WEDNESDAY, 11:08am: Schulman adds Cust to the list of bats on the Giants' radar.
TUESDAY, 2:16pm: So far this winter the Giants have spent $15.25MM on Mark DeRosa and Juan Uribe. After a conference call with GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle offer insight on the Giants' plans for the rest of the offseason.
- Uribe could play third base regularly, which would push DeRosa to left field. Uribe will not compete with Edgar Renteria for the shortstop job.
- The Giants seek a left-handed hitter. It would be either an outfielder or first baseman, as Travis Ishikawa is not under consideration to start at first.
- Sabean said no deals are imminent. At various points this winter the Giants have been linked to Johnny Damon, Scott Podsednik, and Adam LaRoche. I should point out that other potentially available left-handed bats include Russell Branyan, Lyle Overbay, Luke Scott, David DeJesus, Jack Cust, Mike Jacobs, Rick Ankiel, and Aubrey Huff.
- Schulman says the Giants are unlikely to spend much on a fifth starter or catcher.
I don’t believe that Luke Scott is a FA. I think the Giants have to sign a catcher and a leadoff hitter.
He meant on the trade and free agent market.
yeah I realiezed that right after I posted. It is always a good idea to read all the words in the article before putting anything in writing yourself.
I agree with the Uribe at 3B to start the season. Have DeRosa in LF or RF, and get someone like Damon for 2 years or Cust. I am not concerned with defense as much because we need offense more than anything. Damon would also be great at lead-off, which we desperately need. Line-up suggestion:
LF – Damon
3B – Uribe
2B – Sanchez
1B – Panda
RF – Derosa
CF – Rowand
SS – Renteria
C – Posey
Don’t look to shabby. Thoughts?
SFG need a power bat so bad, I just think that the LAD are so ripe to be dethroned and Sabean is doing nothing about it, whether Giant ownership has financial problems, or somehow Sabean thinks his pitching and -0- offense is good enough to over take them is the reason, it just does not make sense to me. This team needs *SOMEBODY* besides Sandoval that can hit, or other teams are just going to pitch around him and Damon is not going to be any kind of threat in Candlestick, expect his power numbers to evaporate, like back to 8-15 where they were at KC, Oakland, Boston and a better gauge? Pay attention to that 9 spot he put up at the Coliseum in his only year in Oakland, yeah SFG fans, another cavernous park.. That’s about what Damon’s muscle will bring to Candlestick. It came and went with Yankee stadium.
Cust will probably be able to give Sandoval some power protection and his defense is still going to be terrible, another highlight reel guy, but Damon is no GG’er anymore either. Might as well get somebody to protect Sandoval if Molina isn’t coming back and take this now winnable division.
I guess it’s a good thing they don’t play at Candlestick then.
Sabean said he’s trying to be an opportunist this offseason (though I don’t think he gets the negative connotations of his word choice). Last year, he signed Renteria and Johnson by this point, and had spent $17 million. This year, because of Lincecum’s arbitration eligibility, we can’t be quite as aggressive despite having more payroll flexibility otherwise. Expect him to stay on LaRoche and see if he can’t get more of a bargain deal. If the Orioles wind up making him a big offer and he signs, it gives Sabean leverage to sign Branyan.
Patience…
Ew, I’m not a Giants fan but the fact Podsednik is even being considered for the Giants is sort of depressing. Don’t they have enough slap hitters? And it isn’t like his speed is that much of an asset; it doesn’t seem to help him and the field and he is thrown out quite a bit on the basepaths.
Damon, on the other hand, I think would be a nice fit, if the Giants can get him on a a one-year deal for 6-8 mil. Even though he’d probably only give you 10-15 HRs, but you could still expect a .350+ OBP (which the Giants need in their lineup, just as much as power).
Casey Kotchman could be had as a salary dump seeing as the Sox want to get under the luxury tax line and he’s something like $3MM+ right now. Hermida is available too, I believe, since Theo promised he’d trade him if he wasn’t given a starting role.
I see the BoSox trading Kotchman somewhere at some point but if I understand the situation correctly the Giants are looking not just for a LH bat but for power. Although he has some pop, strictly speaking Casey Kotchman is not a power hitter. So would he really make sense for the team? Wouldn’t Sabean be looking for higher HR production?
