Giants made Panda happy, 3 years, $17 mil extension. It buys out the rest of his arb years. Apparently he also had it worked out in his contract that he can go play winter ball each year. Wow, an established major leaguer who WANTS to play winter ball?
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Giants also came to agreements with Santiago Casilla and Nate Schierholtz for 1 year deals.
It was reported Timmy wants 21.5 million/ year and the Giants are offering 17.5 million. In any case it sets an arbitration record. Good news is he might be the one guy the cheapskate ownership would be willing to spend big money on.
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Romo was just filthy in 2011. He seems to have overcome his confidence issue, though that may be in part to Boch using him mostly as an anti-righty assassin.
1.575 mil for Romo. That was a steal for the Giants considering how The Beard II is one of the best relief pitchers in the game.
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Didn't hear about the Lincecum deal until now but that's good news. He's getting expensive and if he maintains consistent career stats the next two years he'll get even more expensive when he hits FA.
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Cody, thanks for going all nuts in the 2010 Postseason and making Roy Halladay your b**ch.
NEVER FORGET! >>
Haven't thought much of the Cody Ross situation. Last I heard the A's were mildly interested. Where did he end up?
In any case he'll be given an ovation every time he visits AT&T with his new team.
Going back to Lincecum and pitchers again, I keep thinking Pujols and Fielder are getting outrageously high salaries but Timmy's figures are now up there as well. Who is the highest paid pitcher in baseball right now?
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There's some news coming out that the Giants are close to re-signing Matt Cain. It was reported that the proposed deal is similar to the Angels' contract with Jared Weaver: in the area of 5 years for 85 million.
If these reports are true it would definitely be a win-win for everybody except the Yankees. For a pitcher with Cain's qualities that deal sounds very reasonable and wouldn't shatter the bank.
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Inking Cain for another 5 years would certainly cause the Giants fan-base to breathe a collective sign of relief.
Apparently the Giants signed righty reliever Clay Hensley to a non-guaranteed major league deal, which basically means he'll need to win his spot during Spring Training.
Clay Hensley is another on a growing list of former Giants farmhands to get brought back to the mothership...
Clay Hensley (drafted by SF in 2002, dealt to SD for Matt Herges in 2003). Eric Hacker (played for AAA Fresno in 2010) Brian Burres (drafted by SF in 2000, in org through 2005) Boof Bonser (SF's 1st round pick in 2000, in the org through 2003).
Hensley is inconsistent. Last year he sucked and was owned by the righties he faced (.305/.385/.550), but somehow, managed to beat the batter platoon advantage and limited lefties to a slash line of .171/.265/.248.
Then again, Santiago Casilla sucked before coming to the Giants (267.1 ip in Oakland: 5.11 era, 1.578 whip), but now he rocks (107 ip in SF: 1.85 era, 1.159 whip).
"Tiny" Tim showed up, weighing 20 lbs less than at the end of last season. Apparently he put on some weight last year thinking it'd help him or something. He didn't like it, so off it came. He's thinking of cutting his hair too.
Brian Wilson says his beard is here to stay. Makes sense. Before his beard, Wilson was simply a very good relief pitcher among other good relief pitchers. His beard makes him a comic book character, and thus unique and much bigger.
Brian Sabean also dismissed the notion that the Giants could only afford to keep Lincecum OR Cain long-term.
<< <i>Lots of Giants stuff in SF on the eve of FanFest.
Brian Wilson says his beard is here to stay. Makes sense. Before his beard, Wilson was simply a very good relief pitcher among other good relief pitchers. His beard makes him a comic book character, and thus unique and much bigger. >>
As a whole the Giants, minus Timmy and The Beard, are a bit vanilla for non-local mainstream media. The rest of the country thinks of the Giants as a team completely made up of no-name journeymen and cheap farm product, so any form of uniqueness is a plus. As already stated, without the beard Brian Wilson is another generic looking relief pitcher.
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<< <i>As a whole the Giants, minus Timmy and The Beard, are a bit vanilla for non-local mainstream media. The rest of the country thinks of the Giants as a team completely made up of no-name journeymen and cheap farm product, so any form of uniqueness is a plus. As already stated, without the beard Brian Wilson is another generic looking relief pitcher. >>
Buster Posey and Matt Cain are known commodities too.
<< <i>Buster Posey and Matt Cain are known commodities too. >>
Considering their talent even they don't as much coverage as they should especially outside of the Bay Area.
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Giants DFA'ed CF Justin Christian today to clear up 40-man room for Theriot.
