The Giants are sending Andres Torres out to do autograph signings with Panda at some cell-phone stores, so that, paired with the fact that Boch took him for that Taiwan exhibition series, kinda tells me that he's not getting non-tendered.
Looks like Sabes is hoping that lighting strikes twice. Hope it does, Torres is exciting when he's on.
The AZ Fall League is over, and the few Giants who folks HOPE will be impact players had impressive seasons...
Gary Brown (CF): .220/.278/.300 in 11 games before being sent home with some illness.
Joe Panik (2b/SS): .321/.427/.457 Brandon Crawford (SS): .276/.315/.414
Latin Winter Leagues Brandon Belt: .300/.395/.470 Hector Sanchez: .394/.431/.585 !!!!!
Panik looks good, Crawford looks ok, Sanchez is destroying the Mexican League, and Belt is still looking solid.
However, these numbers don't always reflect how someone will do. For instance... 2009 AZFL: Brandon Crawford: .312/.396/.455 Buster Posey: .225/.345/.338
<< <i>The Giants are sending Andres Torres out to do autograph signings with Panda at some cell-phone stores, so that, paired with the fact that Boch took him for that Taiwan exhibition series, kinda tells me that he's not getting non-tendered.
Looks like Sabes is hoping that lighting strikes twice. Hope it does, Torres is exciting when he's on. >>
I was certain they weren't going to keep Torres but I agree it looks like they'll hang on to him. Now the question is if the Giants will try to look for another leadoff hitter or sit there and hope Torres has another 2010 type season. I'm guessing it'll be the latter.
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<< <i>I was certain they weren't going to keep Torres but I agree it looks like they'll hang on to him. Now the question is if the Giants will try to look for another leadoff hitter or sit there and hope Torres has another 2010 type season. I'm guessing it'll be the latter. >>
It seems like they either think that Melky is going to be that guy, or they'll look internally. Tyler Graham got added to the 40 man, Justin Christian is still on it, and Gregor Blanco got signed to a minor league deal. All of those guys are contact/speed style centerfielders in the minors.
It seems to me that management thinks Gary Brown is close, and want to keep the door open for him.
Today we found out Sabean and Bochy will be around for at least two more years. Bochy I like but I'm not so sure about Sabean although continuity is much better than a revolving door of leadership.
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Back in 2002, I didn't follow the Giants as closely as I do now (back then I didn't memorize the 40 man roster and all the top prospects), but I was still a big fan.
I noticed that they have all 7 of the 2002 World Series games on DVD. Would I just be torturing myself by watching that, or would the fact that Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner & Associates bagged the 2010 World Series make it just a nice little trip down memory lane?
<< <i>I noticed that they have all 7 of the 2002 World Series games on DVD. Would I just be torturing myself by watching that, >>
the "Rally Monkey" still makes me...........................................................
i was on a party boat in the Bay that night and all of us were really lit. we were going to jump in if they won.
i know hindsight is 20/20 but always felt Baker pulled Ortiz too soon. and that stunt he pulled on the mound did not go unnoticed in the Angels dugout.
btw Robb Nen blew his arm and his career for the team that season.
Hmm. Boch says that the Giants are pretty happy with the roster as it is, but will still look to tweak here and there.
That means our Opening Day lineup could look like:
CF Melky Cabrera (coming off of a career year in an otherwise unremarkable one) 2b Freddy Sanchez (coming off of nasty injury) C Buster Posey (coming off of nasty injury) 3b Pablo Sandoval (Panda!!) 1b (or LF) Brandon Belt (has he made his adjustments?) LF (or 1b) Aubry Huff (contract season) RF Nate Schierholtz (Nate the Great!!) SS Brandon Crawford P Tim Lincecum (Ace)
Hector Sanchez has been raking in the Venezuelan League (.376/.429/.584, 6 hr, 8 doubles in 36 games). Since they don't want to make Posey catch every day this season, I think it's safe to assume that the Giants will have their backup catcher play fairly regularly, maybe start 25% of the games (or more)? A guy who can hit would be a lot better than a guy who's just a purely defensive catcher (like Stewart).
I still think they'll non-tender Whiteside and keep Chris Stewart. Hector has options, so I wouldn't be shocked if he started the season in AAA.
<< <i>Hmm. Boch says that the Giants are pretty happy with the roster as it is, but will still look to tweak here and there.