Can I please get a link?
I really prefer Uribe in a utility role and I would like to see Schierholtz get a chance. Here is what I would like to see
LF- Podsednik
2B – Sanchez
RF – Schierholtz
3B – Sandoval
1B – DeRosa
CF – Rowand
SS – Renteria
C – Posey / Barajas / Torrealba
Man we need power. Derosa replaces Molinas output. So we are back to square one. We need Nady or LaRoche
agreed….sign Cust cheap for 1 year, sign Damon for 1-2 years around 7 mil per year. Have Cust, Rowand, Damon in the field, Derosa at 3rd and we would be set. Only problem is, Timmy and Johnathan should do very well in arbitration and drive up the payroll
I totally agree with you, although IMO DeRosa’s 2010 will be an improvement over Molina’s potential 2010 season.
To me Aubrey Huff would be a perfect low risk signing for the Giants. They will be working on limited funds once the Arbitration cases pop up. But if Laroche doesnt realize he isnt Pujlos and don’t deserve 10 mil a year, I think Huff would be a GREAT option.
I could see Ankiel being a fall back plan for sabean if he can’t land laroche.
agreed
As a Dodger, fan, I’d be thrilled to see either of those two Giant lineups take the field. Panda and a bunch of mush.
I have to call your bluff there shhango…
1) Panda had a sophmore slump at the beginning of last year and may have an even better season in 2010- I predict less strikeouts as he began to develop plate discipline in the second half last year.
2) With no Bengie at cleanup/clogging bases I think the Giants can implement a successful small-ball strategy in order to start winning all of our low-scoring games.
3) There is no way Retneria gets to play SS for more than 6 weeks at last season’s level of performance as we have solid insurance at that position now- he either gets back to his old self or rides the pine to the bank.
4) The gaping hole at 2B at the beginning of last year is nicely filled, again with some insurance.
5) Randy Winn will be replaced by Schierholtz/Bowker/? which is likely to mean another improvement in the lineup.
Posey is the wildcard, and if he fulfills even a little of his potential in 2010 he will be better than Bengie. I say we improved markedly across the board (if modestly) in a crummy FA market, and the offseason ain’t over yet. With the best pitching around, tell me: why shouldn’t the Dodgers be nervous? Manny is older, and you didn’t exactly have a blockbuster winter. I think these two teams are about to pass each other this year, ie moving in different directions. With a better FA class next year and no huge signing mistakes this year I’d say things are looking up for SF.
And I cant wait to see the Dodgers rotation… Kershaw and a bunch of mush.
I don’t understand why the Dodger fans are so confident. They’re going to lose Hudson, lost Wolf and Pierre, and they may sign one of Vincente Padilla and Jon Garland. Also they don’t have many internal options to fill any holes since all the trades they made over the past season.
The Giants have signed DeRosa and re-signed Uribe, and they’re still looking for offense. They have a plethora of internal options. Also, theres no need to upgrade our pitching since its one of the best staffs in all of baseball.
As a Dodger fan, I’m confident because they are returning their entire starting lineup except for second base and the core is just coming into its prime years. So offensively, its the same playoff team from last year less Hudson, who, granted, gave them a good half season. But we should — knock on wood — have a full year of healthy and motivated Manny plus a healthier Furcal. Kershaw, Billingsley and Kuroda are returning as a solid 1-3 and I would expect better, healthier years from all of them. Wolf will be missed, but I’m glad they didn’t give him three years like the Brewers did. With many young internal candidates and a bunch of #4 and #5 types still available as free agents, I’m confident they can piece together a rotation just like they did last year and have solid relief to finish off games.
I just don’t see the addition of DeRosa and loss of Molina and Winn as a huge upgrade for the Giants. And, believe it or not, years like Lincecum and Cain put up last year are not automatic. The Giants do have a very, very nice rotation but to me, they still lack a whole lot offensively — hence my comment. Now, should they go out and get a legitimate big bat to team with Panda, then I worry.
