Breaking Manny Ramirez News!

Still Orange and Black has all of the Manny Ramirez exclusives that no one else does, and right now we have some breaking news: The Giants are keeping an eye on the Dodgers' negotiations with Manny Ramirez. They have not made a formal offer but - we repeat - they are monitoring the situation. Keep it tuned to Still Orange and Black for all your Manny Ramirez updates.

UPDATE 9:02AM - The Giants are still monitoring the Manny Ramirez situation.

UPDATE 12:02PM Manny Ramirez is reportedly eating lunch. The Giants are monitoring Ramirez's eating habits.

UPDATE 1:59PM Manny Ramirez has signed with the Cincinatti Reds for one year in the $450K-$550K range. We did not see this coming.

UPDATE 2:00PM Manny Ramirez has not signed with the Reds. In fact, it was Ramon Ramirez who has signed with the Reds. Guess we got a little excited there.

UPDATE 2:20PM Manny Ramirez is reportedly reading and listening to music. The Giants are closely monitoring Ramirez's listening and reading habits.

UPDATE 3:35 Neukom doesn't rule out run at Manny Ramirez - I think this thing is really going to happen and I think this settles it!

San Jose Is Stacked

Last year I had the pleasure of taking in a game in San Jose, the home of the Giants' high A affiliate. It was great fun watching the Giants edge the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. However, the highest profile prospect in the game was catcher Jackson Williams (#16 in the organization according to Baseball America). It should be a different story this year, as nearly all of the team's top prospects are scheduled to at least start the season there. Headlining the list of players bound for San Jose are pitchers Madison Bumgarner (#1) and Tim Alderson (4). It's a bit of a surprise to see Alderson, who lead the California League in ERA last year, heading back, but the team has said it wanted to keep him out of the cold weather in Connecticut. He should be Double-A by summer.

San Jose could field an opening day lineup consisting of catcher Buster Posey (2), first baseman Angel Villalona (3), second baseman Nick Noonan (5), third baseman Conor Gillaspie (7), outfielders Roger Kieshnick (14) and Thomas Neal (21). This team could look a lot like the 2012 San Francisco Giants. If this team doesn't do well, we might be in some trouble.

Notes
- Tim Lincecum got a small raise, agreeing to a $650,000 contract for 2009. This is likely the last time he'll be in the six-figure range, as he's eligible for arbitration next season. There's also still the possibility of a long-term deal.
- In the second game of the exhibition season, the Dodgers pounded the Giants 16-7. Matt Cain allowed one hit, a home run by Russell Martin, in an inning and 2/3. Pat Misch, Jeremy Affeldt, and Sergio Romo were all roughed up in their first appearance. On offense, Aaron Rowand hit a home run, while Rich Aurilia and Juan Uribe had two hits apiece.
- The Giants remain on the outskirts with Manny Ramirez. Larry Baer has had talks with Scott Boras, but nothing substantial, and the team hasn't offered him a contract.

Break Up The Giants!

I don't know if I've ever been more antsy for baseball season to start. Maybe it's because I missed most of the last month and a half of the 2008 season. I was psyched for some games, and thrilled that the Giants' first exhibition would be televised on the new MLB Network. So imagine my reaction when I turned on the TV at noon and saw an episode of Prime 9 on the greatest hitting seasons of all time. Was this some sick joke about the Giants' offense? No, just a technical glitch which lasted through the top of the first inning. After that, I was able to watch all of a 10-7 victory over the Indians. Not even the homer Cleveland announcers could spoil the day. The game was a true Spring Training slugfest, with both teams combining for 21 hits and six home runs, with three hit batsmen. Here are some observations:

Offense: Travis Ishikawa might as well have said, "Who the fuck is Joe Crede?" The favorite for the starting first base job, who has struggled against lefties throughout his minor league career, gave the Giants an early lead with an RBI single off lefty Jeremy Sowers. Later, with the Indians up 3-1, Ishikawa hit a towering home run, off another lefty, Zach Jackson, who retired the other six Giants he faced with ease. He wasn't done, breaking a 3-3 tie in the sixth with a line-drive two-run homer off Edward Mujica. I think Ishikawa is the player most likely to out-perform his pre-season projections. I'm not saying he's going to hit 40 homers, but I don't think 25 is out of the question...Nate Schierholtz started in left and hit a two-run homer that probably would have gone for a long out in AT&T Park...Edgar Renteria was 1-3 with a double and a run scored in his Giants' debut...Pablo Sandoval hit third and was 1-2 with a single, as well the only walk by Giants' hitters...Emmanuel Burriss, Kevin Frandsen, and Eugenio Velez all had hits, with Frandsen and Velez driving in runs in a three-run eighth inning. Burriss stretched a single into a double in the fifth, and scored a run.

Pitching: Tim Lincecum threw one scoreless inning, allowing one hit. He was on a 25-pitch limit, and he threw 18. It looked like he hadn't missed a beat, striking out the first hitter he faced, Grady Sizemore, on a nasty pitch down and in...Keiichi Yabu threw two innings. He hung a breaking ball to Mark DeRosa, who planted it in the Giants' bullpen for a three-run homer...Non-roster invitee Brandon Medders threw two hitless, if unspectacular, innings...Rule 5 pick Luis Perdomo walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning...Alex Hinshaw gave up a home run and a single to the two lefties he faced. Not a great sign for a guy expected to get lefties out...Prospect Kelvin Pichardo was roughed up for three runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning...Another non-roster invitee, Francis Beltran, was wild, walking one and hitting another...Lefty Jesse English hit a batter with his first pitch, but got Matt LaPorta to fly out to end the game.

Up next it's another new member of the Cactus League, the Dodgers. Matt Cain will start, with Jeremy Affeldt, Bob Howry, and Kevin Pucetas also scheduled to pitch. Also, it's not looking very good for Noah Lowry. I won't do these write-ups for every Spring Training camp, probably just the ones I get to watch on TV. All in all, a very enjoyable game with more positives than negatives.

Sizing Up the WBC Rosters

Final rosters for the second World Baseball Classic were announced today, and my initial reaction is that no team is nearly as good as it could be. Like many, I love the WBC in theory more than in practice. Nevertheless, I'll be watching intently when the tournament begins March 5. Here are my observations on some of the teams.

United States: The US obviously benefits from the deepest talent pool in the tournament, and they needed it with all the players not participating. Even without players like Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, Lance Berkman, and Matt Holliday, Team USA still has, in my opinion, the best lineup from top-to-bottom in the tournament. Grady Sizemore, Dustin Pedroia, David Wright, Chipper Jones, and Ryan Braun are among the big names. The starting rotation consists of Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ted Lilly. The US should have had by far the best pitching staff in the tournament, but instead of C.C. Sabathia, Brandon Webb, Roy Halladay, or Tim Lincecum (no objection from me), we get Guthrie and Lilly. Those two should be used in lower-pressure games. Because of pitch count limits, the bullpen takes on a greater importance, and the US makes up somewhat in this department. Joe Nathan, Jonathan Broxton, J.J. Putz, and Brian Fuentes provide plenty of firepower. Team USA should make it out of Pool A (with Canada, Italy, and Venezuela) fairly easily.

Dominican Republic: This could have been a devastating lineup, but Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez, and Vladimir Guerrero will all be staying home. There's still plenty of thump, with Alex Rodriguez, Hanley Ramirez, and David Ortiz, but there are pretty big holes in the outfield and at catcher. It will be interesting to see what manager Felipe Alou does with Ramirez and Jose Reyes, the two best shortstops in the game, on the same team. The pitching staff of Edinson Volquez, Ubaldo Jimenez, Johnny Cueto, and Pedro Martinez is intriguing, and there are some live arms in the bullpen, though the loss of Carlos Marmol hurts. I don't know if the DR can compete with the US, but they're definitely the best team in Pool D (with the Netherlands, Panama, and Puerto Rico).