That means our Opening Day lineup could look like:
CF Melky Cabrera (coming off of a career year in an otherwise unremarkable one) 2b Freddy Sanchez (coming off of nasty injury) C Buster Posey (coming off of nasty injury) 3b Pablo Sandoval (Panda!!) 1b (or LF) Brandon Belt (has he made his adjustments?) LF (or 1b) Aubry Huff (contract season) RF Nate Schierholtz (Nate the Great!!) SS Brandon Crawford P Tim Lincecum (Ace)
Hector Sanchez has been raking in the Venezuelan League (.376/.429/.584, 6 hr, 8 doubles in 36 games). Since they don't want to make Posey catch every day this season, I think it's safe to assume that the Giants will have their backup catcher play fairly regularly, maybe start 25% of the games (or more)? A guy who can hit would be a lot better than a guy who's just a purely defensive catcher (like Stewart).
I still think they'll non-tender Whiteside and keep Chris Stewart. Hector has options, so I wouldn't be shocked if he started the season in AAA. >>
Sorry but if that's the opening day lineup then 2012 will be a 3rd place year, third behind the DBacks and Dodgers. Lincecum will go 2.90 and 10-15, giving him a reason to bolt at the first moment possible. Once Cain and Lincecum leave due to frustration with the offense the Giants will enter a dark stretch where they will have some pitching and no offense. They'll resemble the 2011 Padres. Good pitching is an asset but games can't be won without runs scored.
Melky Cabrera? I'm betting he'll be a cheaper version of Aaron Rowand. Anything more than a .250 out of him and I'll be impressed.
As I feared the Giants think Sanchez and Posey coming back will solve all their offense woes. Even with both in the lineup last year and in 2010 they weren't exactly an offense machine then. I was looking forward to the addition of a few bats to the lineup next year but that looks like that won't happen. Miami stretched a bit and signed Jose Reyes whereas the Giants are too cheap to go after anybody who isn't B-list, washed up or over 40. From many fans' point of view this is just too frustrating to bear.
On the subject of Jose Reyes, his affinity for injuries concerns me so I'm not that bummed the Giants didn't land him but if they did he would be one giant upgrade to the lineup.
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There was news of a trade with the Mets today that would send Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez for Angel Pagan. Has anybody else heard a confirmation of this yet?
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<< <i>There was news of a trade with the Mets today that would send Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez for Angel Pagan. Has anybody else heard a confirmation of this yet? >>
Pagan's numbers aren't awesome: .279/.331/.418, but he steals bases, and has 30+ steals in each of his past 2 seasons. I'm a little worried about those 10 errors he committed in CF last season.
For BOTH Torres and Ramirez, I kinda feel like the Giants got owned by Sandy Alderson AGAIN.
Anyways, no Beltran.
Melky, Pagan, and Schierholtz in the OF. But, the worst part is that Huff will be blocking both Belt and Pill at 1st now.
They already traded for another in CF in Cabrera and now Pagan. Is Pagan supposed to be the fourth outfielder or is he going to left?
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<< <i>They already traded for another in CF in Cabrera and now Pagan. Is Pagan supposed to be the fourth outfielder or is he going to left? >>
Not sure. Cabrera's not as athletic as Pagan or Torres, so LF would probably be a better fit for him, but who knows what they're going to do.
From ESPN: "Pagan's low baseball IQ, including consistently missing cutoff men and throwing to the wrong base, often agitated Mets officials."
Eugenio, is that you?
Andy Baggarly is also reporting that the Giants have another trade nearing completion, likely involving Keppinger. Considering that Kepp's likely to get non-tendered next week, I imagine that the Giants will get little more than a mop-up reliever or a struggling minor leaguer.
Torres has been a non-tender rumor for a while, I wonder if tossing him in the deal for Pagan was more of a way to avoid leaving Torres w/o a job next week.
Andres was a good guy, and an exciting player. He'll one of those guys who'll always be remembered as a good Giant.
i think that was a pretty good trade for the giants. torres is unlikely to repeat his 2010 season and the giants have plenty of bullpen depth - even though his defense is not as good as andres, pagan is a better bat, which is what the Giants need at this point. And melky is not very good defensively, so moving him to one of the corner outfield positions benefits the team.
