Could Giants Hold Fire Sale?
Dave Del Grande of the Oakland Tribune hopes the Giants are out of the playoff chase by July. His plan: fire Brian Sabean, then trade Barry Bonds, Ray Durham, and Matt Morris. He’d like to hold the Bonds auction post-record – the best of both worlds for the Giants.
Here’s the thing about the Giants playing for 2010 – they’re stuck with a massive Barry Zito contract, and he’ll be earning $18-20MM a season for mediocre pitching at that point. Despite being a seven-year deal, it’s backloaded so the team can make one last run. Zito earns just $10MM this year, and the Giants have to take advantage.
They’re also tied down to Dave Roberts, Bengie Molina, and Randy Winn through 2009. Rich Aurilia is theirs through 2008. Could a new GM really unload every single contract? There are some really bad ones in here.
It might make more sense for the Giants to go all-out and make one last push this summer if they’re anywhere close. This has definitely been Sabean’s m.o. – his July acquisitions have included Jason Schmidt, Kenny Lofton, Sidney Ponson (he was good once, kids), and Randy Winn. All of those moves were designed to provide short-term boosts. Tim Lincecum will be a shot in the arm as well.
Mariners Acquire Jason Ellison
The Mariners and Giants made a small swap today. The Giants sent 29 year-old outfielder Jason Ellison to Seattle for 24 year-old southpaw starter Travis Blackley.
Ellison has been a Giants lifer, playing all three outfield spots. He’s been a starter, platoon-mate, fourth outfielder, fifth outfielder…you name it. He’s seen a lot of Triple A pitching, and was able to rock it to a .406/.452/.536 tune in 192 ABs last year. He may be able to earn himself a starting job for 2008.
Blackley is a soft-tossing lefty who relies on his changeup. He missed all of ’05 after labrum surgery. He could be a fifth starter option in San Francisco this summer.
A-Rod And The Giants
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News combines some inside information with informed speculation to conclude that the Giants will be major players for Alex Rodriguez should he opt out of his contract following this season.
The reasoning, summed up:
- With Bonds, Feliz, and Benitez off the books, the Giants will have money to burn.
- A-Rod would be every bit as big of a draw as Bonds, without the negative connotations. And the next two career home run kings could both be Giants.
- The Giants don’t have a problem dealing with Scott Boras; in fact, they just dealt with him for Barry Zito. And that Zito contract was nearly as crazy as Rodriguez’s will be.
- The Giants inquired as to A-Rod’s availability last winter.
That would be a ton of money tied up with two players, but it would help change the face of San Francisco baseball. I think the Angels will make a huge offer to A-Rod as well.
Marlins Lean Toward Benitez Over Julio
The Marlins are still very much interested in acquiring Armando Benitez or Jorge Julio to front their bullpen, according to MLB.com.
A Benitez deal is more likely because apparently the Giants will pick up most of Benitez’s contract. Julio makes $3.6MM to Benitez’s $7.6MM, but the D’Backs may not want to chip in at all.
Can the Marlins continue their string of resurrected closers? The parade includes Joe Borowski, Todd Jones, and Benitez. They’ve also had twenty save seasons this decade from Braden Looper, Vladimir Nunez, and Antonio Alfonseca.
The Marlins are still very
The Marlins are still very much interested in acquiring Armando Benitez or Jorge Julio to front their bullpen, according to MLB.com.
A Benitez deal is more likely because apparently the Giants will pick up most of Benitez’s contract. Julio makes $3.6MM to Benitez’s $7.6MM, but the D’Backs may not want to chip in at all.
Can the Marlins continue their string of resurrected closers? The parade includes Joe Borowski, Todd Jones, and Benitez. They’ve also had twenty save seasons this decade from Braden Looper, Vladimir Nunez, and Antonio Alfonseca.
Latest On Armando Benitez
Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has a good article up discussing the Giants’ quandary with reliever Armando Benitez.