Justin Christian was promoted mostly to see what he could do in CF, and to see if his speed and hitting could translate from AAA to the majors. He didn't do that badly either in his small sample size: 51 pa, 12 hits, 2 doubles, .255/.286/.362. He's going to be 32 this season. Now that they have Pagan and Cabrera as potential centerfielders, and a serious prospect (Gary Brown) down on the farm, rolling the dice with Christian just doesn't make sense anymore.
It's kinda funny that Pablo Sandoval has 2 SP variations in the 2012 Topps set, one featuring him tussling with other-team's mascots (Pirates and Padres). A third could have been him tackling the Philly Phanatic:
Panda's the Giants most feared hitter... he's also the freaking team mascot!
Matt Cain just put his Noe Valley home up for sale and for less than what he paid for it. Call me a cynic but unless he's looking to move on up to Nob Hill or reduce his commute by relocating to SOMA this isn't a good sign for the Giants.
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<< <i>Matt Cain just put his Noe Valley home up for sale and for less than what he paid for it. Call me a cynic but unless he's looking to move on up to Nob Hill or reduce his commute by relocating to SOMA this isn't a good sign for the Giants. >>
I wouldn't read into it. I doubt that many of the Giants own houses in SF. Besides, Cain's off-season home is in Arizona. They've got a toddler, so maybe they don't want to raise their kid in the middle of a big and congested city like SF. Heck, I wouldn't want to raise my family in the middle of SF, even if I had millions to spend.
Pff. Following the theme of re-signing ex-Giant pitchers and old farmhands, Giants signed Travis Blackley to a minor league deal. He started 2 games for the Giants in 2007 and then was out of baseball. He's been playing in the indi league and in Mexico lately.
Ryan Vogelsong out for 10 days with a back strain, got sent home today due to being sick, on top of everything.
Charlie Culberson smashed his finger in the weight room, out indefinitely. The dude's a scrub minor leaguer, so I kinda doubt he'll be missed.
On positive notes... Brian Wilson is throwing w/o pain. Buster Posey caught a few bullpen sessions with Lincecum and Cain. Also hammered the ball in BP. Dude's back.
That's good news on Posey. Hopefully he doesn't reinjure himself during the season. I'm expecting Timmy and especially Cain to have excellent seasons. Better news would be if the Giants extend Cain before opening day. Lincecum too but I doubt that'll happen.
I'm also expecting a great year from the Beard. Whether he stays or goes after this season is an unknown but he is definitely a fan favorite.
Let's hope the Vogelsong injury is a one-time affair and not an omen for the entire season. If the 4th and 5th starters end up being Surkamp and Zito then there will be problems.
When do the position guys report to camp?
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Gregor Blacno, Hector Sanchez, and Melky Carbera are both putting up some pretty impressive numbers this spring.
Sanchez and Melky are hammering the ball, and Blanco is putting on a contact/speed clinic.
We already know that Melky's starting, Blanco's fighting for a bench job, and Sanchez is a tough call. Hector's a better hitter than Stewart and Whiteside, but is it worth it having a young kid rot on the bench in a back-up-catcher roll? Then again, if they ease Buster into catching duties slowly, having a guy who can hit would ease the stress on the offense on days when Buster's resting. At the same time, you don't want to waste talent on the bench, he should play somewhere.
That likely what's going to happen with Brandon Belt. He'll start in AAA so he can start every day and not get rusty. However, I suspect that if by mid-season Aubrey Huff is putting up 2011 numbers, he'll get the Tejada/Rowand treatment.
I hope Melky has a great year for the Giants. I hated to see him go. He was consistent all season long for the Royals last year.
I read a post about the spring training game K.C. vs. S.F., it said Lincecum and Hochevar were both in mid season form. Lincecum practically unhittable and the Giants hitting line drives all over the place against Hochevar.
And if memory serves I think those two were drafted the same year and the Royals picked Hochevar over Lincecum.
<< <i>I hope Melky has a great year for the Giants. I hated to see him go. He was consistent all season long for the Royals last year. >>
Me too. Melky was pretty much the only move they made to improve the offense. SF's depending on injured guys getting better, and kids like Belt and Pill to have break-out seasons.
He's had a good spring so far. I just hope he keeps it up.
I was kinda sad to see Jonathan Sanchez go. He's got a lot of talent, and it showed in SF in 2009 when he threw the no-hitter, and again in 2010 when he was a solid member of the rotation. His biggest enemy is himself though, and it's obvious when you watch him pitch on tv. He'll sort of pout with his face and body-language when he's not getting the calls he thinks he should get, and then he starts walking everyone.