<< <i>i think that was a pretty good trade for the giants. torres is unlikely to repeat his 2010 season and the giants have plenty of bullpen depth - even though his defense is not as good as andres, pagan is a better bat, which is what the Giants need at this point. And melky is not very good defensively, so moving him to one of the corner outfield positions benefits the team. >>
I'm more worried that the Giants won't give Belt or Pill a shot. They've been talking about having Huff play a lot of OF in 2012 to open 1st base to Posey (when he takes a break from catching) and Belt (and/or Pill). If they close an OF spot, then Huff's going to see most of his play time at 1st, and Belt will either be watching from the dugout or in Fresno.
i think it's safe to say that belt should be starting at first. He's too talented of a hitter to bench or relegate to AAA. Huff is owed a lot of money next season, but Bochy just has to bite the bullet - he did it with molina and posey and rowand and torres, he needs to do it with belt and huff. What the Giants should have done last season was not sign huff to a two year deal. either sign him to a one year, or get someone like pena on a one year. that way they have a one year buffer to allow belt some room to settle in. Instead, they let emotions fly high - sign huff because of what he did in the regular season, despite the presence of belt and what was at the time a very good market for first basemen.
With that said, with Sabean stating he wont resign beltran, there is still one OF position open and as much as i like Schierholtz, there is enough flexibility in the lineup to give Belt the opportunity to start games.
i think the only way he can be all that he can be is to grind it out and adapt to major league pitching. i dislike the yo-yo. reminds me of Matt Williams.
As I expected, Fontenot got re-signed to a 1 year deal, and Keppinger got non-tendered.
Eli Whiteside got non-tendered as well.
Keppinger's departure doesn't really stir anything up in me, but Eli's does. Dude was part of the 2010-25, even if he was the only guy on the 25-man to watch the whole post-season from the bench.
Fontenot over Keppinger was expected although I wish they would've kept Keppinger. Fontenot can field but more often than not couldn't hit water if he jumped from a boat. Keppinger is an average fielder but could hit.
So far this offseason I have been underwhelmed by the Giants roster moves. When smaller market teams like Miami and Anaheim are willing to spend for talent while the Giants scrape the bottom of the barrel and hope the stars all align with injury returnees it makes you wonder if the management is content with only one championship every five decades.
Oh yeah, heard Aaron Rowand signed a minor league deal today somewhere.
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<< <i>Fontenot over Keppinger was expected although I wish they would've kept Keppinger. Fontenot can field but more often than not couldn't hit water if he jumped from a boat. Keppinger is an average fielder but could hit. >>
They wanted the flexibility of a utility guy who could field at short, and they didn't trust Kepp's mobility in the field to be effective there.
I could totally see the Giants contacting Ryan Theriot now that he's been non-tendered. MOAR UTILITY!
<< <i>Oh yeah, heard Aaron Rowand signed a minor league deal today somewhere. >>
Heh, Andy Baggerly suggests that he'll be in direct competition with Scott Cousins for a job.
<< <i>So far this offseason I have been underwhelmed by the Giants roster moves. When smaller market teams like Miami and Anaheim are willing to spend for talent while the Giants scrape the bottom of the barrel and hope the stars all align with injury returnees it makes you wonder if the management is content with only one championship every five decades. >>
The ownership group wants to pocket the profits, not re-invest. That's why they gave Nukom the boot: he wanted to spend their money. The Marlins and Angels have motivated owners who are battling for market shares in their area AND who seem to want to win. The Giants ownership group seems content on the bottom line only: if it's profitable, leave it alone.
Besides that, Aaron Rowand will earn $12 million to NOT be a Giant, and Zito's being paid $19 million to be a 5th starter. That's $31 million of dead money right there.
Either that, or Sabean, Evans, and Boch all have enormous trust that Belt and/or Pill are going to light up the league in 2012.
Oh that's where Rowand went...provided he makes the roster he'll have a decent team to play with and a neat new ballpark to play in.
Giants chose Fontenot over Keppinger because Fontenot was cheaper. No other reason.
I believe Brandon Belt will have a breakout season, that is if he gets to play at all. I seriously doubt Pill will play much next year.
I'll admit from a pro sports angle I'm jealous of Miami. Miami is arguably the single worst sports city in the continental U.S., with an indifferent and uncaring population, lack of dedicated fan base and year round weather unsuitable for outdoor sports. Despite all that the talent the Marlins, Heat, Dolphins (okay not recently) and Panthers have been able to attract to that area has been astounding.
