Giants president and CEO Larry Baer spoke to reporters (including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle) today at the team's Spring Training camp in Scottsdale and discussed a number of topics, including…
- The Dodgers have drastically outspent the Giants over the last couple of seasons but, while Baer says his team's payroll will remain competitive, he is comfortable with the Giants' strategy of building through the draft and making big signings only when necessary. "We’re fine with not matching them dollar for dollar because when it comes down to it, it’s an art, not a science, and it comes down to judgments," Baer said. "Drafting Cain, Lincecum, Posey, Bumgarner, etc…Those were judgment calls, not money calls."
- The Giants have yet to begin talks with Pablo Sandoval about a multiyear extension. A deal could still happen before Opening Day, Baer said, though the team feels it has the entire season to work out a deal if it decides Sandoval is worth keeping in the fold. This is Sandoval's last year under contract with San Francisco and today MLB.com's Tracy Ringolsby looked at how the Giants' uncertainty over Sandoval's conditioning and consistency at the plate are the main hurdles to a new contract.
- Baer said that the Giants could be open to temporarily sharing AT&T Park with the Athletics if the A's are getting a new ballpark built in Oakland. Of course, Baer stressed that the Giants were more than happy about the A's getting a new stadium "in their territory," as the two franchises are in a dispute over territorial rights to the San Jose area, where the A's want to relocate.
Keep the A’s in Oakland.
Kershaw and Kemp are homegrown talents. The new Dodgers FO hired top line scouts, fortified the international department, and put focus on college players. The farm system- which the Dodgers pioneered- is currently headed into the right direction once again. The recent big trades provided the Dodgers with a strong base to work with while the FO continues to refine and rebuild the farm system at a steady pace. At the end of the year, most of the so called “big signings” turned out more “necessary” and beneficial than not.
Last I checked, the Dodgers were not cherry picking FA franchise stars while blindly throwing money around- which it seems like they are accused of doing. They took on contracts at times but it was through trades involving prospects. The two notable international siginings turned out more than cost effective. Building a strong basis through calculated trades and international scouting, while not bidding too aggressively on tempting but unnecessary FAs (Tanaka/Arroyo etc.) all count as “judgment calls.” Otherwise the Dodgers would not be considered contenders right now.
Dodgers do spend money but most of the big spending like you said came from the red sox trade. Other then that they been doing nothing in the free agent market other then getting unknown talent from Cuba and getting decent low end talent from the free agents. We have not sign one big name player other then are own player in kershaw. So down the road in a few years dodgers payroll will be 2 times smaller with Crawford and becketts money off the books. Dodgers don’t tend to keep spending big forever
don’t forget greinke!
I think the Giants should continue building the way they know how. It’s been effective since they have won 2 World Series by doing so.
Baer makes it out like they are draft geniuses. When out of the four guys mentioned all were first round guys and three of the four were top ten picks.
And it’s not like they were immune from spending on the FA market and trade market.
I remember officials scoffing at the Dodgers when they entered the IFAM and spent on Yasiel Puig. I also remember the blogs, and quotes coming from “unamed sources in the Giants FO” that were laughing at the signing. Think they would like him now?
The team that truly makes the draft an art is the Cardinals. These guys in my opinion are the class of baseball and have been for some time.