<< <i>And if memory serves I think those two were drafted the same year and the Royals picked Hochevar over Lincecum. >>
I know that hindsight is 20/20, but man oh man! Unless Hochevar turns into Koufax....
#1 pick = Luke Hochevar #3 pick = Evan Longoria #7 pick = Clayton Kershaw #10 pick = Tim Lincecum #21 pick = Ian Kennedy
Hmm. Boch isn't totally confident that Freddy Sanchez will be healthy enough to start the season on the roster. Oh boy.
However, Manny Burriss is tearing it up in spring training. Maybe this is his season?
Opening day starting lineup may look like:
CF Pagan 2b Burriss 3b Sandoval C Posey 1b Belt/Huff LF Cabrera RF Schierholtz SS Crawford
I've also read that Royals scouts have been hanging out and taking notes on Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart. Being that they're short a starting catcher, I could see them wanting Eli since he was Jonathan Sanchez's personal catcher on the Giants.
Staring Position players (8) C - Posey (new ) 1b - Huff 2b - Burriss SS - Crawford 3b - Panda LF - Melky Cabrera (new) CF - Angel Pagan (new) RF - Schierholtz
Bench (5) IF - Theroit (new) IF - Fontenot Utility - Brett Pill (Giants brass see him as a right bat on the bench, not a prospect) OF - Gregor Blanco (new) C - Stewart or Whiteside (one goes away, Blanco will take his spot on the 40 man)
Bullpen (7) L - Affeldt L - Lopez R - Casilla R - Mota R - Romo R - Clay Hensley (new) R - Wilson
Other roster moves:
Besides either Stewart or Whiteside saying goodbye...
Brandon Belt starts the season in AAA Fresno, because they simply won't bench Huff yet. Hector Sanchez starts season in AAA Fresno. No point in waisting him on the bench as a backup catcher. Eric Surkamp starts season in AAA Fresno. If one of the starting 5 goes down, he's back up. Steve Edlefsen - AAA. Who cares? Dan Runzler - DL. Freddy Sanchez - DL. Conor Gillaspie - AAA. Who cares?
There are 8 minor leaguers on the 40-man who have never sniffed a major league game. They'll stay in the minors.
Hmm, they're saying that Vogelsong will probably start the season on the DL to give him more time to prep for the season, after missing most of spring training. If they do that, they'll skip his turn in the rotation, and he'll return to pitch in SF on the 15th of April vs the Pirates. So, that frees up a spot on the 25-man roster.
Now that there's new uncertainty that Schierholtz will keep his starting job, it makes sense to start the season with Belt on the team. But, I'm sure they'll find a reason to keep jerking him around and they'll probably break camp with someone like Joaquin Arias (another all leather/no lumber defensive whiz at SS).
Jason Stark reports that his sources indicate that the Giants are shopping Fontenot and Theriot. My guess is that if they get a bite on one, they'll likely pull the other back.
<< <i>Jason Stark reports that his sources indicate that the Giants are shopping Fontenot and Theriot. My guess is that if they get a bite on one, they'll likely pull the other back. >>
They're basically duplicates of one another. Team really only needs one of the two.
As for 2nd base, do you see Burriss finally turning the corner into a major leaguer?
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<< <i>They're basically duplicates of one another. Team really only needs one of the two. >>
Font's lefty, The Riot is righty. Boch thinks his bench is to left-heavy.
<< <i>As for 2nd base, do you see Burriss finally turning the corner into a major leaguer? >>
I don't know. Spring training stats are deceptive. It'd have been interesting to see what Charlie Culberson would have done if he didn't break his finger immediately after reporting for ST.
Burriss looked good in AAA last year, turning himself into a decent OBP/speed guy. I've never thought of Burriss as a starter though, but I'd like to see him prove otherwise.
Ugh. A few days ago I made a half-jest comment about the Giants possibly wanting to keep Joaquin Arias around. Well, Andrew Baggarly has now written a blog about the door possibly opening for him. Great, another 8th place hitter on the bench. Fun.
Looks like Angel Pagan might NOT be an opening day starter. He's struggling at the plate hard. Gregor Blanco, on the other hand, is doing everything you'd envision in a lead-off hitter. He walks, he hits, he steals.
I had a hunch this guy was going to do something when he went into "video game mode" in the Venezuelan winter league. I'm glad I picked this up when it surfaced in December...