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<< <i>Poesy must be somewhere in limbo as his ability to catch next season. >>
I don't think it has anything to do with Posey, nor their depth at catcher.
I recall that they expressed an interest in keeping Eli in the system, so it's probably a minor league deal they're working on. That'll get him off the 40-man and keep him under Giants control. Since he has experience catching the Giants staff, maybe he'll be asked to work with Hector Sanchez in Fresno or something.
Keeping Eli close makes sense, even if its just to keep his knowledge of the Giants pitching staff out of the hands of some other NL west team.
Huh. Well, Whiteside signed a MAJOR LEAGUE DEAL. That means that unless they're planning on dumping someone during Spring Training, they're gonna carry 3 catchers (Posey, Stewart, Whiteside) on the 25 man.
<< <i>how much did he sign for (Eli) and how long?? might he be just an insurance policy to be cashed in or let lapse if Posey can't/can play?? >>
Eli's signed to just 1 year for $600k. That's just $100k less than he'd have gotten if he went through arb.
Still, whether Posey can play will be determined during Spring Training.
Signing Eli to a minor league deal would give the Giants flexibility of having Eli available for an emergency, but not using up a seat in the dugout. That's a good insurance policy, and the logical one to take out on Posey.
With a major league contract, he's going to take up a spot on the 25 man roster. If they want to get him off, they'll need to wave him, wait for him to clear the waver process, then DFA him to Fresno.
Last I heard reported by NBC Bay Area was that Whiteside's contract was a minor league contract. If that is the case then it makes a lot more sense.
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<< <i>Last I heard reported by NBC Bay Area was that Whiteside's contract was a minor league contract. If that is the case then it makes a lot more sense. >>
Anyways we'll know for sure once spring training gets rolling.
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either way it seems he's an insurance policy and nothing else.
okay here's something a wee bit OT.
Kirk Reuter: 1) i like him.....but 2) why did he (a soft pitcher) blow up after only 90 pitches? if he went deep in a game the next start he usually wasn't as sharp.
i have a hypothesis or two but they would seem to be correctable
<< <i>Kirk Reuter: 1) i like him.....but 2) why did he (a soft pitcher) blow up after only 90 pitches? if he went deep in a game the next start he usually wasn't as sharp. >>
Basically, opposing batters made adjustments vs Reuter, but Reuter couldn't continue to make counter adjustments. That, plus stamina issues is often the explanation as to why a pitcher who starts out dominating a game ends up getting hit by the 2nd or 3rd time through the lineup.
he did need an umpire who'd call his nibblers favorably. i've always felt the conditioning issue could have been addressed, i think it was probably his #1 Achilles heel. his control would come unglued after 90-93 pitches almost like clockwork.
he did sweat like a race horse and being of slight build i think that dehydration may have been an issue in later innings. but that's just a SWAG from my personal experiences.
Eric Surkamp bears a startling resemblance to Kirk Reuter, both in pitching style and appearance. Either that or a much, much cheaper version of Barry Zito. That's why I'm not too excited about Surkamp.
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Surkamp's strength in the minors was pin-point command. He lost it all overnight when he hit the majors. That's either due to nerves or umpires not giving him calls. Either way, if he can make adjustments, I wouldn't mind seeing "Oakland Zito" numbers posted by a 5th starter like Surkamp. It's way too early to close the book on him. But, that's probably a conversation for 2013. The Giants are married to Barry Zito for the next few seasons.
One of the Giants beat writers just said that Whiteside has a "split" contract, which basically has an option built into it. While he will be on the 40 man roster, the Giants can promote or demote him at will.
I didn't know you could do that. I guess you learn something new everyday!
For the Giants, that's the best kind of contract to have, because they won't have a 2nd backup catcher hogging up 25-man-roster space.
Hmm. The Giants seem to be looking to bring former Giants farmhands back into the fold, signing them to 1 year minor league deals:
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).
If Boof's name rings a bell, the Giants packed him, Francisco Lirriano, and Joe Nathan and shipped them to the Twins in exchange for A.H. Pierzynski.
Hector Sanchez (C) won the Rookie of the Year award for the Venezuelan League. Dude mashed there: .339/.402/.548 in 51 games. 2nd in AVG & SLG, 7th in OBP.
