The Giants are looking to add an outfielder, especially in the wake of Hunter Pence’s oblique injury, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. But San Francisco is only interested in an acquisition that would provide an offensive boost to the lineup.
While the Giants have been open about their interest in second baseman Chase Utley, meanwhile, the club reportedly does not expect to land the veteran. San Francisco believes he prefers to head to a Southern California club, and also expects to bring back starter Joe Panik for all of September.
As San Francisco’s attention turns to the outfield market, the club will obviously have limited options in the revocable waivers period. Among the players who have reportedly cleared waivers, only Dexter Fowler — who seems something of an unlikely trade candidate — plays in the outfield grass.
Schulman writes that Will Venable had been a possibility, albeit one that the team was not terribly excited about, but he was dealt to the Rangers yesterday. The Giants are not only dealing with the absence of Pence, but have yet to welcome starting center fielder Angel Pagan back from the DL.
Giants fans, how is Brandon Belt in the OF? I know he was bad early on in his career, but has he improved at all? Seems like if they had the option to move him to OF, they could acquire an IF bat instead, which might be easier.
He’s fine to give OFs a rest or to keep in the lineup when Posey moves to 1B, but definitely not a long-term option. He’s much, much more valuable at 1B than he is anywhere else.
Serviceable, but still below avg D as compared to his far better D at 1b. However with Susac back now you can expect to see him out there a lot more.
He is good enough to play short spurts. Right now, the team is best with him in the outfield, posey at first, and Susac catching. The outfield is so incredibly thin that they just need the best bats in the line up no matter the defensive alignment. He’s a stop gap. He most likely won’t be out there tomorrow when Aoki comes back.
Ah but Gregor Blanco–in Pagan’s absentia–is THE CFer for the SFGiants. Pagan’s WAR was almost to -1 by the time the crazy horse finally stopped getting beaten up out there. Meanwhile Blanco’s WAR is +2.1. Most likely they’re not going to find anyone out there more serviceable than the guys they’ve got in the minors, whether Lollis or Parker or Williamson, they at least have some guys who can get a cup of coffee.
You don’t think a guy like Cody Ross (not necessarily him, per se, but someone like him) couldn’t fill a spot temporarily?
When Aoki returns, they’ll have him, Blanco, & Maxwell, and Belt from time to time… Pagan can be activated Tuesday, that’s definitely serviceable until Pence gets healthy, again.
But as the article says Fowler’s about the best guy out there, it’s just a dearth. Pagan won’t be ready when he’s eligible likely, and we have to hope the failed experiment with him in CF is over. If he goes right back in ahead of Blanco and keeps plummeting on both sides of the ball there will be a backlash like Dusty Baker, Marvin Bernard, days.
Angel Pagan needs to be DFA’d, not brought back from the DL.
Just eat the ~12 mil left? We are not the team down South wasting $ to the hilt. All Pagan needs is a demotion out of CF which–for the fragility of his ego–Bochy just can’t bring himself to do.
You have to value productivity over money that is being spent regardless. It’s better to pay him to sit on the couch than to pay him to cost the team wins. The Giants aren’t broke. Pagan’s little cry baby act about only playing center and only hitting lead off has run its course. Only starter with a negative WAR. Clearly the weakest link.
Precisely – it’s dead money, whether or not they play him everyday or even close to it, won’t change the dollars. They owe it regardless, it’s up to them if they keep playing a below-replacement level guy.
And yes, the Giants spend too.
Look it’s clear Pagan’s knees are an issue, that said, he gets no sympathy from me. He doesn’t have good instincts as an OFer, always chasing the ball instead of having the instinct to know where the ball is likely to come down, get to that spot and adjust. Now, can he play the corners better than say Belt, of course. But it’s going to come to a head when they try to put him back in CF, the fans, and every exec in the building cannot let Bochy do that again. And as we all know Boch will beat the dead crazy horse until someone tells him to stop. It’s not really Bochy’s call, Sabean signed Pagan to play CF and until the move comes from higher up Boch won’t make it.
Being overly loyal is the only issue I have with Bochy’s management style.
Forget the defense, I can live with his miscues in the field if he can do ANYTHING at the plate. Whether its his knees or back or whatever, he’s been floundering at th plate for the better part of three months. Sorry, dead weight right now.
“Yeah, the Giants would never do something like that.” – Tim Lincecum
Alejandro De Aza has been solid since joining the Red Sox. Hitting about .300, with good speed and solid defense. He’s totally expendable, since the Sox are going nowhere and have 4.5 other OFs they need to find playing time for.
But has he cleared waivers? Hard to believe another lesser team wouldn’t deal for him?
What about Ichiro? or Marcel Ozuna?
Definitely wouldn’t want him. He’s not good offensively anymore. He’s like having another Joaquin Arias.
Either one however is doing better offensively than Maxwell right now.
I would take Ozuna in a second. The problem is that he would never make it through waivers. This time of year is incredibly difficult to complete trades. I doubt the Cubs will make a deal with a team that is going to give them competition for the WC. I think De Anza must have cleared waivers. There were rumors the other day that the Dodgers and red sox were in conversations about De Anza. I think he is a legit/realistic target. Even IF Pagan, Aoki, and Pence come back (big IF) then they still need another outfielder and bat on the bench. Tonight was an embarrassment…Bumgarner was the best hitter to pinch hit with 2 out in the 9th and we had 2 position players still on the bench.
frenchy?
Been there, done that. He flopped pretty hard in his time with the Giants a couple of years ago.
Braves could take Andrew Susac or Aramis Garcia and Mac Williamson for Nick Markakis. Or Aramis Garcia alone for Nick Swisher.
They wouldn’t give up either or you posted for both. Rather have Susac as backup catcher to Posey
The Orange should’ve picked up Travis Snider when they had a chance! And with Grichuck, Heyward, & Holliday out for the Cardinals, they should’ve taken a harder look!