First off, you say the years Lincecum and Cain had last year are not automatic. Well neither are the ones Kemp, Ethier, or anyone for that matter. Also dont expect much from Manny, you should look at his split stats and see his numbers after the all star break, I believe thats around the time he came back from his suspension, theyre pretty bad.
You should look at the numbers Winn put up last year, he had a deplorable season. He’s still great with the glove but is definately declining with the bat. Also replacing Molina with DeRosa is an upgrade. DeRosa could easily put up the same kind of numbers Molina could and doesnt clog up the bases. Molina is also 36, thats about the age catchers start to decline.
Manny’s “pretty bad” OPS following suspension last year was .838. That’s better than the season OPS of every Giant regular except Panda — and a whole lot better than DeRosa’s lifetime OPS. I’d expect Manny to at least match that over next season and probably improve on it.
If as you say, DeRosa could put up the “same” type of numbers as Molina, then where is the improvement? Schierholz and Posey? Maybe, maybe not. To date, I just don’t see any great improvement in the Giants offense.
The improvment DeRosa brings is he can actually run and clog up the basepaths. That is a big upgrade for us since we are a small ball team.
Alright yes Ramirez’s OPS is very good but look at the .255 AVG, 10 HR, 34 RBI in 68 games.
Ok fine, Ill give. The Giants may have not improved much, but they havent taken any steps back neither. The Dodgers on the other hand have lost both Pierre and Wolf, and will lose Hudson soon and havent made any moves to fill those holes, they havent even been linked to any players so far this offseason. I dont know about you, but I think losing your number 2 or 3 starter, all star second basemen and a great fouth outfielder in Pierre seems like a couple of steps back to me.
Orlando Hudson was productive the first half of the season, but his bat pretty much disappeared the second half. Blake DeWitt won’t be an MVP candidate, but he’s certainly capable of holding down the 2B job. He was a 1st round pick, and Dodger scouting has been among the best in the business. Improvement elsewhere in the lineup should make up for a minor decline in production from 2B. And that’s assuming the Dodgers don’t sign a 2B. Guys like Belliard, Lopez, etc. are still available and probably aren’t going to get much. Guys like Castillo and Uggla are still on the trading block.
As far as Juan Pierre, well… as you said, he’s a 4th outfielder. While he performed admirably the 50 days Manny was suspended, he did not have much an impact otherwise. I think it is fair to assume that Manny won’t be suspended in 2010. And after those 50 games, Pierre had a .696 OPS. The Dodgers have Xavier Paul and Jason Repko available for the 4th outfield spot, both of whom are far superior defenders to Juan Pierre and could probably post a better OPS (.794 for Paul in his minor league career, .768 for Repko). No loss there.
Wolf is the only real loss for the Dodgers, but signing Garland or Padilla or Washburn and getting full seasons out of Billingsley, Kuroda, and Kershaw (all of whom missed starts in 2009 due to injury) will make up for Wolf’s production.
You’re also not considering natural progression of the Dodgers young players. While I think Andre Ethier may have reached his peak, everybody knows that Matt Kemp will get even better. James Loney is due to exhibit more power, and he should rebound from a below average (for him) 2009 season. Russell Martin’s ’09 campaign was also the worst of his brief career, and although I have doubts he’ll ever hit like he did in ’07, I still think he’ll improve slightly.
And basically everyone is discounting the difference a full season of Manny Ramirez will make, particularly Manny Ramirez in a contract year. I think that is a mistake. The guy is going to be playing for one last big payday. If you think his numbers are going to look like his second half ’09 numbers, I think you’re seriously underrating the guy. He’ll be ready to play.
I don’t know how you can expect Sandoval to improve and not guys like Kemp and Loney, or expect Posey to make up for Molina’s production but DeWitt not to make up for Hudson’s production (granted Posey is a better prospect, but DeWitt has much more major league experience – and performed admirably when he was given the starting job the first couple months of ’08).
why are dodger fans posting to Giants post. Undercover Giant fan. Its ok the dodgers are declining
If you don’t understand why Dodger fans post about the Giants, then I guess you don’t understand the rivalry…which is strange, you being an LA Giant fan. I also live in enemy territory and hear a whole lot of Dodger smack up here in NorCal. Long live the rivalry.
