The Giants have a pair of out of options position players on the bubble in Nate Schierholtz and Travis Ishikawa. According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, "Schierholtz could be the easiest and most likely to be dealt. Perhaps soon."
Schierholtz, a right fielder, is trying to break into an outfield that already features more expensive players such as Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa, and perhaps Aaron Rowand. And don't forget top prospect Brandon Belt, who could force Aubrey Huff to left field or play there himself. Just for good measure, Ishikawa is playing a little outfield this spring.
The 27-year-old Schierholtz has failed to produce in 758 scattered big league plate appearances. He has, at least, shown the ability to hit for average, power, and a strong contact rate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Going back to the Baseball America 2008 Handbook, Schierholtz "plays a strong right field and has an above-average, accurate arm." He would have been a more interesting player for the Royals to try in right field than Jeff Francoeur, and could make sense for the Phillies currently.
Trading Rowand would alleviate the Giants' outfield logjam slightly, but Baggarly says there's nothing cooking on that front. Rowand is a release candidate in my mind, unless there's a team willing to pick up a couple million bucks of the $24MM owed to him for 2011-12.
Baggarly notes that both Schierholtz and Ishikawa could be on the outs if Belt makes the team. On Friday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the situations of Rowand, Ishikawa, and Schierholtz will not be big factors in the Belt decision. Belt's service time might be a consideration, not that the team would admit that publicly. If the Giants can survive the season's first nine games without Belt, they can delay his free agency by a year.
I’d of loved to make it so far that I’d be ‘on the bubble’ for a MLB team.
Rowand seems like the ultimate professional when it comes to him being replaced as a starting OFer. However he should be a bit more professional and realize his stance and outlook on hitting is what needs a complete work over.
I think Schierholtz sticks around but Ishikawa gets cut. Belt will not make the club for a while and they will expect a DL spot or a Rowand trade/cutting to free up the additional roster spot.
Are you sure Belt wont make the team?
Goshdarnit Sabean, just cut Rowand.
Rowand to White Sox – he will have a big year – All about confidence – then move Quentin to Philles for Blanton
Yeah as a whitesox fan. No. I would rather have Carlos and his 30 hr potential than rowand who is one the down side of his career. Besides once vicedio returns from injury and gets a few starts in aaa he will be the starting right fielder.
Also Blanton makes no sense. The white sox need an emergency guy not a legit starter. They will use Pena or Humber or someone else from aaa untill peavy is cleared, it’s only tendinitis in his rotator cuff so it’s unrelated to his previous injury
Rowand needs to be cut. Schierholtz is more valuable off the bench as he can play all three OF spots with better D than Rowand. He’s better as a PH and provides a LH bat off the bench, not to mention being faster. The only thing Rowand does better than Schierholtz is cash pay checks.
The $24M owed Rowand is already spent. Theres nothing that will ever change that. There’s no point in wasting playing time for better players to compound the issue. If cut, I doubt any team would sign Rowand today, so why do the Giants keep him?
On the Belt front, send him to AAA, let him build confidence. In the bigs, someone will not produce up to expectations. Someone may have an awful year. At that point, move Belt up to the bigs, Ishikawa will most likely be the roster victim, and make Belt fit into the lineup. The Giants lineup is surprisingly versatile and can accommodate the addition of a first basemen and shuffle around to remove the cold bat.
get rid of rowand PERIOD.
No way Schierholtz or Ishikawa should be cut not with the way Rowand is playing.
Time for Rowand to go. As for Belt, not taking the whole service time into consideration (though I realize teams do), I would send him back to AAA and wait until someone in the outfield gets hurt or isn’t performing then bring him up. This will give him regular at bats rather then sporadic playing time that he would probably get if he makes the team.
The Giant’s current stance is that if Belt makes the opening day roster, he WILL be a starter, not a bench player, otherwise there’s no point in having him there. At this point it really comes down to whether or not you’d rather have a tandem of Belt/Huff 1B/LF or Huff and Burrell.
Rowand is dead weight. If you bring up Belt, Ishikawa has to go. Shierholtz is your only defensive outfielder. Burrell is having a good spring. It doesn’t look like Belt will make the team.
Nate’s value is in defense. He is rock solid in RF and has an absolute cannon for an arm. He has thrown out many runners trying to stretch what would appear to be an easy double. The look on their face when tagged out is priceless!
Unfortunately he strikes out WAY too much. He’s too streaky. That being said, I’d rather have him than Rowand. It’s time Sabean takes one for the team and dumps Rowand.
Ishikawa is similar to Nate where he is great defensively. His biggest problem is Brandon Belt who is equally good defensively but also has been killing it at the plate.
Exactly. Schierholtz is the Giants best fourth OF and Bochy put him to a good use last year in the playoffs. If Belt does make the team coming out of camp, then it’s still important to have Huff or Burrell’s bat in the lineup. However, in the late innings of a game that’s already decided, Schierholtz is the perfect defensive sub to come in and play the OF. He can also spell any OF that needs a day off.
Furthermore, he is passable (not great) as a left-handed PH, and the promotion of Belt will likely push Burrell to the bench for late inning PH opporunties, which would make Rowand (most likely) their second-to-last PH option (Whiteside bearing the dubious honor of being last). And as much as I love Travis…
One way or another, Rowand and Ishikawa have to go. Traded if possible, but if the market’s not there just let them go.
The Phillies game when he threw out Howard and Utley was hillarious.
Captain Nadz ship has sunk. get him outta here
Is there anyone LESS interesting for the Royals to try in right field than Jeff Francoeur?
Melky Cabrera? Mitch Maier?
As much as I would love for Rowand to just disappear, he will at least start the year on the team.
I think Ishikawa is already gone. He doesn’t haven’t a future with the Giants with Belt coming up, and although he’s probably more valuable then Rowand, the Giants have plenty of options at first base.
it is so easy for fans who do have the money invested into Rowand like the gaints. try this go up to your boss and say listen we owe this 24 million but there someone who is a better but marginally. what do you want me to do. mind you the gaints dont have the big market resources to just eat 24 million. you have to wait another year to only have to 12 million or whatever he is owed over the following two years.
The Giants are a pretty big market team. Just because they get minimal media love doesn’t mean the bay area is not a lucrative area. Not Red Sox, Yankee lucrative, but top 10 in baseball for sure. The stadium is being used for football games, concerts, etc. constantly and they just won the World Series. They have the money to do what they want with Rowand, it’s just a matter of what they want to do
you might want to look up the phrase ‘sunk cost’.
why not package rowand up with holtzy, ishi, burriss, voglesong, woakim and (suppan?) for a player to be named later.
Teams like the nats, royals, pirates, astros, marlins, indians might benifit from the talent. he’s only on the books till the end of 2012, and will be a big commodity next year
How are those teams possably going to have room for all those players on their roster?