Venezuela: Even without Johan Santana, Team Venezuela may have the best 1-2 punch in Carlos Zambrano and Felix Hernandez. In a short tournament, that could get them far. A trio of Tigers - Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen - highlight the offense, which also includes Bobby Abreu and Melvin Mora. I expect them to be the runner-up to the US in Pool C.

Puerto Rico: The only significant Giant in the tournament is Jonathan Sanchez, who will be a part of a rotation with Javier Vazquez and Ian Snell. Puerto Rico's strength is the middle of the order, consisting of Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Alex Rios, and Geovany Soto. That should be enough to get them at least out of round 1.

Japan: I can't speak with too much authority on the Japanese team, but the defending champs can't be counted out. All eyes will be on Yu Darvish, who forms a formidable 1-2 punch with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Other major leaguers on the team include Ichiro Suzuki, Kosuke Fukudome, and Akinori Iwamura.

I also expect Cuba, Korea, and Mexico to make it out of the first round. Team USA is the early favorite, but not by much.

Oh, Spring Training

Almost a week after pitchers and catchers reported, we've heard most of the usual Spring Training stories. Player X added muscle. Player Y is in the best shape of his life. Amongst all this comes this jewel of a story from Andrew Baggarly. I can't come up with any clever quips that are funnier than the actual story, so I won't spoil the surprise.

Aurilia Signs Minor League Contract

The Giants are starting this week off by making the no-brainer move of signing Rich Aurilla to a minor league contract. Aurilla embodies the "Giant Way" the front office has been talking about - not to mention that it makes sense to retain a guy who can play four positions and still is a decent hitter. Aurilia batted .283 last year, with ten home runs. [Via MLB Trade Rumors]

10 Questions For Spring Training

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Saturday, and Still Orange & Black is back. We'll try to be a little more consistent with our posting in 2009. We begin the new year with a look at the biggest questions facing the Giants as we get ready for another season.

10. Who are the new kids?
The Giants have several young pitchers in camp for the first time, including Henry Sosa, Kevin Pucetas, Joseph Martinez, Jesse English, and Waldis Joaquin. Sosa has the biggest upside of the group, but he battled injuries last year and will need to prove himself healthy to regain his top prospect status. Pucetas and Martinez could see big-league time if any holes open up in the rotation, and it will be intriguing to see how they fare against major league hitters. Don't rule out the possibility that Brian Sabean is simply trying to showcase these pitchers as trade bait.

9. How's Fred's foot?
Fred Lewis was severely limited in the second half of last season by a bunion on his foot, yet he was still one of the team's most productive hitters. He had offseason surgery to have the bunion removed, and claims to be feeling great. The Giants plan to bat Lewis in the middle of the order, likely fifth, and expect more power from the left fielder, who hit just nine home runs last year. Will Lewis try to be more aggressive to hit more home runs? If yes, will this come at the sacrifice of one of his best attributes, his ability to get on base?

8. What will Nate Schierholtz's role be?
It's a make or break year for outfielder Schierholtz, who turns 25 on February 15 and is out of minor league options. With Randy Winn's contract up after this year, the Giants want to see if Schierholtz will be able to step in. He's expected to be at least a fourth outfielder, and could see more playing time if Fred Lewis struggles or Aaron Rowand needs more days off. Schierholtz has nothing left to prove in the minors, and nobody doubts his power, but he needs to work on his plate discipline (3 BB in 81 PA last year) if he is ever going to be an everyday major leaguer.

7. How much will we see of Buster Posey?
The 2008 first-round draft pick earned an invite to Spring Training. The question is whether he will see serious playing time or if he is simply an extra catcher to handle the extra pitchers in camp. He will start the year either in San Jose or Connecticut, but the Giants must be curious to see how advanced his bat and game-calling skills are. They would love to be able to slot him in as the Opening Day catcher in 2010.

