The Good and The Bad: Assessing the Giants' Postseason Transactions

Pitchers and catchers are reporting and spring training fever is in the air. Its time to look back at the Giants offseason moves, analyzing the good and the bad to craft our assessment.

Freddy Sanchez, 2B 2 years, $12 million
The Good: If healthy, Sanchez is an average to above-average offensive second baseman (career .299/.334/.417), and should at least be an improvement on what the Giants threw out there the first half of 2009. By most estimates, he plays solid defense (career 5.8 UZR/150 at second).

The Bad: Sanchez's health is a big if, as his most recent shoulder surgery has left him questionable for opening day. His offensive value is very much tied to his batting average, as he doesn't take very many walks or hit for much power.

Verdict: If he can stay in the lineup, Sanchez should be worth the money. However, there were probably better, cheaper options (Kelly Johnson, Felipe Lopez, Orlando Hudson) available if Sabean had let the market play itself out.

Mark DeRosa, OF/IF 2 years, $12 million
The Good: Until last year, he was a reliable, above-average bat, who gets on base at a reasonable, if not spectacular rate (career .275/.343/.424). He's hit at least twenty home runs each of the last two years. The Giants plan to play him in the outfield, where he has played his best defense in the past (15.8 UZR/150).

The Bad: He's coming off his worst season in several years, which was shortened by a wrist injury.

Verdict: Let's hope he's healthy, and that his ineffectiveness last year was a result of his injury. He should be a better option than Eugenio Velez.

Juan Uribe, IF 1 year, $3.25 million
The Good: Signed on a minor league contract, Uribe came out of nowhere in 2009 to have the best year of his career. He plays second, shprt, and third adequately, which is valuable given the frailty of the Giants' middle infield.

The Bad: When something looks like a fluke, it usually is. Uribe's career line (.257/.298/.430) suggests that some regression is likely.

Verdict: The money may have been better spent elsewhere, but Uribe's versatility and power make him a solid bench option, especially given the injury to Sanchez.

Aubrey Huff, 1B 1 year, $3 million

The Good: Aside from a disastrous 2009, Huff has been an average to above-average hitter. As recently as 2008, he hit .304/.360/.552 with 32 home runs. Maybe getting out of the AL East will have a positive effect.

The Bad: The bat's no sure thing, and his defense probably negates whatever offensive value he may have.

Verdict: It's hard to believe the Giants couldn't have gotten similar, and probably more production, from Ryan Garko and Travis Ishikawa.


Bengie Molina, C 1 year, $4.5 million
The Good: He hits for a decent amount of power for a catcher. The pitchers seem to like him.

The Bad: He had the worst on-base percentage (.285) in the NL last year, while swinging at the highest percentage (43.9%) of pitches outside the zone. His lack of speed can be a rally-killer. He blocks Buster Posey, who has little left to prove in the minors, for another year.

Verdict: This signing wouldn't be so bad if the Giants needed a catcher. But Posey is at most a few months away from the majors, and there's no way he will start as long as Molina is on this team. Pitchers have to adjust to new catchers all the time, and they had no problem with Eli Whiteside last year. Most discouragingly, this move shows the front office's continued reliance on old-school conventional wisdom as opposed to reasoned analysis.

Same Problems Plague Giants, Wilson

Last night had all the makings of an inspiring Giants win - a rejuvenated offense with the callup of Jesus Guzman, seven strong innings from Tim Lincecum, a clutch game-tying home run from Aaron Rowand, and scratching out a run against a closer who hadn't allowed one all season. Unfortunately, the Giants leave with yet another loss, one that can be attributed to all the same problems that have plagued them over the past two weeks.

Closer Brian Wilson will take much of the heat for last night's loss - and some of that is warranted. He did enter with a 2-1 lead and, as Jon Miller put it on the radio broadcast, proceeded to hand them runners. Only the game-winning single was hard earned, as Wilson put himself in a precarious position by walking two batters and hitting another. Wilson has allowed winning runs in three of his last four appearances, calling for more than one fan to wonder why Jeremy Affeldt is not pitching the ninth innings.

Here at SO&B, we are Wilson fans but will acknowledge that he is currently in the worst patch of his young career. If the Giants were serious contenders this year, then Wilson's job may be on the line. But since this is yet another development/rebuilding year, I can't see the point in threatening Wilson's ninth inning role. Wilson clearly has issues with control that need to be worked on. It is important to remember that Wilson is only in his second full season, and he has been groomed as the closer of the future. If he is going to adopt such a role, he needs to develop his command and he needs to learn how to get out of a rut like the one he is in now.