He experienced a pretty sharp drop in December, but his hot start sealed it for him. On 12/5, he was .376/.429/.584, then went into a .226/.351/.355 slump in his last 10 games.
The ERA's still strong, but the WHIP is kinda ugly. Still, if the guy can keep up even his 2nd half production, the Giants will continue to have a wicked rotation (minus Zito, unless he can stop sucking).
Comments
Looks like Sabes is hoping that lighting strikes twice. Hope it does, Torres is exciting when he's on.
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Gary Brown (CF): .220/.278/.300 in 11 games before being sent home with some illness.
Joe Panik (2b/SS): .321/.427/.457
Brandon Crawford (SS): .276/.315/.414
Latin Winter Leagues
Brandon Belt: .300/.395/.470
Hector Sanchez: .394/.431/.585 !!!!!
Panik looks good, Crawford looks ok, Sanchez is destroying the Mexican League, and Belt is still looking solid.
However, these numbers don't always reflect how someone will do.
For instance...
2009 AZFL:
Brandon Crawford: .312/.396/.455
Buster Posey: .225/.345/.338
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<< <i>The Giants are sending Andres Torres out to do autograph signings with Panda at some cell-phone stores, so that, paired with the fact that Boch took him for that Taiwan exhibition series, kinda tells me that he's not getting non-tendered.
Looks like Sabes is hoping that lighting strikes twice. Hope it does, Torres is exciting when he's on. >>
I was certain they weren't going to keep Torres but I agree it looks like they'll hang on to him. Now the question is if the Giants will try to look for another leadoff hitter or sit there and hope Torres has another 2010 type season. I'm guessing it'll be the latter.
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<< <i>I was certain they weren't going to keep Torres but I agree it looks like they'll hang on to him. Now the question is if the Giants will try to look for another leadoff hitter or sit there and hope Torres has another 2010 type season. I'm guessing it'll be the latter. >>
It seems like they either think that Melky is going to be that guy, or they'll look internally. Tyler Graham got added to the 40 man, Justin Christian is still on it, and Gregor Blanco got signed to a minor league deal. All of those guys are contact/speed style centerfielders in the minors.
It seems to me that management thinks Gary Brown is close, and want to keep the door open for him.
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I noticed that they have all 7 of the 2002 World Series games on DVD. Would I just be torturing myself by watching that, or would the fact that Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner & Associates bagged the 2010 World Series make it just a nice little trip down memory lane?
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<< <i>I noticed that they have all 7 of the 2002 World Series games on DVD. Would I just be torturing myself by watching that, >>
the "Rally Monkey" still makes me...........................................................
i was on a party boat in the Bay that night and all of us were really lit. we were going to jump in if they won.
i know hindsight is 20/20 but always felt Baker pulled Ortiz too soon. and that stunt he pulled on the mound did not go unnoticed in the Angels dugout.
btw Robb Nen blew his arm and his career for the team that season.
2005 Finest Gold Refractor Melky Cabrera, #/49
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Goot, my boy and I got to go see a game at AT&T last year. By far the best ballpark experience I have ever had. Check out the pix below:
Outside the park:
Tim warming up before the game:
My boy and Orlando Cepeda:
Views from the third base side:
Panda on the scoreboard:
Go Giants!
Robert
Glad it wasn't a sign of things to come back in 2010.
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My boy was so upset they ended up losing!
That game made us both Giants fans for life! The city is great as well. Can't wait to come back!
Robert
That means our Opening Day lineup could look like:
CF Melky Cabrera (coming off of a career year in an otherwise unremarkable one)
2b Freddy Sanchez (coming off of nasty injury)
C Buster Posey (coming off of nasty injury)
3b Pablo Sandoval (Panda!!)
1b (or LF) Brandon Belt (has he made his adjustments?)
LF (or 1b) Aubry Huff (contract season)
RF Nate Schierholtz (Nate the Great!!)
SS Brandon Crawford
P Tim Lincecum (Ace)
Hector Sanchez has been raking in the Venezuelan League (.376/.429/.584, 6 hr, 8 doubles in 36 games). Since they don't want to make Posey catch every day this season, I think it's safe to assume that the Giants will have their backup catcher play fairly regularly, maybe start 25% of the games (or more)? A guy who can hit would be a lot better than a guy who's just a purely defensive catcher (like Stewart).
