Jon Heyman of SI.com gives his eight teams that he says have been losers this offseason, at least for the months of November through February. The Giants are listed as the #4 team, so I guess that’s better than the worst team which happens to be the New York Mets.
Heyman says the Giants brought in a collection of hitters – Mark DeRosa, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe and Bengie Molina, but ignored the two true middle of the order threats that were available (Jason Bay and Matt Holliday) and badly needed.
King of Cali thoughts: I don’t think the Giants really are losers this offseason. No we didn’t get that one big bat that we have said we needed for the last two years. We did however upgrade our offense. No, it’s not the Yankees lineup. This team does have the potential to score more runs this year. We still are missing our ideal leadoff hitter, and we have no team speed. We do however have some decent hitters.
2010 Projected Lineup
1. Aaron Rowand CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval 3B
4. Aubrey Huff 1B
5. Mark DeRosa LF
6. Bengie Molina C
7. Nate Schierholtz RF
8. Edgar Renteria SS
9. Tim Lincecum P
Now we all know this lineup is subject to change. If Sanchez isn’t ready for opening day. The Giants will likely start Juan Uribe and 2nd base. Which means the lineup would need some shuffling.
This was the 2009 Starting Lineup.
1. Randy Winn RF
2. Edgar Renteria SS
3. Fred Lewis LF
4. Bengie Molina C
5. Pablo Sandoval 3B
6. Travis Ishikawa 1B
7. Aaron Rowand CF
8. Emmanuel Burriss 2B
9. Tim Lincecum P
Now by the looks of that. I would say we are definitely starting off this season with a better starting lineup than last year. Would you say the Giants are losers this offseason?
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com says the Giants still looking to add some pop. The Giants have already lost out on Nick Johnson to the Yankees and could lose Mark DeRosa to the Yankees, Braves or Cardinals too. The Giants still remain confident that they will get a free agent hitter.
One source with knowledge of the teams (Giants) thinking says they wouldn’t say it’s impossible for the Giants to land Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. The Giants believe Holliday and Bay will receive more attractive offers from other clubs, the source said. They also might prefer to distribute their money to several players rather than allocate most of it to just one.
Rosenthal believes Adrian Beltre is a logical fit, because defense remains a priority for the Giants. The Giants still want to add a catcher and fifth starter as well as a big bat.
King of Cali thoughts: I’m sure a lot of Giants fans out there would love to see the Giants sign Bay. I just don’t see this happening. If they did sign Bay or Holliday. They would have a lot of money tied up into a few players. We still have Zito, Rowand and Lincecum that are going to take a big chunk of this year’s payroll.
I’m sure the Giants are going to try to spread the money out a little bit to get multiple players. I can see them trying to sign Beltre, but that won’t be until next month. Once Beltre brings down his contract demands. Then the Giants might try to zero in on him. They still have the Uggla deal to fall back on if other players sign elsewhere.
Chris Haft of MLB.com says the Giants short list of hitters they’d consider acquiring has become shorter. Nick Johnson’s tentative agreement with the New York Yankees could signal to the Giants that the time to make their first major player move of the winter has drawn closer.
Haft says he head reports that Mark DeRosa has dropped his reported salary demand to three years and $18 million from three years, $27 million.
Haft chimes in on the following free agents:
Adrian Beltre: He thinks the Giants can take their time with him, because no other clubs appear to meet Beltre’s reported with for a four year, $40 million deal.
Mark DeRosa: If the reports on DeRosa lowering his demands. Then the Giants will have to act quickly. Twelve teams were reported interested in DeRosa, but that has since dwindled as most teams have balked at his request for a three year deal.
Adam LaRoche: Teams may try to court LaRoche more ardently. Since Johnson has already signed with the Yankees. He also says teams could resist offering him a deal with an average annual value far exceeding Johnson’s.
Dan Uggla: Haft does believe the Giants could have made this trade by now. Even though Uggla has averaged 30 home runs and 90 RBI’s in four Major League Seasons. Giants still are concerned with his sub-par defense and second base and they’d have to part with Jonathan Sanchez. The Giants are hoping that the Marlins will back off it’s desire for Sanchez as time passes. Giants might have to consider Uggla more seriously if they’re unable to sign a free agent.
Jason BayandMatt Holliday: The Giants don’t seem to be major players for either of the top two sluggers.
King of Calithoughts: Now this is the stuff Giants fans should want to see. Now Brian Sabean and the Giants are feeling the pressure. The time is now to make a move. We know Scott Boras will try to keep Beltre on the free agent market for a while. He doesn’t like to let his clients sign fast. That could help the Giants. If other teams fill their needs and Beltre’s options dwindle. He can fall right into the Giants laps.
I don’t think the Giants have much interest in LaRoche. He’s a lefty and we know how AT&T Park plays for left handed hitters. The Giants wanted Johnson to play first. Now that he’s off the table. I’m sure they would like to find a third baseman and move Pablo Sandoval to first base. If the Marlins continue to want J-Sanchez for Uggla. The Giants will hold off until Beltre is off the table before making that trade. If they end up signing Beltre. Then they will pass on Uggla and keep Sanchez.
Jon Heyman of SI. com chimes in on big teams that still have moves to make. Heyman says no team could use a big hitting star more than the Giants. Even though the organization is doing well financially, they don’t appear t be aiming as high as they could. Baseball executives keep wondering whether they’ll jump in on one of the big stars, but for now it appears they are more seriously looking at Nick Johnson, Dan Uggla, Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, Mark DeRosa, Adrian Beltre and others.