But Wilson does not deserve all the blame. The offense continues to lack inspiration with runners in scoring position. Bruce Bochy sent Guzman up as a pinch hitter in the seventh with runners on the corner and one out - only to have Guzman hit into a double play. They managed one run in the ninth and could have added insurance but were hindered by Bengie Molina being unable to score from second on a Nate Schierholtz single. With the bases loaded and one out, Guzman struck out and Kevin Frandsen grounded out, leaving the score at 2-1.

On a positive note, Lincecum was electric as usual - 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 run, and 10 strikeouts. Additionally, Rowand was a cool 2-for-4 raising his average to .270; Randy Winn stayed hot with two hits including a clutch ninth inning single; and Affeldt pitched a perfect 2/3 of the eighth.

Giants Get Sweet Revenge

You may remember a game, almost two years ago today. The Giants were playing the Mets in a nationally televised game. Tim Lincecum made his fifth major start, allowing three runs and striking out eight in seven innings. But the game remained tied at three until the Giants scored the go-ahead run in the top of the twelfth inning. Armando Benitez came in to close it out and, well, the rest is history. A walk to Jose Reyes and a couple of balks later, the game was tied. Carlos Delgado finished it with a walk-off homer. Benitez would not pitch in a Giants uniform again, and that game remains one of the more crushing losses of the past few years.

On Sunday, the universe went a long way towards righting itself. Once again on ESPN, the Giants won 2-0, thanks entirely to a couple of well-timed balks by Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey, who never seemed very comfortable on the mound. In the first time, after Pablo Sandoval singled, Pelfrey seemed to catch his spike in the dirt and couldn't get the pitch off. Sandoval went to second, and came home on a Bengie Molina single. In the fifth inning, after Aaron Rowand led off with a single, Pelfrey started and stopped. Travis Ishikawa advanced Rowand to third with a groundout, and then Matt Cain helped himself with an RBI single, after a suicide squeeze attempt went foul. Cain continued to allow a lot of baserunners, walking five and throwing nearly 120 pitches in six innings, but he continued to work his way out of trouble. Jeremy Affeldt had another good outing. After a Carlos Beltran double put runners on second and third with nobody out in the eighth, Affeldt struck out Gary Sheffield, intentionally walked David Wright, and got pinch-hitter Angel Pagan to ground into a double play. Brian Wilson pitch a one-two-three ninth for his ninth save.

If you were watching the ESPN telecast, you might not have realized that there were actually two teams on the field. The broadcast team of Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips, egged on by Jon Miller, spent nearly the whole game talking about the Mets and their "leadership issues." Phillips at one point said that the Mets don't have that "perfect player" like Dustin Pedroia or Derek Jeter, and later suggested that they should consider trading Carlos Beltran, because despite being one of the best players in baseball, he just doesn't have that gamer/clubhouse presence that we all know is more important. Hey, if the Mets want a center fielder with those attributes, maybe we could swing a deal (he hit into another bases loaded double play today, but at least he hustled really hard!). If only Steve Phillips were still the Mets' GM. But seriously, it seems like a lot of people buy into that school of thinking. Dear Mets' fans: I would love to have David Wright's, Jose Reyes's, or Carlos Beltran's problems.

What Will the 2010 Giants Look Like?

Every once in a while, we like to step back from the season in progress and take a look at the bigger picture. This is a topic that's been on my mind lately. Despite the Giants’ initial success this year, most people who follow the team closely have set 2010 as the year when the team will regain their status as serious contenders. However, the issue of who will actually take the field next spring is still very much up in the air. So much will depend on the performance of players on the current team, the progress of top prospects, and the free agent market. Taking these factors into account, here is a position-by-position breakdown of how the team could shape up.

C: Bengie Molina’s contract is up after 2009, creating a space for 2008 first-round pick Buster Posey, who has been as advertised so far at Class-A San Jose. Some have suggested that Molina should be kept around as a veteran mentor, but a prospect like Posey needs to be playing every day, and I’m not sure Molina would like a part-time role. If the Giants want to keep Posey in the minors for a month or two to begin the season, they might be better off going with a backup-type like Miguel Olivo or Yorvit Torrealba.

1B: This is perhaps the most wide open position on the roster. Travis Ishikawa has not inspired confidence with his performance right now, and who knows where he will be a month from now, much less 2010. The Giants are reportedly floating the idea of moving Pablo Sandoval across the diamond to first. Jesus Guzman, who opened a lot of eyes in Spring Training and has continued to hit well at Triple-A Fresno, could get a look as well. On the free agent market, options include Nick Johnson and Adam LaRoche, who could also be trade targets if the Giants remain in contention.