I'm not too worried about Pagan's performance...yet.
At least Cabrera and a few other guys are starting strong. I guess we'll find out if they can keep it up for the season.
The Matt Cain contract situation is not looking good. As of right now it looks like he has one foot out the door. If Cain walks so will Timmy at the end of next season.
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<< <i>The Matt Cain contract situation is not looking good. As of right now it looks like he has one foot out the door. >>
I don't see it that way.
I don't think this is about wins and losses. Cain wants $$$, because this is the moment in his career where he can land the fattest payday he'll ever see. He's given the Giants some bargains in the past.
Also, keep in mind that Matt Cain is the Giants Union rep, and the Union is very interested in Cain and Hammels right now, due to the fact that they're both in the last year of their contracts and are very similar elite pitchers. Any deal Cain agrees to will directly impact any leverage that Hammels has, and vice versa.
When the Giants deal with Matt Cain, they're dealing with the whole Players' Union, so it's easy to see why this is going the distance.
<< <i>The Matt Cain contract situation is not looking good. As of right now it looks like he has one foot out the door. >>
I don't see it that way.
I don't think this is about wins and losses. Cain wants $$$, because this is the moment in his career where he can land the fattest payday he'll ever see. He's given the Giants some bargains in the past. >>
I agree all signs point to money as the obstacle . From what I've read it appears Cain is asking for his fair market value while the Giants are playing cheapskate. They are hoping Cain would act like the loyal puppy he's been and re-sign for an unrealistic discount.
The Giants are still spooked over the Barry Zito contract but the ownership has to understand that busts happen. Not every signing will always be fruitful. It's time for the ownership to suck up the pain and do what's necessary to provide security for the future of the team. Keep playing tightwad and Cain's departure will signal the start of an unfortunate chain of events that will ultimately result in 50-112 seasons within four years.
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<< <i>From what I've read it appears Cain is asking for his fair market value while the Giants are playing cheapskate. >>
The thing here is that the Giants have Cain for 2012. "Fair Market Value" is being projected a year in advance. It's possible that that value will go up or down, depending on what happens in 2012.
Cain thinks he'll be worth close to Lincecum money in 2013 and beyond. The Giants would probably be wise to agree, because there will be some bidding wars going on for Cain's services in 2013.
Of course, Zito is going to be on the books in 2013, so the Giants would be looking at 3 pitchers getting paid +$20mil each.
I wonder how Brandon Belt feels about the fact that he's out-hitting the rest of the team in ST, but his coaches are telling the media "he's not ready"?
Giants put Fontenot on waivers. Does that mean they're keeping Theo as the utility infielder?
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Boch said that he didn't want to be too lefty-heavy going into the season, and though Fontenot has more "power" than Theriot, Fontenot has poor splits vs lefty pitching. Theriot is a consistent contact hitter regardless of whether he's facing lefties or righties. He's having a horrible spring, but I'm guessing they think he'll snap out of it.
Now, with Font getting the boot and Vogelsong on the DL and the Giants starting the season with a 4 man rotation and a 8 man pen, that mixes things up a bit from my previous projected lineup. Also, with Font leaving, the Giants now have 39 men on their 40 man roster, so they can add someone.
In the pen, the extra seat's probably going to go to Edlefsen or possibly even Jean Machi (non roster), who's been dealing this spring. Danny Otero's on the 40 man and has been getting an extended look-see, so his name is possibly in the mix too. All righties.
Based on the way Hector Sanchez has been hitting this spring, Boch has basically said that they're re-evaluating their previous decision to keep Hector in the minors, and are mulling over whether or not the want to carry a 3rd catcher on the roster, or even ditch Whiteside and Stewart all together and use Hector as Posey's only backup.
If they decide to keep a 3rd catcher, then there you go. If they decide to stick with 1 catcher, then they'll possibly want another infielder. Joaquin Arias (non roster) is a solid defensive shortstop (who could platoon with Crawford if necessary), but they really seem to be trying to find a place for Connor Gilaspie, and have been playing him all over the field.
The Giants could ditch Whiteside, since he has a "split" contract, meaning that they can take him off the 40 man and keep him in the minors somewhere.
FYI, Cody Ross looks like he's going to be big in Boston.
Reliever Danny Otero won the 2012 Harry S. Jordan Award, which is voted on by the Giants players for the most outstanding "first camp" performance by a rookie.
