July 29th, 2009
Despite Eugenio Velez’s breakthrough performance last night, we all know the Giants could still use a second baseman. (Of course, if it were up to me, Kevin Frandsen would have had around 250 at bats by now, so we would know for sure about his potential one way or the other… but I digress.) I’ve cooled on Freddy Sanchez because I’m not particularly enthused about his $8 million salary for next year, plus the fact that he’s currently banged up. (As noted at Inside Baggs, the Giants may be better served avoiding Sanchez.) The Giants, in a sense, have already locked themselves into first base for 2010, with Ryan Garko and Travis Ishikawa likely manning the position. A Sanchez trade would not only entail dealing a good prospect or two, but also locking up another position for 2010. With Edgar Renteria signed for next year, plus the Panda surely handling third base, a Sanchez trade would mean the Giants will have zero free-agent infield options this offseason. That’s why I suggest these two alternatives:
1. Marco Scutaro – Scutaro has been a shortstop this entire season, but has played multiple positions in his career, including 306 games at second base. He’s a slightly above-average defender at second (+0.1 UZR/150), and has been an excellent defender at shortstop this year. In fact, if you factor in his defense, along with his excellent batting eye, he has been the tenth most valuable position-player in baseball this year (4.1 WAR). Of course, a lot of this has to do with Scutaro having a career year at age 33. Still, people have expected his numbers to drop off all season, yet he is hitting .349 with a .936 OPS in July. One of the most frustrating aspects of being a Giants fan is not only watching the team struggle at the plate, but the refusal to draw a walk. Scutaro works the count beautifully and has 62 walks this year, compared to 48 strikeouts.
I have no idea what the asking price is, but I’d rather have Scutaro than Sanchez. Scutaro’s .294 AVG/.388 OBA/.469 SLG is something that could be very valuable atop the Giants lineup. (Oh yeah, did I mention he could lead off?) Plus, he’s put up these numbers in a superior league, and only makes $1.1 million this year. If the Giants don’t re-sign him, they also would be looking at receiving solid competition (likely a first-round pick) in the offseason. Giving up a solid prospect is easier to do if the team knows they’ll be receiving one in return after a two-month rental.
And, considering, Renteria is banged up and needing offseason surgery, Scutaro gives the Giants a very reliable shortstop option as well.
2. Adam Kennedy – I’m not nearly as high on Kennedy, but think he should be had at a cheap price (of course, I’d also like to see the Giants inquire about Justin Duchscherer in a similar deal). At a 1.5 WAR, Kennedy has been more valuable than Dan Uggla this year, mostly because he’s not an abortion defensively like Uggla. His .295/.349/.425 (and .341 wOBA) numbers are clearly above average for a second baseman. Despite missing three weeks this year, his 7 HR’s and 37 RBI’s are also very solid.
Defensively, he’s been very up and down the last couple of years, including a worrisome (-10.2/UZR 150) this season. Still, he was a +21.8 at second base last year, and is a career +8.4 UZR/150 at second. I trust those numbers more than his smaller sample size for this year.
Kennedy is on a $4 million salary for this year and, like Scutaro, ticketed for free agency after the season. The A’s shouldn’t be asking for much, considering they would be happy to move his salary. I’d rather give up less in prospects for two months of Kennedy at a pro-rated $1.4 million, than deal more prospects for 8 months of Freddy Sanchez at a combined $10+ million for 2009 and 2010.
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Adam Kennedy, Brett Favre, Cal, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Edgar Renteria, Eugenio Velez, Freddy Sanchez, Giants, Jeff Garcia, Jeff Tedford, Marco Scutaro, Michael Crabtree, Michael Vick, Mike Singletary, Rajai Davis, Randy Johnson, Ryan Garko, Scott Hairston, Sean Gallagher, Serena Williams, Tommy Everidge, Venus Williams | No Comments
July 10th, 2009
I haven’t said much about Pablo Sandoval not be selected for the All-Star game because this “last man vote” was great publicity for him (not that he wants it). Most of the baseball world was finally taking notice of what Giants fans have been watching all season: A portly but athletic, versatile, fun-loving, smart, high-effort guy who is a breath of fresh air because he plays the game the right way.
Despite the newfound publicity, it won’t be a big deal nationally if Sandoval doesn’t make the All-Star game as an injury replacement. While his numbers dwarf many other players on the team, it’s an East Coast media-driven country. Down the road, however, when Sandoval is getting the same type of respect as Albert Pujols (and he will, as we’ve made clear before), this slight will look moronic. Sandoval is going to consistently be one of the top five players in baseball in the next five years, while playing in a pitcher’s park. Historians will look back at his first full season and wonder why he wasn’t playing with baseball’s best in mid-July.
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Bill Neukom, Buster Posey, Charlie Manuel, Freddy Sanchez, Giants, Ian Kinsler, JaMarcus Russell, Jason Giambi, Jesse English, John Bowker, Kent Huskins, Madison Bumgarner, Pablo Sandoval, Raiders, Rickey Henderson, Rob Blake, Scott Hairston, Sharks, Stephen Curry, Steve McNair, Tim Alderson, Tim Lincecum, Warren Sapp | No Comments
July 8th, 2009
Maybe I’m not your typical spectator. When I go to games, I want to do everything I can, short of running on the field and stabbing Matt Kemp, to help my team win the game. I like starting or getting involved in the “Let’s Go Giants!” chants, and heckling opposing players… and playfully giving opposing fans a hard time as well. (It’s all fair game as long as your not using foul language.) Anyway, true fans like myself can’t fathom these other “fans” (there’s a reason I use the quotations) who go to games and think it’s a good idea to interfere with Randy Winn or balls in play that may cost the Giants run(s).\
In each of the last two Giants games, a stupid fan has interfered with a ball in play. Fortunately, for the Giants, the umpires intervened and made the right call in each instance, in the Giants favor. Still, what’s to stop these idiots, or idiots like them, to interfere with a ball in play that may cost the Giants in a future game this season. The umpires aren’t always going to make the right judgment call, as they have the last two nights.
