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Two Ways Of Building An Elite Rotation

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 8, 2011 at 9:11pm CDT

The Giants wouldn't have won last year's World Series without their formidable rotation, but manager Bruce Bochy said last month that Philadelphia – the team San Francisco defeated in the 2010 NLCS – has "the best staff in baseball." Whether you believe the best starting staff in the game belongs to the Phillies, the Giants or someone else, this much is certain: the last two NL Championship teams have built their rotations in noticeably different ways.

Giants GM Brian Sabean has relied primarily on the draft to build his rotation. He spent big ($126MM over seven years) on Barry Zito, but the rest of the team’s rotation is homegrown. About six months before Sabean signed Zito, he drafted Tim Lincecum tenth overall in the 2006 draft. The next year, the Giants made Madison Bumgarner their first round selection (tenth overall). Lincecum, Bumgarner and Zito join two other Giants draftees, Matt Cain (first round, 2002) and Jonathan Sanchez (27th round, 2004) in Bochy's rotation.

Bochy's counterpart, Charlie Manuel, will trot out an equally impressive rotation in 2011, but his starters arrived in Philadelphia because of GM Ruben Amaro Jr.'s knack for acquiring big-name starters in trades. Pat Gillick traded for Joe Blanton in 2008, before Amaro took over the Phillies and the new GM has picked up where his predecessor left off, acquiring Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt in a series of blockbusters.

The Phillies had to bid for Lee on the open market to lure him back to Philadelphia, but the initial swap was crucial for the Phillies, who signed Lee for less than the Yankees or Rangers were offering. Amaro isn't all about trades, though – Cole Hamels fills out the team's rotation and Kyle Kendrick, another Philadelphia draft pick, provides the club with depth. 

I am not suggesting that the Phillies are all about trading or that the Giants are all about drafting. The Phillies used nine of their first 12 draft picks on pitchers last year, so they clearly see the value in drafting arms, even if they often seem to trade them away before long (they have dealt J.A. Happ, Gavin Floyd, Kyle Drabek and others for more established pitchers in recent years). Similarly, the Giants would no doubt consider acquiring starting pitching through trades or free agency. But for one year at least, baseball's two most impressive rotations have wildly different origins.

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49 Comments

  1. Wilsonl

    14 years ago

    Giants pitchers are natural grown!

    Reply
    • Jslonim2

      14 years ago

      Except zito

      Reply
      • Wilsonl

        14 years ago

        Ewwwww..

        Reply
    • YanksFanSince78

      14 years ago

      “So is weed”

      -Timmy

      Reply
  2. comegys

    14 years ago

    Bumgarner was the 10th pick of the 2007 draft

    Reply
    • Jslonim2

      14 years ago

      Way was Cain?????????

      Reply
      • Jslonim2

        14 years ago

        What was coin

        Reply
        • Dufresne Carter

          14 years ago

          25th pick of 2002 draft

          Reply
          • Jay Patel

            14 years ago

            He was a High School Product made his debut at the age of 20

            Reply
        • sports33

          14 years ago

          double fail

          Reply
  3. KD4315

    14 years ago

    Brian Sabean didn’t sign Zito. He didn’t want him. The owner at the time made that move.

    Reply
    • Jay Patel

      14 years ago

      With Jason Schmidt leaving us for the rival Dodgers we were more desperate in obtaining an “ACE” like starter

      Reply
  4. John Anthony

    14 years ago

    I think most teams are going to take the Giant’s approach… look at the Yankees: The Killer B’s, Phillies: Colvin, Cosart, May, Biddle, Braves: Teheran, Delgado, Minor, Hanson as just a few examples. Also, I think in the next 3 years it’s going to become a pitching/defense/speed kind of game vs. sheer power… if it hasn’t already.

    Reply
    • The_Silver_Stacker

      14 years ago

      Not to discount your post which you made a very good point, but I think you have to credit the Rays instead of the Giants approach to developing prospects in general, they set an example back in 08 and obviously this past season the Giants further cemented that is the way to go.

      Reply
  5. Zach Young

    14 years ago

    Also known as.. Don’t Become a Pirate

    Reply
    • Jay Patel

      14 years ago

      Pirates are just unlucky. Look at the draftees they missed out on

      Reply
      • The_Silver_Stacker

        14 years ago

        That is true, but at the same time for YEARS they were being cheap and passed on some really fine players.

        Reply
      • YanksFanSince78

        14 years ago

        Unlucky or really bad talent evaluators (up untilmaybe the last 3 or 4 drafts or so)

        Reply
      • Zach Young

        14 years ago

        i wouldnt call pirates drafts unlucky.. being inept is not a sign of unluckiness

        Reply
  6. dgrfns

    14 years ago

    Blanton may be a BIG pitcher but he is hardly a big-name pitcher.

    Reply
    • The_Silver_Stacker

      14 years ago

      or a big-game pitcher

      Reply
  7. East Coast Bias

    14 years ago

    Anyone take a look at the starting pitching free agents for 2012? That group is bleak! The only name worth mentioning is CC, and he may not even be a free agent. I honestly think Edwin Jackson is the best from that group, based primarily on his age (28).

    I think teams may want to look for starters through trade, or preferably honing their own arms in the farm. Free agency does not look good next year.

    Reply
    • Lunchbox45

      14 years ago

      Free Agency is brutal

      Almost every player who makes it to free agency gets over paid in $ and years. The new trend is to draft well, stock up and when a pitcher shows potential in its first few years to sign them to decent contract.. Jon Lester is a prime example, Ricky Romero could be one too.

      Point being, the emphasis has been put back on scouting, drafting and player development. .. and I like it

      Reply
      • The_Silver_Stacker

        14 years ago

        It’s such a simple idea even the Yankees can do it

        Reply
      • East Coast Bias

        14 years ago

        I’m not gonna sit here and say that I don’t like free agency, but the small market approach of building your own guys through the farm does have an added bonus when they succeed. There’s more of an attachment from a fan’s perspective.

        Reply
    • Commander_Nate

      14 years ago

      Mark Buerhle and Joel Pineiro will both be FAs next winter. Scott Kazmir and Yu Darvish might be as well. Still, you’re right – Jackson is probably the best of that group unless Darvish is as awesome as advertised, which he just might be.

      Reply
      • East Coast Bias

        14 years ago

        Oh snap, I forgot about Darvish! He will totally be the prize of next year if he comes over. I need to make some Japanese friends. I’m trying to buy a Darvish jersey but can’t understand the language on websites. The furthest I got was putting into the shopping cart, after that, no idea how to pay and input address.

        Reply
        • YanksFanSince78

          14 years ago

          Go lo a language translation site. Can’ thelp you with the address input thing though.

          Reply
  8. The_Silver_Stacker

    14 years ago

    Bumgarner is going to have a breakout year and think the Giants will have a fine season. Curious to see how the pitching staff reacts from the additional innings brought on from last postseason.

    Reply
  9. Bye Bye Baby Bonanza

    14 years ago

    Go Giants!!!

    Reply
  10. Guest 7089

    14 years ago

    Step 1. Produce a terrible baseball team. Example 2005 Dodgers and Giants
    Step 2. Have stupid teams not draft the guy you want. Example – The Giants and Dodgers both got the best pitchers after 5-6 pitchers already came off the board.. Uhh whoops?
    Step 3. well I haven’t gotten there yet.

    Reply

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