The past 5 winners were
2011 = Brandon Belt (Opening Day 1st baseman) 2010 = Darren Ford 2009 = Joe Martinez (Opening Day bullpen) 2008 = Brian Boc ck (Opening Day shortstop) 2007 = Tim Lincecum
Clay Hensley is who the Giants wanted in the bullpen on opening day, but he's got a calf strain. Depending on how serious it is, the Giants may promote Otero out of necessity for a while. Otero was added to the 40 man roster last year to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He's 27, and finished last year in AAA Fresno.
Giants are bringing Yusmeiro Petit with them to SF for the final week of Spring Training, and are giving him an extended look-see as a starter. He looks good this spring, but his career numbers are ugly. His era 5.57. His whip is 1.42.
Then again, Vogelsong's career numbers were WORSE going into 2011.
Hmm. Maybe the Giants will DL Barry Zito to start the season? He's suffering from a broken talent bone and an inflamed suck muscle. Giants have a better shot at winning with Dave Righetti or Mark Gardner on the mound than Barry Zito. Enemy scouts have all agreed: Zito's not pitching anymore, he's throwing BP.
Merc News is reporting Matt Cain re-signs. The deal is reported to be 5 years/ 100 million. If those details are correct then the Giants got a bit of a deal and Cain gave them a 20 million hometown discount. If Cain hit free agency a team like the Red Sox wouldn't hesitate to give him Sabathia money.
Good news for Giants fans who can now breathe a little relief. Team's future looks a bit rosier and perhaps the future may not involve falling off a cliff after all.
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Actually some are reporting 6 years / 127 million. In any case he'll only be 33 years old when this contract is up and even then he could still be an excellent pitcher.
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Comments
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Giants also came to agreements with Santiago Casilla and Nate Schierholtz for 1 year deals.
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Now we're just waiting for Romo and Timmy.
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Romo was just filthy in 2011. He seems to have overcome his confidence issue, though that may be in part to Boch using him mostly as an anti-righty assassin.
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Now all the Giants need to do is lock up Matt Cain with a nice multi-year extension.
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Cody, thanks for going all nuts in the 2010 Postseason and making Roy Halladay your b**ch.
NEVER FORGET!
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<< <i>Cody Ross is no longer a Giant.
Cody, thanks for going all nuts in the 2010 Postseason and making Roy Halladay your b**ch.
NEVER FORGET!
Haven't thought much of the Cody Ross situation. Last I heard the A's were mildly interested. Where did he end up?
In any case he'll be given an ovation every time he visits AT&T with his new team.
Going back to Lincecum and pitchers again, I keep thinking Pujols and Fielder are getting outrageously high salaries but Timmy's figures are now up there as well. Who is the highest paid pitcher in baseball right now?
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<< <i>Haven't thought much of the Cody Ross situation. Last I heard the A's were mildly interested. Where did he end up?
In any case he'll be given an ovation every time he visits AT&T with his new team. >>
Boston signed him. 1 year, 3 mil.
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If these reports are true it would definitely be a win-win for everybody except the Yankees. For a pitcher with Cain's qualities that deal sounds very reasonable and wouldn't shatter the bank.
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Apparently the Giants signed righty reliever Clay Hensley to a non-guaranteed major league deal, which basically means he'll need to win his spot during Spring Training.
Clay Hensley is another on a growing list of former Giants farmhands to get brought back to the mothership...
Clay Hensley (drafted by SF in 2002, dealt to SD for Matt Herges in 2003).
Eric Hacker (played for AAA Fresno in 2010)
Brian Burres (drafted by SF in 2000, in org through 2005)
Boof Bonser (SF's 1st round pick in 2000, in the org through 2003).
Hensley is inconsistent. Last year he sucked and was owned by the righties he faced (.305/.385/.550), but somehow, managed to beat the batter platoon advantage and limited lefties to a slash line of .171/.265/.248.
Then again, Santiago Casilla sucked before coming to the Giants (267.1 ip in Oakland: 5.11 era, 1.578 whip), but now he rocks (107 ip in SF: 1.85 era, 1.159 whip).
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"Fat" Panda showed up, 25 lbs overweight.
"Tiny" Tim showed up, weighing 20 lbs less than at the end of last season. Apparently he put on some weight last year thinking it'd help him or something. He didn't like it, so off it came. He's thinking of cutting his hair too.
Brian Wilson says his beard is here to stay. Makes sense. Before his beard, Wilson was simply a very good relief pitcher among other good relief pitchers. His beard makes him a comic book character, and thus unique and much bigger.