On one hand, Benitez’s value may never be higher now that he’s healthy and throwing well in spring. Giants fans dislike Benitez, and ownership will take a ton of flak if he blows several saves.
On the other hand, his salary is not a big issue for the Giants, their bullpen is a huge question mark, he seems healthy, and Benitez has his teammates’ respect in the clubhouse. The article mentions a story where Benitez took all the September call-ups out to lunch and bought them two suits apiece, spending maybe $20,000 on the rookies.
I say the Giants should keep him. He’s not a great closer, but this team can’t spare relievers. Brian Wilson closing would be a mess and would anger the fans just as much as Benitez. Speaking of which, unless it’s going to hurt attendance somehow, the fans really shouldn’t be a factor in a player personnel decision.
And what is the return going to be? Maybe a very un-needed Ben Broussard, or perhaps a questionable minor leaguer? Larry LaRue reports that the Mariners are following Benitez closely and would like him back. Reports on J.J. Putz have been positive but they could use some insurance.
Reds, Marlins Interested In Benitez
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Marlins and Reds are the two clubs currently interested in Giants reliever Armando Benitez. This is the first word of Cincinnati’s interest.
Benitez has been looking good this spring and is pitching with confidence. One report last week said the Giants would eat all but a million bucks of his salary, but another said the Giants would eat less than half. If the latter is accurate then the Marlins may not want to be involved. I really think their internal options are just as good as Benitez.
Benitez Interest Limited?
Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal has a Giants source who indicated that the Marlins are the only team so far to show interest in Armando Benitez. With another dire report on J.J. Putz‘s elbow, perhaps the Mariners will reconsider. If they think he could handle the pressure, perhaps the Phillies would get involved.
The Benitez discussion seems to have grown old for some Giants fans.
Aside from Benitez and Jorge Julio, possibly available relievers include Byung-Hyun Kim, Scott Linebrink, Chad Cordero, Akinori Otsuka, Rheal Cormier, Rudy Seanez, Rick Bauer, and Scott Feldman.
Latest On Jorge Julio
The latest word on $3.6MM reliever Jorge Julio is that the Diamondbacks don’t intend to pick up any of his salary. Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel speculates that the Marlins are showing public interest in Julio "as a way of forcing the Giants’ hand in an Armando Benitez deal." The Giants countered by inquiring on Julio as well.
Rodriguez also mentions that the Marlins and Larry Beinfest have some past history of trading or attempting to trade for Julio.
Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says the Giants would pay more of the $3.6MM than the Marlins, but the D’Backs covet Florida’s Yusmeiro Petit.
From the Arizona side, Nick Piecoro writes that more teams than just the Giants and Marlins are interested. He believes Julio will start the season with Arizona, though.
That there is this much action on a guy who hasn’t had an impressive season since 2002 just shows how desperate teams are for relief help.
Marlins, Mariners Interested In Benitez
This morning, Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel mentioned that the Marlins had two scouts on hand for Armando Benitez‘s Tuesday night appearance. The Fish would’ve sent scouts to his first appearance but the Giants didn’t give them a heads up.
Berardino talked to a scout who had Benitez at 92-94 mph and looking loose. Berardino speculates that the Marlins would only need to pay about a million of Benitez’s $7.6MM salary. Are the Giants that desperate to get rid of him despite their questionable bullpen?
Then John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer mentioned today that the Mariners also had two scouts at the game. Benitez would be used to set up J.J. Putz. The Mariners are said to find Jeremy Reed and Ben Broussard expendable. For Reed, I think the Giants should make the deal. Hickey mentioned that 40 scouts were at the game because it was the only one in town. So we could probably connect Benitez to most clubs at this point.
Maybe the three clubs can work something out where Reed ends up a Marlin?
UPDATE: According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox have never talked to the Giants about Benitez.
UPDATE 2: The Mariners are out on Benitez. This is like the Juan Gonzalez denials or something. John Hickey says the Giants won’t even swallow half of Benitez’s salary, which contradicts other reports that suggested they’d eat over 85% of it.