It looked like a great opportunity to go back and defend the title, until..
One injury after the other and dead bats from those playing. Several of the guys playing are or have been playing hurt while the 20th player (not all of them unique) just went on the DL. The D-Backs have been so-so, such that the Giants are only a couple of games back. However, if they can't beat the Astro's how can the Giants beat anyone?
We know they can compete and win, with this team. The first half showed just how grim things could get (players on and off of the DL then goes Buster Posey and Freddie Sanchez) and that thought it all, the Giants kept winning. With the acquisition of Keppenger and Beltran, I think that the Giants could go on a tear if only Huff and Ross would heat up. We miss Torres speed and bat and the bullpen has looked tattered over the last two weeks (after being so brilliant for so long), but can they over come?
Can we pull out a playoff spot? If so, can the G-men compete?
I think they can, but will they?
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Sabean has a habit of "rewarding" veterans by over paying, it continues to bit hard.
Let me start by saying that I am going to pick on Brian Sabean about this one issue. In general, I really like what he has managed to do with the team since becoming GM and hope he stays for a long while. He has built out the Giants minor league system into one of the four best producers of MLB talent in the game (especially Pitchers). He has also made trades that have surprisingly, strengthened the team each year. Of course there are those trades that have been duds, like the Sidney Ponson, Shea Hilenbrand and the king of the duds, the A. J. Pierzynski trade that sent Nathan, Liriano and Bonser to the Twins. In contrast, he make stellar trades for Jeff Kent, Kirk Rueter, Jason Schmidt, Robb Nen and Cody Ross; while recently grabbing cast offs Huff and Burrell.
Trades aside, the deals that brought several to the team in recent years, just do not make any sense. Randy Winn and Dave Roberts were great Giants and are reportedly good guys, but hardly worth $9 and $7 mil per season. The same can be said for Aaron Roward ($9.5 mil per season where he has never earned more than $4.5 in his prime) and averaged $3.5 mil, Aubry Huff's new contract if for $22 mil over two seasons or $30 mil over 3 years (Two years @ $10 mil per and a club option for a third @ $10 mil or a $ 2mil buy out), where he has never earned more than $8 in his best years and $4.5 mil on average (There is a reason that he was only $3 mil in 2010). Edgar Renteria, who was a brilliant clutch hitter in the post season, has made us forget that he spent most of the season, as well as the 2009 season, on the DL for $9 mill per season (average $8 mil per plus a $2 mil buy out) and then there is Barry Zito who had never earned more than $8 mil and averaged $5 mil with Oakland, received a 7 year $126 mil deal with a option for $18 mil or a $7 mil buy out. That's right, it will cost the Giants $7,000,000 to send him packing in 2014 or $18,000,000 to keep him making the total deal worth $133 mil to get rid of him after 2013 or $144 mil to keep him through 2014. By the way, the option would become guaranteed if Zito pitches 200 innings in 2013, 400 combined innings over 2012 and 2013 or 600 innings from 2011-2013 and Zito has a full no-trade clause, we may have him in 2014, like it or not.
It may not be fair to put the Barry Zito deal squarely on Brian Sabean, as Peter McGowan has fallen on his sword over this one. However, knowing what we do about the Giants, it's Sabean who makes these things happen and works with a group inside of the Giants to sell it to the investors. I am certain that Sabean AND McGowan made the Zito deal happen and it is tragic. Not because of the failed promise, but that he was never going to live up to that deal. Trade Rumors and the Chronicle have both published that the largest offer for Zito was a 5 year deal for $75 mil from the Mets and a far less expensive 7 year deal from the Rangers. The Mets GM said after the Giants deal,
"We were not willing to go to the seven-year areas he said he had," said Minaya, who conducted studies on the performances of pitchers with lengthy deals. "This is one guy who has been healthy, and we all wish him well. At the end of the day, the history ... I could not recommend to my ownership to go to seven guaranteed years."
Minaya looks like a genius over this one.