Brian Sabean also dismissed the notion that the Giants could only afford to keep Lincecum OR Cain long-term.
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<< <i>Lots of Giants stuff in SF on the eve of FanFest.
Brian Wilson says his beard is here to stay. Makes sense. Before his beard, Wilson was simply a very good relief pitcher among other good relief pitchers. His beard makes him a comic book character, and thus unique and much bigger. >>
As a whole the Giants, minus Timmy and The Beard, are a bit vanilla for non-local mainstream media. The rest of the country thinks of the Giants as a team completely made up of no-name journeymen and cheap farm product, so any form of uniqueness is a plus. As already stated, without the beard Brian Wilson is another generic looking relief pitcher.
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<< <i>As a whole the Giants, minus Timmy and The Beard, are a bit vanilla for non-local mainstream media. The rest of the country thinks of the Giants as a team completely made up of no-name journeymen and cheap farm product, so any form of uniqueness is a plus. As already stated, without the beard Brian Wilson is another generic looking relief pitcher.
>>
Buster Posey and Matt Cain are known commodities too.
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<< <i>Buster Posey and Matt Cain are known commodities too. >>
Considering their talent even they don't as much coverage as they should especially outside of the Bay Area.
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Justin Christian was promoted mostly to see what he could do in CF, and to see if his speed and hitting could translate from AAA to the majors. He didn't do that badly either in his small sample size: 51 pa, 12 hits, 2 doubles, .255/.286/.362. He's going to be 32 this season. Now that they have Pagan and Cabrera as potential centerfielders, and a serious prospect (Gary Brown) down on the farm, rolling the dice with Christian just doesn't make sense anymore.
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Panda's the Giants most feared hitter... he's also the freaking team mascot!
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
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<< <i>Matt Cain just put his Noe Valley home up for sale and for less than what he paid for it. Call me a cynic but unless he's looking to move on up to Nob Hill or reduce his commute by relocating to SOMA this isn't a good sign for the Giants. >>
I wouldn't read into it. I doubt that many of the Giants own houses in SF. Besides, Cain's off-season home is in Arizona. They've got a toddler, so maybe they don't want to raise their kid in the middle of a big and congested city like SF. Heck, I wouldn't want to raise my family in the middle of SF, even if I had millions to spend.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Anyways, just 3 days in, and already:
Ryan Vogelsong out for 10 days with a back strain, got sent home today due to being sick, on top of everything.
Charlie Culberson smashed his finger in the weight room, out indefinitely. The dude's a scrub minor leaguer, so I kinda doubt he'll be missed.
On positive notes... Brian Wilson is throwing w/o pain. Buster Posey caught a few bullpen sessions with Lincecum and Cain. Also hammered the ball in BP. Dude's back.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
still nice news on Posey
I'm also expecting a great year from the Beard. Whether he stays or goes after this season is an unknown but he is definitely a fan favorite.
Let's hope the Vogelsong injury is a one-time affair and not an omen for the entire season. If the 4th and 5th starters end up being Surkamp and Zito then there will be problems.
When do the position guys report to camp?
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WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
2002: He was drafted by the Giants in the 8th round of the draft.
2003: He was traded to the Padres for Matt Herges.
8/4/07 - Hensley coughed up #755 to Barry Bonds.
2003 Topps Tribute Gold #/25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Sanchez and Melky are hammering the ball, and Blanco is putting on a contact/speed clinic.
We already know that Melky's starting, Blanco's fighting for a bench job, and Sanchez is a tough call. Hector's a better hitter than Stewart and Whiteside, but is it worth it having a young kid rot on the bench in a back-up-catcher roll? Then again, if they ease Buster into catching duties slowly, having a guy who can hit would ease the stress on the offense on days when Buster's resting. At the same time, you don't want to waste talent on the bench, he should play somewhere.
That likely what's going to happen with Brandon Belt. He'll start in AAA so he can start every day and not get rusty. However, I suspect that if by mid-season Aubrey Huff is putting up 2011 numbers, he'll get the Tejada/Rowand treatment.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
I read a post about the spring training game K.C. vs. S.F., it said Lincecum and Hochevar were both in mid season form. Lincecum practically unhittable and the Giants hitting line drives all over the place against Hochevar.
And if memory serves I think those two were drafted the same year and the Royals picked Hochevar over Lincecum.