King of Cali thoughts: The Giants front office doesn’t feel the pressure of needing to go out and sign a big player. They have a nice stadium and loyal Giants fans that are just happy to get out to the park and see their team. Fan’s out here don’t demand a World Series. In New York the Yankees want a World Series every year or it’s a bad year. Here the Giants are just happy with competing in September and let it turn into a crap shoot if they make the playoffs. If they are doing well financially. Then it’s time to bump that payroll a little bit and get a Super-Star-Slugger!
King of Cali thoughts: Well I’m just glad that didn’t come from Bay’s agent or Bay himself. I’m sure there is truth to that statement. Giants fans would love to see Bay sign with the Giants. The only way he would come to San Francisco is if the Giants way overpaid more than anyone else. Bay can get what the Giants would offer him in Boston. He would want to go where he can get his money and win. Not to a team where he can get his money and lose and see his batting stats drop cause it’s a pitchers park. With that said… Let’s sign him! =)
Among the possibilities, according to major-league sources:
Jason Bay – Giants GM Brian Sabean has denied interest in Bay and Matt Holliday, but others suggest he has at least explored signing Bay.
Jermaine Dye – A much more affordable alternative to Bay and Holliday, Dye only is considering teams with a chance to contend.
Orlando Hudson – If the Giants signed Hudson, they would move Freddy Sanchez to third base.
Mark DeRosa – The Giants likely would play him at third and move Pablo Sandoval to first. DeRosa also could play a super-utility role.
Kevin Kouzmanoff – The Giants and Padres have discussed a trade, but the Giants young players do not entice the Padres.
King of Cali thoughts: I’m hoping Sabean is really trying to figure out a way to sign Bay. I don’t think Bay will come though unless the Giants really outbid everyone else by far. I keep going up and down with Dye. I just think he’s on the decline and I can’t get over him batting under .200 after the All Star break. Now Hudson is someone that I would like to see as a Giant. I would take Hudson as long as we find another bat to add with him. DeRosa I can pass on as well. I wouldn’t mind taking him though if we added someone else with some home run pop as well. As for Kouzmanoff lets pass on this trade. If it’s a way for us to part with Lewis and Frandsen which we know won’t be in our future plans. Then lets make the trade, but if the Padres want more than that. Then let’s just move on from that deal.
Ausmus batted .295 in 36 games for the Dodgers. He does live in San Diego and has strong preference to play on the West Coast.
King of Cali thoughts: This is the kind of guy I would like to see brought in to catch for the Giants. Ausmus will be able to platoon with Buster Posey and then turn into Posey’s back up when he’s ready to take over as the everyday backstop.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi also chime in on the Giants having options for adding offense. They say the Giants should feel confident heading into next week’s winter meetings, because they can add offense without signing Jason Bay or Matt Holliday although that would certainly help.
Multiple major league sources indicated Wednesday that free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, free-agent first baseman Nick Johnson and Florida second baseman Dan Uggla are currently high on the Giants list.
King of Cali thoughts:
Uggla – The Uggla rumors never die. Which means they are really true. The Marlins want major league ready players in exchange for Uggla, so I’m thinking they must still want Jonathan Sanchez. I’m not sure which players the Giants are willing to part with. I know the players I wouldn’t mind see going wouldn’t be the players the Marlins would want.
Johnson – The knock on Johnson is that he can’t stay healthy. He’s a guy that’s going to get on base. He will show plate discipline and take a walk.
Beltre – He’s a great defender at third and by signing him Sandoval can play first. Beltre is a career .270 hitter with 250 homers. Last season he only hit 8 but he did 25, 26 and 25 in the three previous seasons. He would bring some right-handed pop to the Giants that they desperately need.
Jon Heyman of SI.com has some daily scoop. He still has the Giants as a possibility for Milton Bradley.
King of Cali thoughts: I personally don’t think this will happen. Bradley does have a good bat, but he comes with a lot of baggage and is also injury prone.
Heyman also says he was told by one MLB GM that even though the Giants have said they are not going to pursue Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. He’s not going to count them out, despite what they say.
King of Cali thoughts: Despite this rumor that the Giants may still be in it for one of these top two free agents. I don’t see them able to pony up enough $$$ to land either one.
One competing agent suggests he may be able to get a three-year deal for Miguel Tejada, who is thought to be drawing interest from the Cardinals, Astros, Phillies, Rangers and Giants.
King of Cali thoughts: Tejada is a guy that I think would be a good signing for the Giants. Tejada can still hit and we have so many movable parts in the infield. That we can make this signing work and add a nice bat to our struggling offense.
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says a few of them (media) caught up with Brian Sabean after the Tim Lincecum press conference. With the Free Agent period beginning tonight at 9 p.m. Pacific Time. Doesn’t sound like Sabean’s going to race to throw out a multi-year, mega-offers to Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. He sounds much more interested in “second-tier” guys.
When asked if Buster Posey could be ready April 1 next year. Sabean said he doesn’t know yet. Fall League is just finishing and they will have some meetings today, tomorrow, and the week before the winter meetings to see if they think he will be ready or if they think he needs more time.
Sabean does not want to deal from their strength. He’s hate to give up pitching, unless it’s for a sure-thing offensively. Sabean says they also are involved with some talks with Brad Penny.
The Giants have already contacted pretty much who they think is going to have mutual interest. They don’t want to be involved with people that are going to use them on the way to somewhere else. If it’s legitimate mutual interest, we’ll have meaningful talks Sabean says.
Sabean doesn’t think Bay or Holliday would have much interest in the Giants.
Perry says if the Giants are going to contend in a deep NL West, they must improve a woefully weak offense. Holliday will be a bold move for the Giants, but it’s lineup needs such a signature addition. He’ll be expensive, but regional charms, a return to the NL West, the promise of contention and lots and lots of money should get it done.
The Giants rotation deserves a hitter like Holliday, and unlike fellow free agent Jason Bay, Holliday can play a little defense.
