys.

Sanchez, Torres, and Ross are too valuable to give away. Casilla, Lopez, and Ramirez were key members of the Giants lights-out bullpen.

digicat

Hmm. Giants signed everyone except Chris Ray and in a surprise development, they dumped Eugenio Velez.

Chris Ray wasn't horrible, but the Giants have a loaded bullpen with lots of righties, and Ray was the odd man out.

Velez's career with SF was one that could be properly categorized with one phrase: "WHAT?" This time with the Giants was characterized by flashes of talent mixed with a cruel dose of untimely and consistent brain-farts.


Edit to add: The Giants say they're going to try to sign Velez and Ray to minor league deals. Of course, I'm sure they'll try to get major league deals elsewhere first.

CollectorAtWork

Burrell for 1 million is a great deal. I think he's also from around the Bay area, so he probably wanted to stay close to home.

digicat

<< <i>Burrell for 1 million is a great deal. >>



Considering that they're now saying that there are no incentives involved, that it's just $1 flat, it's an amazing deal!

Burrell hasn't made $1 or less in his career! I'm sure the players union didn't really like this deal, they tend to frown on home-town discounts, especially of this magnitude. In perspective, Burrell's being paid what Todd Wellemeyer made last season.

I just hope Burrell doesn't pick up where he left off in the World Series!

digicat

Ok, took me a few days, but I'm over the Tejada signing. He has kissed SF a$$ to my satisfaction, both on the air with KNBR and through print.

Go Miggie! Go Giants!


(he looks tiny standing next to Bochy!)

bman90278

<< <i>Juan Uribe is now a Dodger.


Well, that messes things up a bit. Uribe's value was as a power hitter and a super-utility guy who could play 3rd, SS, and 2b.

Now, the Giants have problems at 3rd and SS with no obvious solutions.

>>

digicat

1st base prospect Brandon Belt scorched through his first pro season in 2010, jumping from A, to AA, all the way to AAA, with a slash of .352/.455/.620. He hit 23 HRs and stole 22 bases. In the AFL, he continued to rake: .372/.427/.616.

He strikes out a lot, but also walks a lot too, whiffing 99 times, but walking 93 times.


Lots of pressure on this kid. GM Brian Sabean compared the organization's expectations about him to those of Buster Posey's in 2010.

Wow. Kid just finished his first pro season, and the World Champs are telling him "You're the weapon we need. When ever you're ready."

digicat

Not a whole lot of action going on for the Giants in the off-season.

World Series MVP Edgar Renteria flew the coop and is now a Cincinnati Red.

Oh well. We still have these...

digicat

Quiet offseason for the Giants. Most of the acquisitions are minor league contracts with spring training invites. Asside from loosing Edgar and Uribe, the Giants have kept the rest of the core together, bringing in Tejada to fill the Edgar gap.

Pablo Sandoval seems to have taken the organization's ultimatum to heart, and looks a bit more fit now than he did last year. He looks more like his 2009 self. Still a big boy, but not so big that you worry he'll pass out after jogging to 1st on a walk (not that he ever walks...). He's been training some olympic runners and trainers to improve his cardio, and apparently has been working with Barry Bonds on pitch recognition. Bonds may have been a cheating juicer, but he DID have good plate discipline.

Having Sandoval return to form would be a HUGE upgrade over what we had last year, and will erase the power gap left by Juan Uribe's departure.

SanctionII

This thread is premature, since baseball is in the off season.

It should go dormant until baseball season starts again,.................................. in about TWO WEEKS

digicat

<< <i>This thread is premature, since baseball is in the off season. >>



The off-season is the "Hot Stove" season.

bman90278

I heard on the radio today that Posey is coming out of the closet.

Just saying,

Brian


How r u Rich?

digicat

The rotation has been announced:

1) Tim Lincecum (R)
2) Jonathan Sanchez (L)
3) Matt Cain (R)
4) Barry Zito (L)
5) Madison Bumgarner (L)


The only difference from last year is that Zito and Sanchez traded spots. There's some speculation that with a bunch of strategic days off, the Giants might start with a 4 man rotation, and leave MadBum off the Opening Day roster. This would accomplish two things, one, it'd keep MadBum's innings for the overall year down, and two, it'd give Bochey a bit more time to make final decisions on position players if the need arises.

The big question is, what will the OF look like?

I figure that we'll see Burrell, Torres, and Ross as the primary outfielders, but then you have Mark DeRosa (utility), Nate Schierholtz, and Aaron Rowand. Rowand ONLY plays CF, and has expressed a lack of interest in learning how to play any other position. Schierholtz has been asked to spend time at the other 2 OF positions this spring.

A big "if" is, what if Brandon Belt's ready? If he is, then that might send Aubrey Huff into the outfield mix.

digicat

Which SF Giant chows down on this as his post-game meal? Answer.

57loaded

what no "animal style"?

is Brian Wilson the only recurring medical issue so far?

digicat

<< <i>is Brian Wilson the only recurring medical issue so far? >>



Sadly, no.

Cody Ross injured his calf muscle in the first inning of yesterday's game, and word is that he'll be on the DL for Opening Day.

A few other Giants (Cain, F. Sanchez, Torres, DeRosa) have all had aches and pains this spring that have cut into their play time, but it seems like they'll be ok.


So, with Wilson likely heading to the DL, I think the Giants are going to two relievers, instead of just one,. The "long relief" spot has been between Ryan Vogelsong, Jeff Suppan, Dan Runzler, and G. Mota. Runzler and Vogelsong have had great springs, while Mota and Suppan have not. I suspect that they'll put Runzler on the OD roster, just because he's already on the 40-man (with options), then add Vogelsong. Once Wilson comes back, then the Giants will have to make a move.

With Ross hitting the DL, the Giants will probably hang on to both Rowand and Schierholtz, and wait until Ross is healthy before making a decision on which one to trade or release.

Of course, if they decide to bring Brandon Belt (1b) up to start the season, then Huff's moving to RF and then Travis Ishikawa gets dumped, along with either Rowand or Schierholtz.

57loaded

thanks digicat.

for a team i have followed since i first knew about baseball, i haven't spent too much on their spring training this year, other than w/l which i know are meaningless. it would have been fun to go to Scottsdale this year, but i have been there done that and it isn't what it used to be. i am sorta married into the Sharks 'till they get harpooned sometime in the Stanley Cup playoffs, anyway.

i will admit to watching the WS on DVD numerous times since, OMG, still chills, tears and shouting, ya know?

also to comment above...Burrell's signing WAS amazing. That guy has class and a real asset to the team.

digicat

<< <i>i will admit to watching the WS on DVD numerous times since, OMG, still chills, tears and shouting, ya know? >>



Heh, you too? My second daughter was born in December, so the WS DVD has been a great companion for me when trying to get her back to sleep in the middle of the night.

57loaded

<< <i>

<< <i>i will admit to watching the WS on DVD numerous times since, OMG, still chills, tears and shouting, ya know? >>



Heh, you too? My second daughter was born in December, so the WS DVD has been a great companion for me when trying to get her back to sleep in the middle of the night. >>



sans shouting of course!

did you know they are wearing gold for home opener?

digicat

Maybe they'll have a retro-jersey night and wear these... (from 1906)

digicat

I know Spring Training doesn't really mean anything, but seeing the Giants starting pitchers get totally lit up over the last week is kinda worrisome.