I still think they'll non-tender Whiteside and keep Chris Stewart. Hector has options, so I wouldn't be shocked if he started the season in AAA.
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<< <i>Hmm. Boch says that the Giants are pretty happy with the roster as it is, but will still look to tweak here and there.
That means our Opening Day lineup could look like:
CF Melky Cabrera (coming off of a career year in an otherwise unremarkable one)
2b Freddy Sanchez (coming off of nasty injury)
C Buster Posey (coming off of nasty injury)
3b Pablo Sandoval (Panda!!)
1b (or LF) Brandon Belt (has he made his adjustments?)
LF (or 1b) Aubry Huff (contract season)
RF Nate Schierholtz (Nate the Great!!)
SS Brandon Crawford
P Tim Lincecum (Ace)
Hector Sanchez has been raking in the Venezuelan League (.376/.429/.584, 6 hr, 8 doubles in 36 games). Since they don't want to make Posey catch every day this season, I think it's safe to assume that the Giants will have their backup catcher play fairly regularly, maybe start 25% of the games (or more)? A guy who can hit would be a lot better than a guy who's just a purely defensive catcher (like Stewart).
I still think they'll non-tender Whiteside and keep Chris Stewart. Hector has options, so I wouldn't be shocked if he started the season in AAA. >>
Sorry but if that's the opening day lineup then 2012 will be a 3rd place year, third behind the DBacks and Dodgers. Lincecum will go 2.90 and 10-15, giving him a reason to bolt at the first moment possible. Once Cain and Lincecum leave due to frustration with the offense the Giants will enter a dark stretch where they will have some pitching and no offense. They'll resemble the 2011 Padres. Good pitching is an asset but games can't be won without runs scored.
Melky Cabrera? I'm betting he'll be a cheaper version of Aaron Rowand. Anything more than a .250 out of him and I'll be impressed.
As I feared the Giants think Sanchez and Posey coming back will solve all their offense woes. Even with both in the lineup last year and in 2010 they weren't exactly an offense machine then. I was looking forward to the addition of a few bats to the lineup next year but that looks like that won't happen. Miami stretched a bit and signed Jose Reyes whereas the Giants are too cheap to go after anybody who isn't B-list, washed up or over 40. From many fans' point of view this is just too frustrating to bear.
On the subject of Jose Reyes, his affinity for injuries concerns me so I'm not that bummed the Giants didn't land him but if they did he would be one giant upgrade to the lineup.
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Buster Posey = upgrade to Whiteside/Stewart platoon.
Freddy Sanchez = upgrade to backup platoon (Hall/Burriss/Keppinger).
The Giants fell apart in the 2nd half of 2011. Part of the reason they fell apart was that they replaced hitters with guys who hit like pitchers.
OPS+:
Posey = 115
Whiteside = 62
Stewart = 68
Sanchez = 106
Hall = 23
Burriss = 34
Keppinger = 74
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<< <i>There was news of a trade with the Mets today that would send Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez for Angel Pagan. Has anybody else heard a confirmation of this yet? >>
yes it is done
For BOTH Torres and Ramirez, I kinda feel like the Giants got owned by Sandy Alderson AGAIN.
Anyways, no Beltran.
Melky, Pagan, and Schierholtz in the OF. But, the worst part is that Huff will be blocking both Belt and Pill at 1st now.
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<< <i>They already traded for another in CF in Cabrera and now Pagan. Is Pagan supposed to be the fourth outfielder or is he going to left? >>
Not sure. Cabrera's not as athletic as Pagan or Torres, so LF would probably be a better fit for him, but who knows what they're going to do.
From ESPN: "Pagan's low baseball IQ, including consistently missing cutoff men and throwing to the wrong base, often agitated Mets officials."
Eugenio, is that you?
Andy Baggarly is also reporting that the Giants have another trade nearing completion, likely involving Keppinger. Considering that Kepp's likely to get non-tendered next week, I imagine that the Giants will get little more than a mop-up reliever or a struggling minor leaguer.
Torres has been a non-tender rumor for a while, I wonder if tossing him in the deal for Pagan was more of a way to avoid leaving Torres w/o a job next week.
Andres was a good guy, and an exciting player. He'll one of those guys who'll always be remembered as a good Giant.