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Amare Stoudemire, Barry Zito, Bengie Molina, Brian Wilson, Buster Posey, Cal, Chris Cohan, Dana Eveland, Fred Biletnikoff, Giants, JaMarcus Russell, Jeremy Affeldt, Matt Holliday, Nate Schierholtz, Pablo Sandoval, Raiders, Randy Johnson, Randy Winn, Ryan Sadowski, Scott Hairston, Sharks, Stanford, Steve McNair, Tom Cable, Venus Williams, Warriors, Willie McCovey | No Comments
July 7th, 2009
I’m not mad at Bruce Bochy and I don’t blame him solely for Randy Johnson’s shoulder strain, but I can’t figure out why he sent the Big Unit out for the fourth inning on Sunday. It was obvious to everyone in the ballpark, and particularly the Giants dugout, that Johnson hurt himself swinging the bat in the bottom of the third inning. A number of us watching the game on television were thinking that he wouldn’t pitch the rest of the game
There are a number of reasons he shouldn’t have been out there for the fourth inning. First of all, he’s 45! Why take any chances with a guy who’s obviously pitching on his last legs? Second, the bullpen was well rested considering Ryan Sadowski and Tim Lincecum were coming off consecutive seven-inning outings. If you factor in the long man, Jonathan Sanchez, had a day off Saturday and could have pitched 2-3 innings on Sunday, Bochy had more reasons to go to somebody other than Johnson. Finally, not only is the bullpen well-rested, but it’s an eight person bullpen. If you’re going to carry 13 pitchers (which you usually shouldn’t), than you have more reasons to go to the pen earlier than you would normally want to. Bochy clearly made a mistake considering Johnson’s velocity and command were way off in that fourth inning. (Not to mention the throwing error that ultimately sealed his fate.)
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Alex Rios, Armando Benitez, Bengie Molina, Bob Titchenal, Brett Anderson, Brian Sabean, Brian Wilson, Buster Posey, Emmanuel Burriss, Giants, Jed York, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, Max Zhang, Nomar Garciaparra, Pablo Sandoval, Randy Johnson, Ryan Sadowski, Ryane Clowe, Scott Hairston, Sharks, Steve McNair, Tim Lincecum, Warriors | 1 Comment
May 21st, 2009
If the Niners sign Dre Bly and actually give him a significant role, they might as well give up on the season. He sucks that bad. For a team that is hoping for a postseason berth, where one win or loss could make a difference between making the playoffs or missing it, Bly honestly could be that difference.
I have quite a few friends who are Bronco fans, and they all told me about how great the Broncos cornerbacks were after they acquired Bly from Detroit, and I was quick to point out that he was completely overrated and gives up a lot of big plays. A few years later, and after countless huge passing plays by the opposition, they couldn’t wait to run him out of town. He’s a risk-taker who, more often than not, winds up on the wrong side of those risks. While the Niners have a better defense than Denver, they do have one of the same problems when it comes to a lack of a consistent pass rush. Bly was burned repeatedly last year, and I don’t think that would change with a Niners team that has trouble getting to the quarterback.
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Categories: San Francisco 49ers |
Tags: 49ers, Aaron Rowand, Barry Zito, Brandon Crawford, Brett Anderson, Chris McAllister, Derrick Burgess, Dre Bly, JaMarcus Russell, Jerry Rice, Josh Morgan, Kevin Correia, Matt Cain, Michael Vick, Mike McKenzie, Mike Singletary, Nick Montana, Pacman Jones, Pat Misch, Patrick Surtain, Raiders, Randy Winn, Ryan Sweeney, Scot McCloughan, Scott Hairston, Sergio Romo, Tarell Brown, Tim Alderson, Tim Lincecum, Tom Cable, Vernon Davis, Vince McMahon | No Comments
May 20th, 2009
Now we know that the Warriors are picking seventh, and aren’t getting the prizes of the draft such as Blake Griffin (BTW, expect a revitalized Baron Davis and a solid Clippers team next year with Griffin) or Ricky Rubio, what are Warrior fans supposed to hope for in 2009-2010?
As I’ve mentioned before, the greatest fear is that the team is just trying to build a playoff team or one that can simply make a run to the playoffs, when we all know teams should be attempting to build championship caliber squads. While I hope ticket sales drastically decline, Chris Cohan loses a ton of money, and heads roll in the front office, that’s still something that appears to be a longshot given Cohan’s stupidity and unwillingness to right the ship.
Warrior fans should simply hope that the team doesn’t deal away pieces that could be long-term pieces to a championship (which I understand is years away). Usually, those types of players are guys that can play defense. All you have to do is look at the Nuggets and Cavaliers success to understand the importance of defense. The notable players on the roster and where they stand in regards to a championship rotation:
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Categories: Golden State Warriors |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Andris Biedrins, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Barry Zito, Billy Beane, Blake Griffin, Brandan Wright, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Jennings, Corey Maggette, David Stern, Derrick Burgess, Eric Chavez, Frank Gore, Fred Lewis, Giants, Glen Coffee, Jamal Crawford, Kelanna Azubuike, Landon Powell, LeBron James, Marco Belinelli, Matt Holliday, Michael Robinson, Monta Ellis, Noah Lowry, Raiders, Ronny Turiaf, Scott Hairston, Shawn Hill, Stephen Jackson, Trevor Scott, Vince McMahon, Walt Harris, Warriors | No Comments
