Matt Holliday has absorbed two blows when management people with the Angels and Giants said they wouldn’t be pursuing him.
Johnny Damon is looking for a four-year deal. The Yankees are believed willing to give him two years, but it will be interesting to see if they meet at three years. Damon is believed to badly want to stay with the Yankees, but will have outside interest at least from the San Francisco Giants.
Miguel Tejada had a nice year in Houston (.313, 86 RBIs) should draw interest. Philly, Texas and possibly the Giants all make some sense.
King of Cali thoughts: It’s a bummer to hear Sabean say the Giants will not likely pursue Bay or Holliday. I guess that’s just the reality of it since we have some bad contracts on our team. Damon doesn’t seem like a good fit for the Giants. He’s going to start his decline and his homers were up this year because of playing at the new launching pad in New York. Tejada on the other hand would make perfect sense. This guy has a very nice bat that can help spark our offense.
Technorati Tags: Astros, Baseball, Cardinals, Free Agents, Giants, Giants Baseball, Johnny Damon, King of Cali, Matt Holliday, Miguel Tejada, MLB Hot Stove, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors, Yankees
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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.
Technorati Tags: Baseball, Brad Penny, Brian Sabean, Buster Posey, Free Agents, Giants, Jason Bay, King of Cali, Matt Holliday, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Trade Rumors, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors, Tim Lincecum
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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.
Technorati Tags: Free Agents, Giants, Hot Stove, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, MLB, NL West, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors
Ben Reiter of SI.com has his Top 50 Rankings of the top free agents. He has Matt Holliday listed as the #2 free agent available behind John Lackey. The #3 free agent is Jason Bay. Sorry Giants fans, but he doesn’t have either one of these players signing with the Giants.
#2 Matt Holliday -LF
Current Team: Cardinals
Best Fit: Mets
#3 Jason Bay -LF
Current Team: Red Sox
Best Fit: Red Sox
Now the players that Reiter predicts will sign with the Giants:
#5 Nick Johnson -1B
Current Team: Marlins
Best Fit: Giants
#32 Juan Uribe -IF
Current Team: Giants
Best Fit: Giants
#37 Pudge Rodriguez -C
Current Team: Rangers
Best Fit: Giants
#41 Brad Penny -SP
Current Team: Giants
Best Fit: Giants
Technorati Tags: Brad Penny, Free Agents, Giants, Hot Stove, Jason Bay, John Lackey, Juan Uribe, Matt Holliday, MLB, Nick Johnson, Pudge Rodriguez, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors
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Uggla, 29, projects to earn approximately $8 million in arbitration. In four major-league seasons, he has averaged 30 homers and 90 RBI’s.
For the Giants, he would represent a more affordable addition than Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. The Giants would play Uggla at third, Edgar Renteria at shortstop, Freddy Sanchez at second and Pablo Sandoval at first.
Technorati Tags: Dan Uggla, Edgar Renteria, Freddy Sanchez, Free Agents, Giants, Hot Stove, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, MLB Rumors, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors
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Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Giants have some flexibility to pursue help for it’s woeful lineup because Pablo Sandoval could play first or third base and recently re-signed Freddy Sanchez could play second or third.
Sherman said a team insider says payroll will be in the $90 million range and would leave the Giants from landing Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Officials from other teams expect the Giants to be players on the two big free agents.
Sherman also says the Giants would like to bring back Brad Penny back on a one-year contract to pitch behind Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Barry Zito.
Technorati Tags: Barry Zito, Brad Penny, Freddy Sanchez, Hot Stove, Jason Bay, Matt Cain, Matt Holliday, MLB Trade Rumors, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors, Tim Lincecum
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Theo Fightmaster of the San Francisco Examiner answers some Giants fans questions. Theo thinks Aaron Rowand might have the worst contract on the Giants. And the simple fact that this is even debatable says something when your on the same teams as Barry Zito.