<< <i>I hope Melky has a great year for the Giants. I hated to see him go. He was consistent all season long for the Royals last year. >>
Me too. Melky was pretty much the only move they made to improve the offense. SF's depending on injured guys getting better, and kids like Belt and Pill to have break-out seasons.
He's had a good spring so far. I just hope he keeps it up.
I was kinda sad to see Jonathan Sanchez go. He's got a lot of talent, and it showed in SF in 2009 when he threw the no-hitter, and again in 2010 when he was a solid member of the rotation. His biggest enemy is himself though, and it's obvious when you watch him pitch on tv. He'll sort of pout with his face and body-language when he's not getting the calls he thinks he should get, and then he starts walking everyone.
<< <i>And if memory serves I think those two were drafted the same year and the Royals picked Hochevar over Lincecum. >>
I know that hindsight is 20/20, but man oh man! Unless Hochevar turns into Koufax....
#1 pick = Luke Hochevar
#3 pick = Evan Longoria
#7 pick = Clayton Kershaw
#10 pick = Tim Lincecum
#21 pick = Ian Kennedy
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
However, Manny Burriss is tearing it up in spring training. Maybe this is his season?
Opening day starting lineup may look like:
CF Pagan
2b Burriss
3b Sandoval
C Posey
1b Belt/Huff
LF Cabrera
RF Schierholtz
SS Crawford
I've also read that Royals scouts have been hanging out and taking notes on Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart. Being that they're short a starting catcher, I could see them wanting Eli since he was Jonathan Sanchez's personal catcher on the Giants.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Here's what I think will be the 25 man roster:
Starting Rotation (5, RLRLR):
Lincecum, Bumgarner, Cain, Zito, Vogelsong
Staring Position players (8)
C - Posey (new
1b - Huff
2b - Burriss
SS - Crawford
3b - Panda
LF - Melky Cabrera (new)
CF - Angel Pagan (new)
RF - Schierholtz
Bench (5)
IF - Theroit (new)
IF - Fontenot
Utility - Brett Pill (Giants brass see him as a right bat on the bench, not a prospect)
OF - Gregor Blanco (new)
C - Stewart or Whiteside (one goes away, Blanco will take his spot on the 40 man)
Bullpen (7)
L - Affeldt
L - Lopez
R - Casilla
R - Mota
R - Romo
R - Clay Hensley (new)
R - Wilson
Other roster moves:
Besides either Stewart or Whiteside saying goodbye...
Brandon Belt starts the season in AAA Fresno, because they simply won't bench Huff yet.
Hector Sanchez starts season in AAA Fresno. No point in waisting him on the bench as a backup catcher.
Eric Surkamp starts season in AAA Fresno. If one of the starting 5 goes down, he's back up.
Steve Edlefsen - AAA. Who cares?
Dan Runzler - DL.
Freddy Sanchez - DL.
Conor Gillaspie - AAA. Who cares?
There are 8 minor leaguers on the 40-man who have never sniffed a major league game. They'll stay in the minors.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Now that there's new uncertainty that Schierholtz will keep his starting job, it makes sense to start the season with Belt on the team. But, I'm sure they'll find a reason to keep jerking him around and they'll probably break camp with someone like Joaquin Arias (another all leather/no lumber defensive whiz at SS).
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
<< <i>Jason Stark reports that his sources indicate that the Giants are shopping Fontenot and Theriot. My guess is that if they get a bite on one, they'll likely pull the other back. >>
They're basically duplicates of one another. Team really only needs one of the two.
As for 2nd base, do you see Burriss finally turning the corner into a major leaguer?
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<< <i>They're basically duplicates of one another. Team really only needs one of the two. >>
Font's lefty, The Riot is righty. Boch thinks his bench is to left-heavy.
<< <i>As for 2nd base, do you see Burriss finally turning the corner into a major leaguer? >>
I don't know. Spring training stats are deceptive. It'd have been interesting to see what Charlie Culberson would have done if he didn't break his finger immediately after reporting for ST.
Burriss looked good in AAA last year, turning himself into a decent OBP/speed guy. I've never thought of Burriss as a starter though, but I'd like to see him prove otherwise.
Ugh. A few days ago I made a half-jest comment about the Giants possibly wanting to keep Joaquin Arias around. Well, Andrew Baggarly has now written a blog about the door possibly opening for him. Great, another 8th place hitter on the bench. Fun.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
I had a hunch this guy was going to do something when he went into "video game mode" in the Venezuelan winter league. I'm glad I picked this up when it surfaced in December...
