SF Giants 2013 off-season thread: SF add OF Mike Morse for 1 yr/ $6m

digicat

40 man roster (via my rookie card collection, updated 9/3/2013)

The Rotation: Petit (R), Cain (R), Bumgarner (L, AS), Lincecum (R), Vogelsong (R)


The Infield: Posey (C, AS), Belt (1b), Scutaro (2b, AS), Crawford (SS), Sandoval (3b)


The Outfield: Blanco (LF), Pagan (CF), Pence (RF)


The Bullpen: Romo (Closer, R, AS), Affeldt (L), Casilla (R), Dunning (R), Hembree (R), Kickham (L), Kontos (R), Lopez (L),
Machi (R), Mijares (L), Rosario (R), Zito (L) Moscoso (R, not pictured)



The Bench: Abreu (IF), Adrianza (SS), Arias (IF), Kieschnick (OF), Monell (C), Noonan (IF), Peguero (OF),
Perez (OF), Pill (1b), Sanchez (C)



15 Day Disabled List: Gaudin (R)


60 Day Disabled List: Torres (OF)



Minors: Escobar (RHP), Surkamp (LHP), Villalona (1b)

WTCG

Well it's good to see that the team can score a few runs for a change, albeit only 3 runs. Looks like both the Giants and Dodgers might have some run scoring issues to deal with.

A part of me thinks the money previously earmarked for Timmy went to Buster instead. Last year proved that Timmy winning every outing isn't essential but would be a big help. He's probably really sorry he didn't take that $120 million offer from last year.

I just landed in Europe not too long ago and I won't be back until next week so I probably won't catch the next half dozen games. Ets hope things are rolling along when I get back.

larryallen73

Based on the first two games it should be a good battle in the west this year. I'll be curious how Lincecum does. If he's back to his old self you guys have 3 aces. I, of course, hope he has an off day today!

digicat

Timmy's line on the night:

5 ip, 3 hits, 2 unearned runs, 7 walks, 4 strikeouts. That's very Jonathan Sanchez-ish. Not good.


He's in line for the win unless the bullpen blows it.


Giants take 2 out of 3, but grounded into 7 double plays in those two wins. Posey an Pence each have a pair themselves. Oy. The parade down Market Street made me forget about this element of Giants baseball. Ugh.

digicat

Zito, Affeldt, and Romo were lights-out.

Lights still haven't come on for the Giants offense, as their production today consisted of a bases loaded walk, which was set up by a Yadi Molina error.

But, at least they didn't lose on the day they hoisted the WS flag.

digicat

Voggy got hosed by his defense today. That 3 run inning would never have happened if Belt and Panda made routine plays. Sigh.


Gotta love the Fox broadcasters. "And he swings through a called 3rd strike."

digicat

WOW. After 3 perfect innings, Cain went into BP mode and got tagged for 9 earned runs in the 4th. WTF is this?

Only 1 swing and miss strike. Everything else was either a foul or driven.

digicat

Nice to see the Giants flip a 4 run deficit into a 3 run lead and win a game even without Buster in the lineup.

WTCG

Who could've imagined that at this time the most feared pitcher in the Giants rotation is Barry Zito?

It's good to see the offense finally wake up a bit. Okay, it was against the Rockies pitching but it's a good shot in the arm.

digicat

Last time Zito had back-to-back scoreless outings of 7 or more innings was in 2002. He did it twice in that year (and won a Cy Young Award).

Not saying Zito's gonna win a Cy Young Award this year, but it's awesome that he's flashing ace-like stuff.


If he keeps this up, there's no reason he won't get to 200 innings this year, meaning his $18m option is going to vest and he'll be here again next year.

digicat

After years of watching the pitching staff bail out the anemic offense, it's nice to see the offense return the favor and bail out struggling starters.

digicat

there they go again, making a scrub starter with a 4+ career ERA look like an unhittable ace.

digicat

Cubs gifted the Giants with a win today, with 3 Giants runs coming as a direct result of a wild pitch, a passed ball, and a balk. Fun stuff.

Giants offense, however, got out-homered 8-1 over this 4 games series. Think about it, the Giants have hit 7 homers all season.
4 for Pence
2 for Panda
1 for Crawford.

That's it.

digicat

ESPN suggests that David Price and Giancarlo Stanton could get dealt this season.

Both guys are off to really slow starts this year, but I could see them being interesting pieces for the Giants to go after. Stanton's an easy and massive upgrade to the Blanco/Torres platoon, and Price would probably push Lincecum out of the rotation.

Stanton's making nothing, and the Giants would have to pretty much empty the farm of pitching to get him.

digicat

Affeldt to the DL with an oblique strain. I wonder if he hurt it while he was blowing up on Sunday?