This makes me think even more LaRoche is their guy…gives them Left handed bat and a plus defender question isn’t if they have the money. It’s if they are willing to give him 3 years…
Geez…Sabean is an idiot (we all know) GET LAROCHE!
the angels will be happy to give the giants GMJ haha
Kotchman to the Mariners certainly makes LaRoche to SF more likely
I say LaRoche. First basemen, Left Handed, Power = The Giants needs. As a free agent, he would be my first choice.
If I could have a left handed trade, I would take Brad Hawpe. The guy can hit the cover off the ball. Right Fielder, Left handed, Power hitter and affordable. I think he is making around 5mil. Offer the Rockies Fred Lewis, who plays well in Colarado, and a pitching prospect and he could be had.
Jack Cust isn’t bad. He draws walks, hits for power, but also K’s alot. I would honestly say that in stats comparison, he is a left handed version of Dan Uggla, in which the Giants almost traded AT&T Park for. Sign him cheap, put him in RF.
You can HAVE Overbay…..
I haven’t seen Overbay play. What are his problems?
No real problems, not bad at 1b, hits for some power….Jays just need to move him to make room for Wallace. He’s probably a bit overpaid, that’s all.
What’s the point of getting Laroche if Uribe is slated to play third pushing panda to first? Does Laroche play the outfield? Or are we all just wishfully thinking that even though sabean says Uribe is playing third he is just really waiting on the bench for renteria to fold, so he can take his place.
With Uribe slated for third, the only thing that makes sense would be to add an outfield bat. However, that would essentially block all of our young kids from giving it another try. I am ok with that, but I think the money could be better spent elsewhere.
lol, yes I hope Renteria fails and Uribe replaces him!
Please sign Johnny Damon to a 1 year contract, Sabean! Then bench Rowand, Bochy!
They can just Feliz to play 3B intill Downs is ready.
They can get a LF in a Trade.
LF-schierholtz and/or velez leading off. 2B-sanchez
SS-uribe
3B-panda
RF-derosa
CF-rowand
1B-ishikawa
C-posey
This is how the giants need to play it next year! They shouldn’t waste their time with one or two year contracts on some bums that no other teams want. They shouldn’t give up on their kids…schierholtz, ishikawa, velez, and even burris should get another look next year…bochy needs to just let them play and not have them constintly thinking about being replaced…the giants have a lot of potential with their kids…pitching rotation should be lincecum, Cain, Zito, Sanchez, and bumgarner!
I agree. I’m really bummed that Ishikawa’s not being given a chance, seeing as how his glove is Gold Glove-caliber and he crushes the ball at Willie Mays Field, unlike too many other ballers.
In a perfect world Renteria and Rowand would ride the pine all season. That leaves the Giants without a center fielder or a lead off hitter which they don’t have anyways. I say throw Velez in CF (which is pretty shakey to say the least) and at leadoff. If he can’t manage either Torres can fill in. And sign LaRoache. No thank you to Nady, Damon, Cust, Huff, Kotchman, or any of those other scrubs. Here’s my ideal lineup that I know will never happen cause Renteria and Rowand will be starting:
1. Velez CF
2. Sanchez 2B
3. Sandoval 3B
4. LaRoache 1B
5. DeRosa LF
6. Uribe SS
7. Schierholtz RF
8. Posey C
The only bad part of this lineup is Velez. I’d rather have rowand in there than velez.
That’s my only question with this lineup too. I was thinking try him out there for spring training at least and see if he can handle it. If not then Rowand I guess. Although he is definitly not a leadoff hitter. Neither is Sanchez. I don’t understand all these people with their make believe lineups having Sanchez either leading off or hitting 3rd. He can’t do either of those. He’s best in the 2 spot.
Once again, Rowand is horribly overpaid, but he’s still better offensively and defensively than Velez. And Torres is a better baserunner and leadoff hitter than Velez. Play Rowand in CF, and have Torres take his place so Rowand can get regular rest. They can both hit lead-off, so you don’t have to shuffle the lineup, either.
Feliz isnt a FA he has been signed
can felipe lopez play first base? he’s a switch hitter. actually, im gonna assume DeRosa is a super utility guy, then you can move panda to a less demanding first base, bring in felipe lopez who could be had for under 6MM a season for less than or equal to 2 years. that fills to holes, a lead off hitter and a left/switch hitter. plus he has some speed and wont clog bases.
hymm..testing if this worked or not.