6. What's new with Barry Zito?
Few Giants need a good spring more than Barry Zito. Last year, a disastrous spring carried over into an 0-8 start to the regular season. He doesn't need to be a Cy Young Winner, as for the first time in his career he's a back-of-the-rotation starter. If he can pitch the way he did the second half of 2008, that's good enough. In 2007 Zito showed up in Scottsdale with a new windup. Last year he showed up with a new "wrestler mentality." Let's hope that whatever he shows up with this year will make that contract a little less embarrassing. At this point, I'll settle for that.

5. Who gets the final bullpen spots?
Five pitchers appear to be locks for the bullpen: Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, Jack Taschner, and new acquisitions Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry. That likely leaves two open spots. The front runners would seem to Alex Hinshaw and Keiichi Yabu, but there is plenty of competition. Either Jonathan Sanchez or Noah Lowry could be a long reliever if both are healthy and neither is traded. Billy Sadler and Osiris Matos both spent time with the big club in 2008. Merkin Valdez was dominant last year before getting hurt, and if healthy, deserves a shot. Long shots include non-roster invitees Francis Beltran, Brandon Medders, and Justin Miller, as well as Rule-5 pick Luis Perdomo.

4. Who's on second?
The Giants have said they will let Kevin Frandsen, Eugenio Velez, and Emmanuel Burriss battle it out for the second base job. Conventional wisdom says its Frandsen's job to lose, with Burriss likely starting in Fresno to get regular playing time and Velez being used as a utility-man/pinch runner. Frandsen deserves the first shot because he has a better minor league track record and more power than the other two. But if Velez has the kind of strong Spring he did last year, or if Burriss continues to surprise like he did during the regular season, the Giants could be swayed in another direction.

3. Where's Pablo?
The Giants are committed to starting Pablo Sandoval somewhere in 2009. Right now, it looks like he will be the opening day third baseman. But nobody really seems to believe that Sandoval is defensively capable of playing the hot corner every day. The way the roster shapes up now, I see him playing a similar role to that of Pedro Feliz in 2004, when Feliz hit 22 home runs in 503 at-bats despite not being a regular at any position. Sandoval will likely get most of the at-bats at third, as well as some at first base if Travis Ishikawa stumbles, and catcher when Bengie Molina needs a day off. An alternate plan would be to sign a corner infielder, trade Molina (if possible for another infielder), and give Sandoval the majority of starts behind the plate, where his bat would be more valuable. He could be a nice bridge at the position until Buster Posey is ready to take over.

2. How are the lefties?
Noah Lowry and Jonathan Sanchez will supposedly fight for the final rotation spot. Trainer Dave Groeschner said Lowry is healthy and ready to start Spring Training. Whether or not he's ready to face big-league hitters is another matter. Sanchez showed flashes of brilliance in 2008, particularly during the month of June, when he went 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA. But he battled injuries and ineffectiveness in the second half, and his ERA ballooned to 5.01. He is leaning towards pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, which is a risk for a pitcher who may have been overworked last year, and it may put him at a disadvantage towards earning a rotation spot. If both are healthy, the Giants will face a dilemma. A trade is still possible, though Sanchez carries much more value than Lowry.

1. Is this it?
The Giants have done a lot to upgrade the team this offseason. Affeldt and Howry bolstered the bullpen, Randy Johnson adds depth to the rotation, and Edgar Renteria will almost certainly be an upgrade at shortstop. But the offense as it stands will likely be among the worst in baseball again, which begs the question "Will the Giants look the same in a month as they do now?" The team has offered a contract to third baseman Joe Crede, whose acquisition would further complicate the infield situation. And of course, the Manny Ramirez rumors have not gone away. Many have shrugged off the Giants' interest, but the team appears serious, and while the Dodgers remain the frontrunner, I would not be at all surprised if Brian Sabean jumped at the right deal.