2B: The Giants have shown a lot of patience will Emmanuel Burriss this year, and they have been rewarded with improved performance over the past couple weeks. Burriss has excellent speed, has shown a decent ability to get on base, and has played an acceptable second base, but his complete lack of power makes him more suitable as a role player. If Brian Sabean decides he wants a more potent bat, he could go for Orlando Hudson or Felipe Lopez.

3B: Like first base, this one is up in the air. Pablo Sandoval has a future with this team, but it may not be at third. If Sandoval is moved, there are not a lot of inspiring internal options. Adrian Beltre has been linked to the Giants in trade rumors in the past, and he will probably be the best available free agent. Conor Gillaspie, currently at San Jose, is the best third base prospect in the organization, and could see big league action at some point next year.

SS: Barring injury or historically poor performance, Edgar Renteria is pretty much locked in as the starter next year, with Brandon Crawford maybe stepping up in 2011.

LF: For all the talk of a slump, Fred Lewis is still getting on base at a .390 clip. But if his power does not develop and his strikeouts continue to pile up, his role may be that of a fourth outfielder. Even though he’s only been in the league a couple years, Lewis is 28. He’s not going to develop much more as a player. There will be some big bats available this offseason, most notably Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.

CF: Like it or not, the Giants are pretty much stuck with Aaron Rowand in center field. Unless Sabean can find someone willing to take on his contract, Rowand will be out there again in 2010.

RF: Randy Winn’s tenure in right field will likely come to an end this season, and whoever takes over will have big shoes to fill. The Giants hope it will be Nate Schierholtz, but there are doubts about his ability to consistently hit big-league pitching, and he may be more suited to a bench role. If the Giants choose the free agent route, they will have a hard time finding anyone who can cover as much ground in right as Winn, as the market is full of aging, defense-averse sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero, Bobby Abreu, and Brian Giles. Xavier Nady has been linked to the Giants in the past, and if healthy could be an option.

SP: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez will all be under contract, and if all of them return, that leaves only one spot to fill. A lot depends on the development of Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson, both of whom were recently promoted to Double-A. If the Giants feel that one or both are ready to step into the rotation, they could look to trade Sanchez or even Cain in the right deal. As good as Matt Cain can be, if the Giants were offered the kind of haul that the Orioles got for Erik Bedard or the A’s got for Dan Haren, they could be tempted. Kevin Pucetas, Joe Martinez, and Henry Sosa could also battle for a spot in Spring Training. Whatever the case, it appears unlikely the Giants will need to bring in a free agent to fill out the rotation.

RP: Trying to imagine what a bullpen will look almost a year before the season is a fruitless exercise, but here’s what we know: Brian Wilson will likely still be closing games, and he will be supported by Jeremy Affeldt in the second year of his contract. If Sergio Romo comes back and pitches like he did last year, he should be there too. Bob Howry could be brought back if he continues to pitch well. Other free agents include John Grabow, Fernando Rodney, Kevin Gregg, and Joe Beimel. Within the organization, Osiris Matos and Alex Hinshaw should still be around, while Sosa and Waldis Joaquin could be dark horse candidates.

Now back to the real world.

-C.B.

Let's Hear It For the Boy and Observations from the Past Week

By this point, there should be no doubt - Tim Lincecum is for real. After those two lackluster starts at the beginning of the year, he has picked up where 2008 left off. Even when he does not have his best - like he didn't against the Cubs - he is still the best. I appreciate how Lou Pinella conceded defeat before the game even began, omitting Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Milton Bradley and Geovany Soto from his lineup card. Perhaps this will become a trend when Lincecum pitches? Perhaps we should pencil in Lincecum as the starter each game?

Bengie Molina gave his pitcher all he needed with a first inning, three run homer, but the Giants decided to throw a few more runs in for good measure. Listening to The Razor and Mr. T after the game, it was asked whether Molina was the Giants best free agent signing behind Barry Bonds. There is no doubt Molina has been an offense savior during his tenure with the Giants, and it might not be a bad idea to keep a vet like him around, while nurturing young Buster Posey into the majors.