I think Damon would be a great signing, depending on how long and how expensive it is. But I think it would be a great signing because he could plug into the 3 hole in the lineup. But say Velez and Torres dont hit well you can move him up to the leadoff posistion.
giants must be REALLY desperate to put bad knees Damon as their three hitter, he wont play 120 games in the national league, bank on it. and why would you even consider his sub 20 home run power over Pablo sandoval…. yeah we know he had 20+ home runs LAST YEAR, but his career lines say something significantly different, and yankee stadium definitly helped.
LaRoche to the Giants makes so much sense. But, I could totally see Sabean “outsmart” everyone and sign Garret Anderson instead.
Sabean is simply retarded, and I have no confidence in his ability to assemble a lineup. LaRoche is at least acceptable in the middle of the lineup, which besides Sandoval the Giants simply don’t have. It really shouldn’t be so hard to sign him, of course Sabean will still over pay him, but thats just what he does.
Anybody think Uribe was offered anything close to 3 million from another team
I’m pulling for the Braves or Yankees to sign Damon. Do not want him. He has the worst arm I’ve ever seen for an outfielder. No range to cover the left-center gap. And I can guarantee those HR Damon hit at new Yankee stadium would be bouncing off the archways at AT&T for singles and doubles if not fly outs.
trade brian wilson for a bat
Giants fans don’t know how good they have it with Wilson. He blows a few saves, but Affeldt is better as a set-up man, and until Romo or Runzler is ready to close, Wilson is worth the cost, given how many times he threw more than 1 inning last season. Plus we won’t get much value for him on the trade market, because he’ll be getting a closer’s salary.
PLEASE! Stop talking about signing Johnny Damon! The man is useless defensively!!
I think the giants could really use Adam Laroche and fill a huge power gap in that lineup thats been missing since Barry Bonds.
Laroche to the Giants makes all the sense in the world. Just hope Sabean realizes that too.
Let’s hope Laroche drops his asking price, Rowand performs at leadoff, one of our young kids steps up to take over the right field spot with both good defense and offense (im assuming thats going to be schierholtz or bowker), and posey can transition quickly to the bigs. We would be a shoe-in for the west if all these things falls into place.
Rowand CF
Sanchez/Uribe 2B
Laroche 1B
Sandoval 3B
DeRosa LF
Renteria/Uribe SS
Schierholtz/Bowker RF
Posey C
Would be a pretty sweet lineup if every one played to their potential!
I like this lineup with the exception of Rowand at leadoff. And I’d swap Sandoval and LaRoche only because Pablo has a higher Avg. and will get on base more. He needs as many at bats as possible. Hopefully LaRoche will sign with the Giants.
I agree with this line-up from top to bottom, with the exception that I would swap Schierholtz and Posey. Posey will not get good pitches to hit if he bats 8th, and Schierholtz has speed at the bottom of the lineup. He’ll be better for sac bunt situations, and will have speed on the basepaths if the order rolls over to Rowand, who was a doubles machine last year when he hit leadoff.
Doesn’t really matter what we do in the off season…the cardinals just won the NL today!
Again though, best lineup for the giants is
1. Velez- CF
2. Sanchez- 2B
3. Uribe- SS
4. Panda- 3B
5. Derosa- LF
6. Schierholtz- RF
7. Ishikawa- 1B
8. Posey- C
We shouldn’t waste any money on the scrubs they are talking about signing…they need to save their money for lincecum, Sanchez, Panda, and Wilson
At this point my preference is to sign LaRoche, but the price has to be right. And I will be sad to see Ishikawa go, because he’s gonna figure out his plate approach sooner or later with good coaching and be a total bargain deal.
I think Laroche will come around…the ego will subside and he’ll realize that he is Adam LaRoche.
Sign Adam Larcohe.
I’m just hoping they didn’t already spend themselves out of Laroche’s price range. I can’t imagine that he’ll get more than $6-7M annually for 2 years max, though.
They already offered him 2/17 and he said no. Giants need a power hitter, I like Brayan more for that reason.