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<< <i>i think that was a pretty good trade for the giants. torres is unlikely to repeat his 2010 season and the giants have plenty of bullpen depth - even though his defense is not as good as andres, pagan is a better bat, which is what the Giants need at this point. And melky is not very good defensively, so moving him to one of the corner outfield positions benefits the team. >>
I'm more worried that the Giants won't give Belt or Pill a shot. They've been talking about having Huff play a lot of OF in 2012 to open 1st base to Posey (when he takes a break from catching) and Belt (and/or Pill). If they close an OF spot, then Huff's going to see most of his play time at 1st, and Belt will either be watching from the dugout or in Fresno.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
With that said, with Sabean stating he wont resign beltran, there is still one OF position open and as much as i like Schierholtz, there is enough flexibility in the lineup to give Belt the opportunity to start games.
i think the only way he can be all that he can be is to grind it out and adapt to major league pitching. i dislike the yo-yo. reminds me of Matt Williams.
the hitting coach needs to earn his salary!
Sanchez = .384/.431/.623 in 39 games, with 9 doubles and 8 homers.
Blanco = .344/492/526 in 44 games, with 12 doubles, 2 tripls, 4 homers, 13 stolen bases, and 40 (gasp!) walks!
Hector Sanchez looks really good right now. Honestly, I doubt he cracks the 25 man in April, but Chris Stewart's going to feel some pressure from AAA.
Gregor Blanco's going to get a spring training invite, and we'll see from there.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Eli Whiteside got non-tendered as well.
Keppinger's departure doesn't really stir anything up in me, but Eli's does. Dude was part of the 2010-25, even if he was the only guy on the 25-man to watch the whole post-season from the bench.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
So far this offseason I have been underwhelmed by the Giants roster moves. When smaller market teams like Miami and Anaheim are willing to spend for talent while the Giants scrape the bottom of the barrel and hope the stars all align with injury returnees it makes you wonder if the management is content with only one championship every five decades.
Oh yeah, heard Aaron Rowand signed a minor league deal today somewhere.
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<< <i>Fontenot over Keppinger was expected although I wish they would've kept Keppinger. Fontenot can field but more often than not couldn't hit water if he jumped from a boat. Keppinger is an average fielder but could hit. >>
They wanted the flexibility of a utility guy who could field at short, and they didn't trust Kepp's mobility in the field to be effective there.
I could totally see the Giants contacting Ryan Theriot now that he's been non-tendered. MOAR UTILITY!
<< <i>Oh yeah, heard Aaron Rowand signed a minor league deal today somewhere. >>
Heh, Andy Baggerly suggests that he'll be in direct competition with Scott Cousins for a job.
<< <i>So far this offseason I have been underwhelmed by the Giants roster moves. When smaller market teams like Miami and Anaheim are willing to spend for talent while the Giants scrape the bottom of the barrel and hope the stars all align with injury returnees it makes you wonder if the management is content with only one championship every five decades. >>
The ownership group wants to pocket the profits, not re-invest. That's why they gave Nukom the boot: he wanted to spend their money. The Marlins and Angels have motivated owners who are battling for market shares in their area AND who seem to want to win. The Giants ownership group seems content on the bottom line only: if it's profitable, leave it alone.
Besides that, Aaron Rowand will earn $12 million to NOT be a Giant, and Zito's being paid $19 million to be a 5th starter. That's $31 million of dead money right there.
Either that, or Sabean, Evans, and Boch all have enormous trust that Belt and/or Pill are going to light up the league in 2012.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Giants chose Fontenot over Keppinger because Fontenot was cheaper. No other reason.
I believe Brandon Belt will have a breakout season, that is if he gets to play at all. I seriously doubt Pill will play much next year.
I'll admit from a pro sports angle I'm jealous of Miami. Miami is arguably the single worst sports city in the continental U.S., with an indifferent and uncaring population, lack of dedicated fan base and year round weather unsuitable for outdoor sports. Despite all that the talent the Marlins, Heat, Dolphins (okay not recently) and Panthers have been able to attract to that area has been astounding.
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He'll probably see a lot of early action when Zito pitches.
Here's my Guillermo Mota rookie:
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<< <i>Giants close to re-signing free-agent Eli Whiteside, who they non-tendered 2 days ago.
Poesy must be somewhere in limbo as his ability to catch next season.
Are there any other catchers they could sign instead of re-upping Whiteside? I just see Eli as a catcher who can't.