ESPN reported that the deal was the highest for a pitcher in baseball history and "Only Alex Rodriguez ($252 million), Derek Jeter ($189 million), Manny Ramirez ($160 million),Todd Helton ($141.5 million) and Alfonso Soriano ($136 million) have contracts with more guaranteed money.
Huff probably could have been singed for $6 or $7 mil per season and with Belt crawling up the walls in the minors, why not sign him to a one or two year deal at $6, while Belt feels his way in. Did Sabean really think Belt would be another Ishikawa?
Renteria was told that the team would buy him out and offer him $1 mil, effectively giving him $3 mil for this season. He turned it down and went to the Reds for $2.01 mil. With the injuries (which you cannot for see) he would have filled in for Pablo at third and then short, effectively negating the Tejada and Cabrera deals (Unless Renteria got hurt); which cost the giants a prospect and Tejada's salary, which far exceed the extra $1mil. Unless Renteria was determined to go elsewhere after the Giants bought him out of the $10 mil due on the option for 2011.
I think Miguel Tejada would have taken less than $6.5 mil, but not much less. Like Zito, Aaron Rowand's deal was just too long. If it were a three year deal then we wouldn't be talking about this. He would have been gone after the 2010 season and that would be that, but they are both still here and its killing us to watch them struggle and sit on the bench. Last season the top paid guys were Zito, Rowand and Renteria.
The Beltran deal makes more sense now than it did when it was a rumor, but his trip to the DL hurts BAD. The revolving door at second base following F. Sanchez has hopefully stabilized with Keppinger (whom I really like the way he plays and he only costs the prospect who may or may not have made the Giants rotation). DeRosa's wrist has cost $6 mil per season.
With all of the unforeseen injuries and frantic signings to keep on track, which the Giants are not, the high cost of several over paid veterans seems like a foreseeable mistake that someone like Sabean should have been able to avoid. Or is it, when he screws up, he goes big or goes home?
All Salary Data comes courtesy of Doug Pappas, and the Society for American Baseball Research.
Trades aside, the deals that brought several to the team in recent years, just do not make any sense. Randy Winn and Dave Roberts were great Giants and are reportedly good guys, but hardly worth $9 and $7 mil per season. The same can be said for Aaron Roward ($9.5 mil per season where he has never earned more than $4.5 in his prime) and averaged $3.5 mil, Aubry Huff's new contract if for $22 mil over two seasons or $30 mil over 3 years (Two years @ $10 mil per and a club option for a third @ $10 mil or a $ 2mil buy out), where he has never earned more than $8 in his best years and $4.5 mil on average (There is a reason that he was only $3 mil in 2010). Edgar Renteria, who was a brilliant clutch hitter in the post season, has made us forget that he spent most of the season, as well as the 2009 season, on the DL for $9 mill per season (average $8 mil per plus a $2 mil buy out) and then there is Barry Zito who had never earned more than $8 mil and averaged $5 mil with Oakland, received a 7 year $126 mil deal with a option for $18 mil or a $7 mil buy out. That's right, it will cost the Giants $7,000,000 to send him packing in 2014 or $18,000,000 to keep him making the total deal worth $133 mil to get rid of him after 2013 or $144 mil to keep him through 2014. By the way, the option would become guaranteed if Zito pitches 200 innings in 2013, 400 combined innings over 2012 and 2013 or 600 innings from 2011-2013 and Zito has a full no-trade clause, we may have him in 2014, like it or not.
It may not be fair to put the Barry Zito deal squarely on Brian Sabean, as Peter McGowan has fallen on his sword over this one. However, knowing what we do about the Giants, it's Sabean who makes these things happen and works with a group inside of the Giants to sell it to the investors. I am certain that Sabean AND McGowan made the Zito deal happen and it is tragic. Not because of the failed promise, but that he was never going to live up to that deal. Trade Rumors and the Chronicle have both published that the largest offer for Zito was a 5 year deal for $75 mil from the Mets and a far less expensive 7 year deal from the Rangers. The Mets GM said after the Giants deal,
"We were not willing to go to the seven-year areas he said he had," said Minaya, who conducted studies on the performances of pitchers with lengthy deals. "This is one guy who has been healthy, and we all wish him well. At the end of the day, the history ... I could not recommend to my ownership to go to seven guaranteed years."