Jean Machi up. He's had 5 scoreless innings (across 5 games) in Fresno, but he's got a WHIP of 1.200. Since Gaudin appears to be better than a mop-up guy, I'm thinking Machi will get to be the mop up guy and Gaudin will start to see more "hold" situations.

digicat

Zito was in his giant egg laying form tonight 9 earned in 2.2 ip. Braun goes 0-5 with 4 strikeouts, but the Brewers still win 10-8.

Lots of bad luck tonight too. Loud outs at the walls, but only Craw managed got one over for the Giants.

WTCG

He was gone for a while but the Zito we all knew for all those years finally made his return against Milwaukee. Now 4 of the 5 starters in the rotation have been brightly lit up at least once in this young season. I'm sure it'll happen soon but Buster and Belt need to get it going. Neither have been hitting all that well.

Funny how these things work: when the offense can score runs the pitching gives up just as many runs. When the pitching dominates the offense can't provide run support.

As for Giancarlo Stanton and David Price, there are probably at least 10 teams seriously intersted in Stanton. There will undoubtedly be a bidding war and whichever team lands Stanton will have to gut their farm. As for Price, honestly I don't think he'll be going anywhere as long as the Rays stay remotely in contention this year. Price is essentially a rental and if a trade does happen he'll cost a team plenty for three months worth of service.

digicat

Giants run support:
pitcher, record, runs

Cain = 0-3 (0, 3, 3)
MadBum = 3-0 (3, 4, 3)
Lincecum 3-0 (5, 9, 10)
Zito = 2-1 (1, 10, 8)
Voggy = 1-1 (3, 7)

digicat

Apparently Eli Whiteside beat up Buster Posey and hid him in a well somewhere, stealing his jersey, putting on a wig, and playing in his place.

digicat

WTF is wrong with Matt Cain!?!?!

He's always been a fly-ball pitcher who's luck kept the ball from leaving the yard. That luck seems to be all gone.

digicat

Lincecum = 6.2 ip, 4 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, 0 runs, WIN

Timmy? Is that you?

WTCG

With minimal run support Timmy pitched out of jams, struck out batters and walked few. Maybe things are beginning to go back to normal for the team.

digicat

I hope. Last year I remember thinking that things might be looking up when he blanked the Dodgers over 7 innings. He then had those back-to-back starts where he didn't survive the 4th.

I think they should pair Posey and Lincecum a little more often!

digicat

Zito's dealing at AT&T Park this year, 3rd 7-scoreless outing in a row to start the season.

WTCG

I was at the game today. I think it was one of the warmest game days ever at AT&T. Part of my face kinda hurts, which is the consequence of not wearing a hat.

digicat

heh, so apparently someone stole the Barry Bonds plaque that used to hang on the bricks beyond the centerfield wall. Either that or the Giants "vanished" it and are going to replace it with an engraved brick.


I notice that they still haven't put Bonds on the "Wall of Fame" out side AT&T.

WTCG

He isn't on the wall of fame but half the ground plaques on the McCovey Cove promenade/ quay have something to do with Barry.

digicat

<< <i>He isn't on the wall of fame but half the ground plaques on the McCovey Cove promenade/ quay have something to do with Barry. >>



Weren't those all put there during his career?

WTCG

<< <i>

<< <i>He isn't on the wall of fame but half the ground plaques on the McCovey Cove promenade/ quay have something to do with Barry. >>



Weren't those all put there during his career? >>



Most of them were but not all I don't think.

digicat

Cody Ross the Giant Killer? that.

I have no idea why Flan would send Pablo when Ross had the ball in his hand the moment Pablo hit 3rd. Belt was on deck, and he just hit the game tying homer an inning earlier. Bases juiced for Belt? I like that better than "Can Pablo run home faster than Ross can throw the ball there from shallow rightfield?"

On Pablo's ill-fated run home, I noticed that as soon as Montero had the ball, Pablo changed course and ran at Montero, who clearly noticed and began to back away. He actually got himself out of position to make a play if Pablo hit the deck and slid. Instead he ran after Montero and into his tag.


So, Flan up by sending Pablo, and Pablo up by focusing more on making weak contact with the catcher than with touching home.


Matt Cain avoided the loss, but the Giants are 0-5 behind him, and he's pitching poorly. Velocity is there, but his control is gone. He's throwing strikes, but not where he wants them to go. You can constantly see Posey having to move his glove to catch pitches from Cain. Posey wants it up, Cain puts it down the pipe. Posey sets the target on the outside corner, Cain puts it down the middle.

Casilla. He should never touch the ball after the 8th. Pressure gets to much after that and he gets wild.