I just saw that on fangraphs. I can’t believe he rejected that. Maybe it was for the best. $8.5M is too much, in my opinion. I’m wondering if the offer was pulled by the Giants after they signed DeRosa.
Oh, how I long for the days when the guy in my profile pic manned first base…
They did pull their offer.
Hank Blalock is LH FA that plays 1st.
Surprised no one has mentioned Blalock. Giants had interest in him before… Seems like he’d be a good bench power bat. Could play first base, too. He probably could be had pretty cheaply.
Jack Cust would be such a terrible signing for the Giants, it’s hard to know where to begin…
One, Jack Cust has already begun his decline phase — his BB/PA rate over the last few years has dropped from 26% to 18.5% to 15%. Meanwhile, his K/PA rate has stayed relatively level over the same time period: 33%, 33%, 30%. What this tells us is that pitchers have learned how to combat Cust’s plate discipline, while not losing any of their ability to throw balls by him. When a batter reaches the 2/1 threshhold for K/BB, there’s a good chance his BA, OBP, and SLG are about to fall off a cliff… Cust reached that point last year (93 BB, 185 K); if he can’t reverse that trend, his numbers will suffer. In fact, they’ve already started to suffer — look at his SLG the last three seasons: .504 in 2007, .476 in 2008, .417 in 2009. .417!!! That’s Casey Kotchman territory!! Cust looks like one of those power-OBP guys who has a short rise to noteriety, and then a quick fall out of the majors (see, Kevin Maas, Phil Plantier.)
Two, signing Jack Cust would mean actually playing Jack Cust in the field. As an A’s fan, I can tell you that watching Jack Cust play defense is one of the most excrutiating experiences a baseball fan can experience. He’s slow. He gets bad jumps. He judges balls off the wall terribly. He takes bad routes to balls. And, he has no arm. He’s like the anti-five tool player.
Three, playing Jack Cust in LF means playing Mark DeRosa at 3B, where his glove is probably below average (as opposed to the OF, where DeRosa’s glove plays pretty well).
This is just a bad idea. Pony up for LaRoche; don’t go cheap on Cust. The Giants will regret it if they do.
Please don’t sign Cust. He sucks. I hope LaRoche comes around. I’m comfortable with this lineup:
Rowand CF
Sanchez 2B
Sandoval 3B
LaRoche 1B
DeRosa LF
Schierholtz RF
Renteria SS
Posey C
If LaRoche does sign, I’m interested to see who the Giants keep on the team and who they’ll send to AAA. They had a 12 man pitching staff for the majoridy of last season so leaves 5 spots on the bench. Uribe and Whiteside are there for sure. That leaves Velez, Torres, Ishikawa, Bowker and Lewis with only three spots. If it was me Bowker and Lewis wouldn’t be on the team.
Adam LaRoche is in his prime right now, but I don’t know that I’d give him more money or another year… Honestly, Mike Jacobs is a great option for the Giants right now. He had a couple great years with Florida and he’s got great power.
We could get him for a lot cheaper than 2/17 too…
I’d also be curious to know what the Giants are thinking about Carlos Delgado. We haven’t heard his name much. I know he is high risk with his injury, but he could also be HUGE reward if we were to give him a contract.
I realize that we were wrong about delgado in 2008 when we said he was too old, but he’s coming off a year long injury and he’s turning 38 in June. I think we should leave him be and at least go a LITTLE younger. Believe me, his upside 2 years ago would be ridiculous, but now…
Aubrey Huff and Johnny Damon are options for the Giants slightly younger than Delgado… I’d much rather have LaRoche, Mike Jacobs, or Xavier Nady, but we have plenty of options and must explore these options before spring.
Check out the spread on Carlos Delgado:
http://www.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=113232
Still in the positive defense, undeniable power. Russell Branyan. why has this guy disappeared in the FA market?
I think he has a bad back or someting like that.
Agreed on Branyan. Massive power. Put’s a threat in the lineup. Bring him to SF!
Not to mention his power projected extremely well at Safeco which like AT&T is known as a pitchers park. If he can be had for a 1 year with an option for a second for Uribe like money, this may be the best option out there. Plus he plays plus defense at 1B and is flexible enough to put in the OF if need be.