Minaya looks like a genius over this one.
ESPN reported that the deal was the highest for a pitcher in baseball history and "Only Alex Rodriguez ($252 million), Derek Jeter ($189 million), Manny Ramirez ($160 million),Todd Helton ($141.5 million) and Alfonso Soriano ($136 million) have contracts with more guaranteed money.
Huff probably could have been singed for $6 or $7 mil per season and with Belt crawling up the walls in the minors, why not sign him to a one or two year deal at $6, while Belt feels his way in. Did Sabean really think Belt would be another Ishikawa?
Renteria was told that the team would buy him out and offer him $1 mil, effectively giving him $3 mil for this season. He turned it down and went to the Reds for $2.01 mil. With the injuries (which you cannot for see) he would have filled in for Pablo at third and then short, effectively negating the Tejada and Cabrera deals (Unless Renteria got hurt); which cost the giants a prospect and Tejada's salary, which far exceed the extra $1mil. Unless Renteria was determined to go elsewhere after the Giants bought him out of the $10 mil due on the option for 2011.
I think Miguel Tejada would have taken less than $6.5 mil, but not much less. Like Zito, Aaron Rowand's deal was just too long. If it were a three year deal then we wouldn't be talking about this. He would have been gone after the 2010 season and that would be that, but they are both still here and its killing us to watch them struggle and sit on the bench. Last season the top paid guys were Zito, Rowand and Renteria.
The Beltran deal makes more sense now than it did when it was a rumor, but his trip to the DL hurts BAD. The revolving door at second base following F. Sanchez has hopefully stabilized with Keppinger (whom I really like the way he plays and he only costs the prospect who may or may not have made the Giants rotation). DeRosa's wrist has cost $6 mil per season.
With all of the unforeseen injuries and frantic signings to keep on track, which the Giants are not, the high cost of several over paid veterans seems like a foreseeable mistake that someone like Sabean should have been able to avoid. Or is it, when he screws up, he goes big or goes home?
All Salary Data comes courtesy of Doug Pappas, and the Society for American Baseball Research.
Manufactured Rowand controversy
I don't know about you, but I am sick of the bloggers and a few sports writers making a big deal out of the Rowand statement to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times.
The issue is an out of context excerpt from the article:
And this is how a blogger responds to the statement:
The story was about the Bears an his childhood affinity for them. The interviewer asked him about SF compared to Chicago on his jersey and, as he later clarified, instead of saying something that might be taken out of context and upsetting someone from SF or Chicago, he asked that the interview get back on track.
It is extremely annoying when people manufacture controversy just because they don't like him or the way he has been playing while in SF, especially when they take something out of context AND go the extra mile to "interpret" the comment for everyone without a basis in fact. Rowand has mentioned several times that his play has been disappointing and that he does not feel like he is living up to his contract. His professionalism, despite his, the teams and the fans frustration; has been exemplary and as a DH, he has been stellar (.325 Avg. per CSN Bay Area)
If I want to get frustrated about anything it's how Sabean can continue to "reward" veterans with asinine contracts that do not make sense. Rentaria, Huff, Rowand & Zito quickly come to mind. I'll pull some numbers and hit this again in another post. But, this Rowand controversy, just isn't worth the manufactured weight of the argument.
The issue is an out of context excerpt from the article:
JC: Thing you miss most about playing for Chicago?
Rowand: Wearing the road uniform. And you know why? Because it said ‘Chicago’ across the front. I got goose bumps every time I would put it on.
JC: Not so with San Francisco?
Rowand: [Pause] Let’s talk about the Bears again.