It's just one of those games where the Giants look like crappy cellar dwelling team.

digicat

Looks like the D-Backs are going to be the Giants bane once again this year.

Giants can't hit their starters, and our bullpen can't hold down their hitters.

digicat

Crawford and Belt, both young guys, hit game tying 9th inning homers last night and today. Giants lost both games. Really no way for Belt or Craw to enjoy those homers other than to see their numbers go up a bit.


Pagan's loss of focus was huge. Dude came in slow on a fly that the D-Backs hitter decided to turn into a double. Had Pagan fielded the ball and treated the hitter with some respect (especially after what he did last night), it wouldn't have been extra bases.

digicat

Crawford took 22 games to match his career high in homers, hitting his 4th.

His highest homer total in the minors was 10.


He and Belt have flipped/flopped what I expected out of them.

Belt's swinging a limp bat and Craw's raking and leading the team in hitting. I really thought Belt was gonna have a monster year this year. As it stands, he might end up fighting Brett Pill for a job again real soon.

digicat

Lincecum: 7 ip, 6 hits (all singles), 3 walks, 9 strikeouts, 2 runs, LOSS.

Another step out of the dark for the Freak. This was a 2011 loss for him: no run support.

The Giants offense SUCKED. The whole offense was Pagan scoring on a wild pitch. Giants are currently on an 0-15 run in ab's with runners in scoring position.

This weekend:

Barry Zito vs Stults. Last time they faced off, Zito threw 7 scoreless, Stultz got hit for 5 runs over 7 innings.
Ryan Vogelsong vs Jason Marquis. Marquis has been tough on the Giants in the past. Vogelsong is all messed up. He's got 1 quality start out of his first 4 starts. Last year he posted his 3rd "non quality start" in his 22nd start.

digicat

So, I guess that's a thing now... errors.

Torres missed a fly ball that should have been an easy out #2, and a 6 run inning was born.
Scutaro missed a double-play grounder and gave the Pads a walk-off win.

It's the Giants telling Brandon Crawford: "Nice hitting kid, but you're not supposed to be this good, so everyone else will suck so no one can say you're carrying the team."

Giants are 3-6 when Craw gets an extra base hit (1-4 if that hit's a homer)
Giants are 3-4 when Craw gets an RBI.
Giants are 5-6 when Craw scores a run.


Giants are 4-3 when Craw goes 0-fer.
Giants are 8-4 when Craw never crosses home plate.

digicat

All these homers vs the Giants...

Just wait until the Giants start facing REAL power teams. It's gonna be a LONG year.

digicat

Ah, so THATs where all the Bay Area mojo is, it's concentrated at Oracle Arena.

WTCG

The team's now lost 5 in a row. Not only is the offense largely anemic, the pitching ain't so spectacular either. That Merry Melodies clip nailed it.

digicat

Mijares on the bereavement list (grandmother passed away).

Sandy Rosario, who had a fairly active off-season, is called up. His stay is likely to be a 1 day stay, as Affeldt is due to be activated from the DL tomorrow.

Rosario pitched for the Marlins in 2012 then was waved in October.

The Marlins waved him in October and the Red Sox got him.
The Red Sox traded him a month later to the A's.
The A's waved him a few weeks later and the Red Sox got him back.
The Red Sox waved him 2 days later and the Cubs got him.
The Cubs waved him 9 days later and the Giants got him and kept him.


Rosario brings with him a career 15.26 era and 3.261 WHIP (in 10 games (7.2 innings) of relief work over 3 seasons).

In Fresno so far, in 13.2 innings, he's posted a 3.29 era and a 1.244 whip.

WTCG

What's the best way to turn a good ball player into a lemon? Sign him to a big money, long term contract.

After giving up three homers in one inning, Cain has officially turned into a lemon. This is great for other teams. Need your lineup to break out of a slumpy funk? Play the Giants and everybody magically turns into the Babe for a night.

Tonight's game is basically one bad call after another by the Umps but the homers are all on Cain.

digicat

This team is 1 key injury away from the basement. Panda just left early in a tie game with a sore elbow, the same one that he missed time during the spring with.

digicat

Then again, maybe this Noonan kid is legit. He was one of the many 1st round picks the Giants had in 2007.