BTW Mota is good to keep.
<< <i>Poesy must be somewhere in limbo as his ability to catch next season. >>
I don't think it has anything to do with Posey, nor their depth at catcher.
I recall that they expressed an interest in keeping Eli in the system, so it's probably a minor league deal they're working on. That'll get him off the 40-man and keep him under Giants control. Since he has experience catching the Giants staff, maybe he'll be asked to work with Hector Sanchez in Fresno or something.
Keeping Eli close makes sense, even if its just to keep his knowledge of the Giants pitching staff out of the hands of some other NL west team.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
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So, I guess the Giants don't plan on keeping Pill and Belt on the active roster together. They're picking one or the other.
I really don't understand why they signed Whiteside to a major league deal. I really don't.
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Oh, and Manny Burriss re-upped for 1 year with the Giants.
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<< <i>Carrying Stewart AND Whiteside makes no sense. You're burning a seat on the bench by doing that.
So, I guess the Giants don't plan on keeping Pill and Belt on the active roster together. They're picking one or the other.
I really don't understand why they signed Whiteside to a major league deal. I really don't. >>
how much did he sign for (Eli) and how long??
might he be just an insurance policy to be cashed in or let lapse if Posey can't/can play??
<< <i>how much did he sign for (Eli) and how long?? might he be just an insurance policy to be cashed in or let lapse if Posey can't/can play?? >>
Eli's signed to just 1 year for $600k. That's just $100k less than he'd have gotten if he went through arb.
Still, whether Posey can play will be determined during Spring Training.
Signing Eli to a minor league deal would give the Giants flexibility of having Eli available for an emergency, but not using up a seat in the dugout. That's a good insurance policy, and the logical one to take out on Posey.
With a major league contract, he's going to take up a spot on the 25 man roster. If they want to get him off, they'll need to wave him, wait for him to clear the waver process, then DFA him to Fresno.
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<< <i>Last I heard reported by NBC Bay Area was that Whiteside's contract was a minor league contract. If that is the case then it makes a lot more sense. >>
Link to CSN Bay Area story
CSN Bay Area reports that it's a MAJOR league deal. It doesn't make sense, but that never stopped the Giants.
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Anyways we'll know for sure once spring training gets rolling.
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okay here's something a wee bit OT.
Kirk Reuter:
1) i like him.....but
2) why did he (a soft pitcher) blow up after only 90 pitches? if he went deep in a game the next start he usually wasn't as sharp.
i have a hypothesis or two but they would seem to be correctable
<< <i>Kirk Reuter:
1) i like him.....but
2) why did he (a soft pitcher) blow up after only 90 pitches? if he went deep in a game the next start he usually wasn't as sharp. >>
Basically, opposing batters made adjustments vs Reuter, but Reuter couldn't continue to make counter adjustments. That, plus stamina issues is often the explanation as to why a pitcher who starts out dominating a game ends up getting hit by the 2nd or 3rd time through the lineup.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
he did need an umpire who'd call his nibblers favorably. i've always felt the conditioning issue could have been addressed, i think it was probably his #1 Achilles heel. his control would come unglued after 90-93 pitches almost like clockwork.
he did sweat like a race horse and being of slight build i think that dehydration may have been an issue in later innings. but that's just a SWAG from my personal experiences.
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I didn't know you could do that. I guess you learn something new everyday!
For the Giants, that's the best kind of contract to have, because they won't have a 2nd backup catcher hogging up 25-man-roster space.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
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).
If Boof's name rings a bell, the Giants packed him, Francisco Lirriano, and Joe Nathan and shipped them to the Twins in exchange for A.H. Pierzynski.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
He experienced a pretty sharp drop in December, but his hot start sealed it for him.
On 12/5, he was .376/.429/.584, then went into a .226/.351/.355 slump in his last 10 games.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
2000 Bowman Chrome Draft
I like Vogey's story. I just hope he can keep pitching strong.
His 2nd half wasn't nearly as good as his 1st half though:
1st half: 6-1, 2.17 era, 1.193 whip
2nd half: 7-6, 3.26 era, 1.313 whip
The ERA's still strong, but the WHIP is kinda ugly. Still, if the guy can keep up even his 2nd half production, the Giants will continue to have a wicked rotation (minus Zito, unless he can stop sucking).
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25