And this is how a blogger responds to the statement:
Now, my first initial thought? San Francisco is where he works. He doesn’t have to like the city or the fans, for that matter. I’ve never known any sane professional athlete outside of Lance Berkman who didn’t care for SF, but Aaron never struck me as the brightest crayon in the box so I’ll let that pass. Fine. He can prefer Chi-town to The City.
Second thought being Rowand was an intricate part of the White Sox World Series team, something he was far from last year during the Giants run. Okay, so the White Sox ring has more value and merit to him – understandable. Silly, but, I get it.
The story was about the Bears an his childhood affinity for them. The interviewer asked him about SF compared to Chicago on his jersey and, as he later clarified, instead of saying something that might be taken out of context and upsetting someone from SF or Chicago, he asked that the interview get back on track.
If these bloggers were to ACTUALLY pay attention to the comment IN CONTEXT, he would have read that Rowand was not bashing SF.
It is extremely annoying when people manufacture controversy just because they don't like him or the way he has been playing while in SF, especially when they take something out of context AND go the extra mile to "interpret" the comment for everyone without a basis in fact. Rowand has mentioned several times that his play has been disappointing and that he does not feel like he is living up to his contract. His professionalism, despite his, the teams and the fans frustration; has been exemplary and as a DH, he has been stellar (.325 Avg. per CSN Bay Area)
If I want to get frustrated about anything it's how Sabean can continue to "reward" veterans with asinine contracts that do not make sense. Rentaria, Huff, Rowand & Zito quickly come to mind. I'll pull some numbers and hit this again in another post. But, this Rowand controversy, just isn't worth the manufactured weight of the argument.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Following the Phillies visit, how worried should the Giants be?
That question really depends on your level of optimism or pessimism. If your a Glass is half empty person, then you should really be concerned that Carlos Beltran has not been hitting consistently or with power. You should be concerned that Ross, Torres, Schierholtz and especially Huff are still not hitting. You should be concerned that the offense is batting .225 and only .174 with RISP. The bullpen struggled a bit (by their standards) over the last 10 games. Lastly, you should be concerned that the team is 2 for their last 10 since leaving Philly and have hit 15 home runs in the last month and every single one was a solo, an almost improbable feat.
If your a Glass is half full type, then you should be happy that Cabrera and especially Keppinger have been fantastic, Pablo is tearing it up and the pitching staff has been solid. Additionally, the Phillies pitchers while good, looked hit-able, but the Giants poor plate appearances made them look better than they were. Only the 2-9 loss against the Phillies and possibly the 1-6 loss against the D-Backs were out of reach to a team that isn't slumping.
What I take from this is that the Giants have a lot of moving parts right now, with several of them not hitting. If Torres can improve is OBP and average and Huff can start hitting, then Beltran can start swinging with power as opposed to "just try and get on". It would be nice to see Schierholtz and Ross hitting again with power and frequency. With those minor offensive improvements the Giants can beat anyone, especially the Phillies. As long as we are in August and remain in or near 1st place, I am not concerned. However, September is fast approaching and anyone can get hot, lets hope its the Giants.
Side Note: MLB reviewed the bench clearing scrum between the Giants and the Phillies. The ruling was that Shane Victorino would get a 3 game suspension and a fine for charging the mound and shoving an umpire. Ramirez, Whiteside and the Phillies Polanco would get undisclosed fines for their parts. I think the Giants dodged a bullet, especially with Whiteside and possibly Pablo Sandovol, both getting off easy and all together, respectively.
If your a Glass is half full type, then you should be happy that Cabrera and especially Keppinger have been fantastic, Pablo is tearing it up and the pitching staff has been solid. Additionally, the Phillies pitchers while good, looked hit-able, but the Giants poor plate appearances made them look better than they were. Only the 2-9 loss against the Phillies and possibly the 1-6 loss against the D-Backs were out of reach to a team that isn't slumping.