Theo also thinks Matt Holliday, Jason Bay or Adrian Gonzalez elk is a must. Unfortunately the Giants are happy enough ‘competing’ and as long as 30,000 come out every night the payroll isn’t going over $90 million.
When asked if a Buster Posey for BJ Upton trade will happen this off-season. Theo said the Giants will not trade Posey unless Albert Pujols or Joe Mauer is involved.
The Giants offense was not a result of Carney Lansford. Believe it or not, Lansford wasn’t encouraging Renteria, Rowand and Molina to swing at every pitch and he didn’t tell Fred Lewis and Travis Ishikawa to take as many called third strikes as possible.
When asked about Jonathan Sanchez. Theo thinks he did turn a corner. Says he does have sports of brilliance that remind you of Tim Lincecum, but he’s not sure he’ll ever have the steady consistency of Matt Cain.
Theo doesn’t believe Posey didn’t look ready when he was called up, but also said that Posey had to wait 9 games just for his first at bat. Posey had very limited playing time. He would be willing to bring back Bengie with these circumstances:
One-year deal, or a two year deal with the explicit understanding that Molina’s not the everyday catcher. (I agree)
The Giants sign a clean up hitter that allows Bengie to bat fifth or lower (he can’t be the clean up hitter, there’s no other team in baseball where Big Money hits fourth).
Technorati Tags: Aaron Rowand, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, Barry Zito, BJ Upton, Buster Posey, Carney Lansford, Fred Lewis, Giants, Hot Stove, Jason Bay, Joe Mauer, Jonathan Sanchez, King of Cali, Matt Holliday, MLB Rumors, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors, Tim Lincecum, Travis Ishikawa
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Chris Haft of MLB.com answers some fans questions. When asked if he see’s the Giants going after Chone Figgins. Haft said if they’re not considering Figgins, they should. Figgins, whose 101 walks and .395 on-base percentage this year for the Angels were career highs, would complement the free swingers in the Giants lineup. He’ll be 32 next Opening Day, so he conceivably has a few years left at peak effectiveness. And he earned “only” $5.78 million this season, suggesting that he’ll be affordable even with a pay increase.
Haft was also asked if it boild down to it, who would be a better fit for the Giants, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay? Haft said Bay’s defense gives him a slight edge. He’s considered only average with the glove, but that’s better than Holliday. At the plate, Holliday’s more productive, but not by much. His 162-game average is .318, with a .387 on-base percentage, a .545 slugging percentage, 29 home runs and 112 RBI’s. Bay’s corresponding numbers are .280, .376, .519, 33 and 107.
Technorati Tags: Chone Figgins, Free Agents, Giants, Hot Stove, Jason Bay, King of Cali, Matt Holliday, MLB Rumors, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants Baseball, SF Giants Rumors
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Chris Haft of MLB.com answers Giants fans questions. Haft said Matt Holliday and Jason Bay almost surely will be unaffordable. The Giants will have to pursue less recognizable yet still productive and more affordable types such as Texas free agent Marlon Byrd (.283, 20 homers, 89 RBIs, .808 OPS in ’09). I’ve (Chris Haft) heard nothing linking the Giants to Byrd. That’s just a suggestion.
Technorati Tags: Hot Stove, Jasn Bay, Marlon Byrd, Matt Holliday, MLB Rumors, San Francisco Giants Baseball, SF Giants, SF Giants Rumors
Nick Cafardo of Boston.com says could he (Jason Bay) wind up in the City by the Bay? Giants GM Brian Sabean is looking for a big bat and will spend for someone like Bay or Matt Holliday. The Sox will have to extend themselves to sign Bay, who is going to draw a handsome amount in the free agent market. He would love to stay with the Sox, but he does live in Seattle, and the West Coast may be calling his name.
Technorati Tags: AT&T Park, Brian Sabean, Free Agents, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Player Profiles, SF Giants, SF Giants Rumors
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