Seems to me you get LaRoche type production without the price tag.
Cust? ~BLOOOORFF~
People gotta stop throwing Damon into this situation. He hit 20+ homers in a stadium where a popped up bunt can get over. His arm sucks in the outfield and he’s too old. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good player, but if we’re going to get an old outfielder with some decent speed we might as well re-sign randy winn.
To tell the truth, if we could sign Russel Branyan to a 2 year deal worth 6 mil, Im all for it. He has only had one season with over 400 AB, which was last year in Seatlle and his numbers weren’t bad. . BA .250, 31 HR, 76 RBI. His SLG .520, not bad, and his OBP was average at .347. Being a lefty with power, and playing first base, I don’t see any reason why not to sign him esp if we can get him for less than LaRoche. Do it Sabes, I would rather see him in Orange & Black than Jack Cust.
god i hope they don’t sign damon. i lost a lot of respect for him when he went from the red sox to the yankees for like a million bucks. not only that, but he’s just not that good anymore. we need a guy who can hit for power but likes to get on base more. a line drive kind of guy with speed.
Why Cust? Yea, he has some pretty good pop but come on!
I’ve definitely been on the Uggla wagon mostly because he has power that projects almost everywhere, has shown positive trends in his BB to K ratio and isn’t as bad defensively as some make him out to be. Now it would require some musical chairs with other players moving “out” of position, and would probably require us parting with somene like Runzler, Jaquin and/or Kieshcnick, but i think his bat would offer a nice one two punch with Pandoval.
BUT…. looking at what Branyon brings to the table, it seems like the smarter move to get him on a 1 or 2 year deal while we groom Pill in Fresno. The fact that he can play both 1B and OF offers some flexibility to still give the likes of Bowker, Ishikawa, Shierholtz and a shot if the opportunity presents itself. We also don’t lose who could be our future setup man/closer in Runzler and possibly 1 of two offsively gifted corner OFs in Kiescnick (the other being Neal).
Overall Branyon just seems like the smarter move at the end of the day, especially since he wont cost as much as laRoche and won’t require musical chairs in the infield as would Uggla… plus it allows you to still grow from within.
Laroche would be the guy to sign. Also I dont know why Branyan, Jacobs, Blalock etc are not getting more views from the giants. They need hitters in the worst way.
I hope people are not saying play Bowker. The dude is trash. He cant hit a breaking ball to save his life. If they sign LaRoche it wouldnt be the worst thing seeing a Sanchez, Pablo, LaRoche and Derosa middle of the order.
All they need is some O to be a legitimate threat in the NL.
If Bowker got over his eagerness to play in the bigs he could probably hit breaking balls better. He has a wicked OBP in the minors and then comes up and hacks at everything because he wants to make an immediate impact and stay up in the mlb. Plate Patience is the key to getting him back on track.
I think working with Muellens is going to help him a lot. For those that don’t remember he was hot when he got his first call up in ’08 and then he was figured out by pitchers who uncovered his holes.
He worked on that last year in AAA, fixed a lot of that and when he brought up was put in a position of produce NOW, which isnt the easiest situation for a youngin. Not saying that its an excuse because that is a natural expectation, but how many young guys make an impact right away, especially in a team that was in a playoff hunt? Very few, and very few can sustain it. People can look at whatever stats they want but the situation he was put in is not a way to judge whether a player is garbage or not, especially when the teams offensive approach did not encourage patience.
I say give him and Shierholtz a fair shot to battle it out in RF and let the guy who produces the most consistently win the job. Throw Ishi in that mix as well because the way Botchy used him last year was just plain frustrating… whenever he got hot he was shown pine. How is a player suppose to adjust to ML level pitching on the bench? Botchy isn’t the worst coach in the world (as some would suggest) but he just doesnt do well with breaking in young players.
Rowand CF
Sanchez 2B
Sandoval 3B
LaRoche 1B
Cust RF
DeRosa LF
Uribe SS
Posey C
Pitcher
Have you seen Cust play the field? He is horrible. The huge RF in SF has eaten him alive. Schierholtz will have a better year than Cust and he’s a very good defender.