What I take from this is that the Giants have a lot of moving parts right now, with several of them not hitting. If Torres can improve is OBP and average and Huff can start hitting, then Beltran can start swinging with power as opposed to "just try and get on". It would be nice to see Schierholtz and Ross hitting again with power and frequency. With those minor offensive improvements the Giants can beat anyone, especially the Phillies. As long as we are in August and remain in or near 1st place, I am not concerned. However, September is fast approaching and anyone can get hot, lets hope its the Giants.
Side Note: MLB reviewed the bench clearing scrum between the Giants and the Phillies. The ruling was that Shane Victorino would get a 3 game suspension and a fine for charging the mound and shoving an umpire. Ramirez, Whiteside and the Phillies Polanco would get undisclosed fines for their parts. I think the Giants dodged a bullet, especially with Whiteside and possibly Pablo Sandovol, both getting off easy and all together, respectively.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Trade Deadline is gone are the Giants a better team?
Brian Sabean worked some magic and gave up a top prospect to nab Carlos Beltran, which certainly makes the Giants a better team (thought 2 for 18 over the last 4 games isn't what we were hoping for). However, Orlando Cabrera is a more puzzling acquisition. Offensively his numbers are not any better than Tejada's and offensively he is a minor upgrade over Tejada and less so than Brendan Crawford (Crawford's .190 batting average is a clear indication that he just isn't adjusting to Major League pitching and may need more time in the minors). However, Fontenot has both the offensive numbers and defensive range. lastly, Tejada is due $6m and the Giants knew that Tejada has lost a bit of range, so if Sabean and Bochy were counting on more offence, then certainly Cabrera doesn't make much sense? Does it???
Crawford is headed down to the Minors to make room for Cabrera, Hall was designated for assignment and Burriss was sent down. Zito has another "injury", so there is now room for Sanchez to come off of the DL and Freddie Sanchez is now "officially" out for the rest of the season. Is the new policy to keep players on the DL when Bochy isn't sure what to do with them? Tejada is due back soon, as is Burrell, DeRosa and presumably Zito has to come off at some point. My bet is on a DL shuffle until September 1st when the roster expands to the full 40.
Anyone know what Sabean and Bochy are thinking? Or is this just a spend and patch until ... what? Guys can't get out of their funk if they don't play. A bunch of money isn't hitting, sitting on the bench or hanging on to the DL. Anyone???
I'm also ignoring the Cincinnati series for a few reasons 1) it gave the Reds some hope, 2) it was a worse than normal pitching performance, 3) the series was a worse than average bullpen performance and 4) no bats, even from our new right fielder. The trade deadline is always a weird time for a team and after the Phillies series it clearly impacted the Giants (that's my explanation and I'm sticking to it).
Update: Initially Mark DeRosa's return date was "August", however, as of this afternoon it was changed to TDB, and he was moved to the 60-day DL.
Crawford is headed down to the Minors to make room for Cabrera, Hall was designated for assignment and Burriss was sent down. Zito has another "injury", so there is now room for Sanchez to come off of the DL and Freddie Sanchez is now "officially" out for the rest of the season. Is the new policy to keep players on the DL when Bochy isn't sure what to do with them? Tejada is due back soon, as is Burrell, DeRosa and presumably Zito has to come off at some point. My bet is on a DL shuffle until September 1st when the roster expands to the full 40.
Anyone know what Sabean and Bochy are thinking? Or is this just a spend and patch until ... what? Guys can't get out of their funk if they don't play. A bunch of money isn't hitting, sitting on the bench or hanging on to the DL. Anyone???
I'm also ignoring the Cincinnati series for a few reasons 1) it gave the Reds some hope, 2) it was a worse than normal pitching performance, 3) the series was a worse than average bullpen performance and 4) no bats, even from our new right fielder. The trade deadline is always a weird time for a team and after the Phillies series it clearly impacted the Giants (that's my explanation and I'm sticking to it).
Update: Initially Mark DeRosa's return date was "August", however, as of this afternoon it was changed to TDB, and he was moved to the 60-day DL.
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