2007 1st Round:
#10 - Mad Bum
#22 - Tim Alderson (traded for Freddy Sanchez in 2009)
#29 - Wendell Fairley (released, never higher than AA)
#32 - Nick Noonan
#43 - Jackson Williams (catches for the AAA Fresno)
#51 - Charlie Culberson (traded for Marco Scutaro in 2012)


Good draft. Other way of looking at it is:

#10 - elite young pitcher
#22 - 2010 World Series championship
#29 - scrub, waste
#32 - ???
#43 - scrub
#51 - 2012 World Series championship

digicat

Homers allowed vs homers hit in April

2013: 29 / 18 (-11)
2012: 15 / 20 (+5)
2011: 14 / 24 (+10)
2010: 14 / 18 (+4)
2009: 17 / 12 (-5)
2008: 27 / 16 (-11)
2007: 13 / 19 (+6)
2006: 28 / 20 (-8)
2005: 20 / 19 (-1)
2004: 26 / 21 (-5)
2003: 22 / 32 (+10)

digicat

Kinda hard to enjoy a dominating Bumgarner start when the other guy (Giant killer Cahill) is doing the same, but with less effort. Either way, glad to see the DBacks have a closer issue and we don't.



Madbum's 3-0 with 3 no-decisions.

Here's those 3 no-decisions:
6 ip, 2 runs vs SD (SF 1-9 RISP, wins)
7.1 ip, 1 run vs AZ (SF 0-10 RISP, lost)
7 ip, 0 runs vs AZ (SF 1-7 RISP, wins)

digicat

How about that, on a night where one team hit 3 homers and the other team hit 1, the Giants are on the "3" homer side. Niiiiice.

Lincecum's got major issues, but the Giants have some how managed to go 5-1 when he pitches.

Hector Sanchez's bat is not working. At this point, it seems Zito and MadBum would be better options to pinch-hit than Hector. When Affeldt gets activated on Friday, we'll see what's on the Giants minds.

What's better, having an automatic out who sits on the bench most of the time with the other backup catcher, or having an extra arm in the pen when 4 of your 5 starters are struggling?

I think what's best for Hector might be to send him down to Fresno so he can play every day and get his crap together. Right now 27 year old Jackson Williams is starting at catcher for the Grizzlies, and he's proven that he can't hit (.216/.304/.328 career slash in 1827 minor league plate appearances). Hector's only 23 and they have time to keep working with him. Also at age 23 is AA catcher Andrew Susac, who was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft. He seems to be holding his own there.

digicat

Sandoval's strike zone is "whatever he can reach with the bat, but it doesn't matter.

He has stated that one of these days he wants to try and hit an intentional ball.

digicat

Hector and Rosario sent down, Affeldt activated and Peguero called up.

Peguero was hitting over .400 in AAA Fresno. Hector was not hitting anything, so he was pretty useless as a bat off the bench.

I think this is the first time Hector Sanchez has been in the minors on something other than a rehab assignment since he got called up in September of 2011.

I think Peguero may take some playing time away from Torres, given that Torres has had some mental lapses in the outfield as of late.

When Mijares comes back, it'll be a tough decision for the Giants on who to send down. Machi got called up to replace Affeldt, and he's given us 8.1 scoreless innings of relief over 6 games. That's actually pretty darn good. He's the only Giants reliever who hasn't been scored on.


Doesn't it seem like Kershaw is pitching every time the Giants face the Dodgers? 7 innings of 3 hit, 1 run ball. Wasn't enough, fortunately.

digicat

Giants blow a 5-0 lead, trail briefly, but come back to win on a walk-off homer in extras by the backup catcher.


It's kinda weird that the Giants have done so well with Cain and Voggy having so many problems.

Giants record, Starting pitcher:
1-5, Matt Cain: 6.49 era, 1.298 whip, 9 HR surrendered, 34.2 ip
5-1, Madison Bumgarner: 1.55 era, 0.836 whip, 40.2 ip
5-1, Tim Lincecum: 4.41 era, 1.442 whip, 34.2 ip
4-2, Barry Zito: 3.06 era, 1.454 whip, 32.1 ip
3-3, Ryan Vogelsong: 7.20 era, 1.66 whip, 35 ip

Giants won the World Series while dragging 1 underachieving pitcher behind them. This year they're dragging 3.

digicat

Matt Cain, is that you? Where ya been?

Nice to see Matt Cain go out there and do his thing vs a division rival. Not nice to see Kontos and Affeldt face 4 batters and let them all get on base.

This was the first time a Giants starter has gotten the W since April 21 when Zito got the win and completed the sweep of the Padres in SF.

WTCG

It's good to see Matt Cain get his game back. If his turnaround sticks and tonight wasn't a fluke then it'll be that much better. Granted the Dodgers have one of the worst offenses in the majors at this time.

The bullpen is a little strange. One night they're lights out then next time they're a little shaky.

The Phils are next. Too bad we won't get to see Halladay take the hill in the series.

larryallen73

Being a sports fan sucks... when your team loses.

Congrats on the sweep. I hope the Dodgers pull it together to make the season at least semi-interesting.