The Giants are playing .500 ball and still haven't lost a series since their disastrous first road trip. Since we have not posted in about a week, here's a few things we noticed during that time:

-Barry Zito is totally clean shaven and it suits him well. When you're as well-groomed as Zito looks these days, it's a sign that you are confident and take pride in what you are doing. Zito has been money as of late, maybe not $126 million money, but still. Most impressive about 2009's Zito as compared to 2007 and 2008's Zito is that he has cut back on his walks and gone deeper into ball games. He still doesn't have a win but deserves 2 or 3.
-While we're comparing grooming habits to performance, let's talk about Brian Wilson. That new haircut of his is pretty frickin cool, simply enhancing his overall coolness. After his one blown save, Wilson has bounced back strong, twice having to get a 4-out save, while also pitching a scoreless ninth in a 0-0 game.
-Wilson needed to get a pair of four out saves, because Jeremy Affeldt was twice unable to finish the eighth. Let's hope Affeldt can get things back on track, because Bruce Bochy is already talking about replacing Bob Howry with Merkin Valdez as the eighth inning righty. If the Giants are going to have any shot this year, the bullpen has got to be solid.
-Jonathan Sanchez is still struggling with the mental game. Though in his defense - and Dunae Kuiper raised a similar point - I've always felt that a pitcher should be able to go out and give up three runs and still win. Unfortunately, with this offense, when you fall down 3-0 early, a comeback does not appear likely. "How about the offense picking up a pitcher every now and agin," Kuiper said. Agreed.
-Randy Johnson is at 297, going for 298 tonight.
-More Nate Schierholtz please.

Some Positives Despite Sloppy Loss

I know I should be really frustrated about last night's 5-3 loss to the Dodgers. The Giants committed two costly errors, threw three wild pitches, walked nine hitters, made mistakes on the bases, and struggled to get clutch hits despite numerous opportunities. However, I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed last night's game before the Dodgers finally pulled away with two runs off Bob Howry in the ninth. Perhaps that's because I wasn't really expecting to win this game, with Dodger ace and Giant-killer Chad Billingsley on the mound. I feel like the fact that the Giants were able to at least get Billingsley, as well as Jonathan Broxton, on the ropes several times is a positive. Here are some other observations:

- Jonathan Sanchez worked harder than he needed to because of a dropped fly ball by Fred Lewis and a throwing error by Juan Uribe, which led to two Dodger runs. As a result, Sanchez was close to 100 pitches after five innings.
- Lewis strikes out a lot. He leads the National League with 26, and it seems like they have all come in the last week.
- For all the talk about what a clutch hitter Bengie Molina is, it seems like he's popped up a lot of first pitches in big situations.
- Pablo Sandoval is hitting the ball with authority, and Travis Ishikawa is taking better at-bats as well.

Molina Upset

Pablo Sandoval is giving us a number of reasons to be excited. But there is one thing Bengie Molina is not excited about - he thinks Sandoval has been assigned as Barry Zito's personal catcher:

It is a personal catcher whether they say that or not. I'm not very happy at all. I can't be happy. I came here to play. If they don't consider me a No. 1 catcher, if I can't catch the No. 1 guy on the staff, let me know. I ain't stupid. I don't think I've ever been stupid. I've been in baseball for a long time. Come to me and tell me. Of course I'm going to be mad, but there's nothing I can do about it. They're the bosses.

While Zito has performed well with Sandoval behind the plate, both Bruce Bochy and Zito insist no official change has been made.

Molina Reaches Career High

With a three run homer against Arizona on Monday night, Bengie Molina increased his RBI total to 82 - a new career high. The fact was overshadowed by Tim Lincecum's performance, but the feat should not go unnoticed.

Who Needs Home Runs?

Not Bengie Molina, apparently. Bruce Bochy announced last week that the hard-nosed catcher will be occupying the cleanup spot for the Giants at the start of the season. Molina is the one remaining bright spot in what was a dismal offensive season for the Giants in 2007. He did hit 19 homeruns, while driving in 81 runs - the majority of which seemed to come with either two strikes, two outs, or a one-run difference separating the two teams (some times all of the above).

But don't expect Molina to be swinging for the fences. He likened this Giants team to his 2002 World Champion Angels (gag!), who he claims did not win games through sheer power. "We killed people by getting a lot of base hits and stealing bases with all those speed guys. That's what we did. I'm expecting the same thing here. I think this is a major-league team, right? We all know that. These guys have to understand that we can do it by getting base hits."

Embodying the Giants new "Warrior Spirit" (more on that later), Molina also proclaimed, "We need to get to 95 wins this year. That's what's going to get us to the playoffs." Seems like a daunting task for a team projected to only score 3.99 runs a game. Yeah ... I'm still hoping the Giants add another bat.