Gregor Blanco
2003 Bowman's Best AU Red /25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
At least Cabrera and a few other guys are starting strong. I guess we'll find out if they can keep it up for the season.
The Matt Cain contract situation is not looking good. As of right now it looks like he has one foot out the door. If Cain walks so will Timmy at the end of next season.
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<< <i>The Matt Cain contract situation is not looking good. As of right now it looks like he has one foot out the door. >>
I don't see it that way.
I don't think this is about wins and losses. Cain wants $$$, because this is the moment in his career where he can land the fattest payday he'll ever see. He's given the Giants some bargains in the past.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
When the Giants deal with Matt Cain, they're dealing with the whole Players' Union, so it's easy to see why this is going the distance.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
<< <i>
<< <i>The Matt Cain contract situation is not looking good. As of right now it looks like he has one foot out the door. >>
I don't see it that way.
I don't think this is about wins and losses. Cain wants $$$, because this is the moment in his career where he can land the fattest payday he'll ever see. He's given the Giants some bargains in the past. >>
I agree all signs point to money as the obstacle . From what I've read it appears Cain is asking for his fair market value while the Giants are playing cheapskate. They are hoping Cain would act like the loyal puppy he's been and re-sign for an unrealistic discount.
The Giants are still spooked over the Barry Zito contract but the ownership has to understand that busts happen. Not every signing will always be fruitful. It's time for the ownership to suck up the pain and do what's necessary to provide security for the future of the team. Keep playing tightwad and Cain's departure will signal the start of an unfortunate chain of events that will ultimately result in 50-112 seasons within four years.
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<< <i>From what I've read it appears Cain is asking for his fair market value while the Giants are playing cheapskate. >>
The thing here is that the Giants have Cain for 2012. "Fair Market Value" is being projected a year in advance. It's possible that that value will go up or down, depending on what happens in 2012.
Cain thinks he'll be worth close to Lincecum money in 2013 and beyond. The Giants would probably be wise to agree, because there will be some bidding wars going on for Cain's services in 2013.
Of course, Zito is going to be on the books in 2013, so the Giants would be looking at 3 pitchers getting paid +$20mil each.
Is Cain worth it? Yeah.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
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Now, with Font getting the boot and Vogelsong on the DL and the Giants starting the season with a 4 man rotation and a 8 man pen, that mixes things up a bit from my previous projected lineup. Also, with Font leaving, the Giants now have 39 men on their 40 man roster, so they can add someone.
In the pen, the extra seat's probably going to go to Edlefsen or possibly even Jean Machi (non roster), who's been dealing this spring. Danny Otero's on the 40 man and has been getting an extended look-see, so his name is possibly in the mix too. All righties.
Based on the way Hector Sanchez has been hitting this spring, Boch has basically said that they're re-evaluating their previous decision to keep Hector in the minors, and are mulling over whether or not the want to carry a 3rd catcher on the roster, or even ditch Whiteside and Stewart all together and use Hector as Posey's only backup.
If they decide to keep a 3rd catcher, then there you go. If they decide to stick with 1 catcher, then they'll possibly want another infielder. Joaquin Arias (non roster) is a solid defensive shortstop (who could platoon with Crawford if necessary), but they really seem to be trying to find a place for Connor Gilaspie, and have been playing him all over the field.
The Giants could ditch Whiteside, since he has a "split" contract, meaning that they can take him off the 40 man and keep him in the minors somewhere.
FYI, Cody Ross looks like he's going to be big in Boston.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
The past 5 winners were
2011 = Brandon Belt (Opening Day 1st baseman)
2010 = Darren Ford
2009 = Joe Martinez (Opening Day bullpen)
2008 = Brian Boc ck (Opening Day shortstop)
2007 = Tim Lincecum
Clay Hensley is who the Giants wanted in the bullpen on opening day, but he's got a calf strain. Depending on how serious it is, the Giants may promote Otero out of necessity for a while. Otero was added to the 40 man roster last year to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He's 27, and finished last year in AAA Fresno.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Then again, Vogelsong's career numbers were WORSE going into 2011.
Hmm. Maybe the Giants will DL Barry Zito to start the season? He's suffering from a broken talent bone and an inflamed suck muscle. Giants have a better shot at winning with Dave Righetti or Mark Gardner on the mound than Barry Zito. Enemy scouts have all agreed: Zito's not pitching anymore, he's throwing BP.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Good news for Giants fans who can now breathe a little relief. Team's future looks a bit rosier and perhaps the future may not involve falling off a cliff after all.
Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"
Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"