Losing Out on Players I Don’t Really Want
When Jed Lowrie gets 24 million dollars it’s time to take a step back and just let all the madness unfold. I think I would prefer the Giants going out and unearthing Brian Bocock from wherever he might be. Convert him to 3rd base. At least we’d have a solid glove over there. Not to mention we could fire up all the *bigcock* jokes the blog could handle…..
I just can’t support multi-year deals for players who I don’t really want anyway just to fill a hole we have for one year. And please God NO Asdrubal Cabrera.
If the Giants plugged Adam Duvall in at 3rd and The White Shark into LF and signed Max Sherzer would you guys feel confident about heading into 2015? And before everyone freaks out at such prospects don’t forget that the Giants won their last 2 World Series’ with Blanco playing regularly.
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And so long to this guy. Short stay, good Giant
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Morse signed with the Fish. 2 year deal…. Bringing back the WS team intact the following year intact has proven to be a recipe for failure. Sadly and inexplicably, our record of winning , amazing park, amazing loyal fans, and the best manager in baseball means little to nothing to these guys.
Is there any even 2nd tier guys still out there? Not a huge fan of Shields for the money he wants. Schuerzer either. Sad face.
I have no problem with Sherzer and Blanco. The freakout would be over Duvall.
That was a nice move for Morse. Good hitters park and an opening at 1B.
So Sabean loses out on Lowrie, Morrow and Morse. The options are dwindling, but maybe Timmeh will be more amenable to an extension this time around.
Zach, your time here is dwindling if you don’t knock off the troll shit.
I think for these fringe guys its like boom. Got the ring, go for the scratch. He certainly got a lot more $$$ from them than he would from us.
Realty all these players all play for the same team. They all end up as teammates at one point or another. Doesn’t really matter where you play.
If you already got your ring, wouldn’t you want to cash out too?
I would be down with that as long as I knew Duvall could handle it defensively…Or the Giants could go after Alleykat’s fav 3rd baseman Matt Dominguez. The word is that Lowrie will play 3rd and Dominguez will move to the bench or get traded for a bag of balls. Matt was statistically one of the worst everyday players in the game last year. However, a change of scenery could do him good.
Joaquin Arias has always performed well at third, but seems like he is never mentioned as a regular. His offensive stats are as good or better than Brandon Crawford
Arias might be the best remaining alternative, and won’t cost a draft choice.
I would be cool with Blanco, but honestly I don’t know enough about Duffy to say either way. I’m not into looking up stats, I’m more of an eyeball test kinda guy. I’ve said all along of all the big name free agent pitchers, I want Sherzer. He has a non-violent delivery and seems to be less of a stuff guy.
Believe Duvall is terrible defensively. That’s why he only played 1b.
There’s no in house solution. Probably end up with someone who is cut loose from another squad. Castillo redux.
Worse case scenario, Arias Adrianza Duffy. Would be nice to have Gillaspie back.
Convert Hector?/Since his brain is scrambled, why isn’t he playing 3b?
Oh well, I can live with a down year after 3 in 5. Kind of fruitless to get Scherzer without a 3b or LF.
Management has been very clear about Hector in saying he will not be converted to 3B. Not an option to fill that hole.
Sadly, the bromance has ended but the Marlins are a good fit for Morse. I picture him rollerskating down the Miami strip with a headband and some oversized Bootsy Collins shades. Good luck dude.
Giants value defense too much to ever put Duvall at 3rd, I was just throwing out that scenario to see where we were all at if the team does nothing other than sign Sherzer.
I’m totally down with Sherzer being the only move. Except I would move Pagan to left. It may be a shot to his delicate ego but Bochy has the most leverage for that type of move right now. Pagan is coming off another injury and maybe there is less wear and tear with a move to LF, Blanco was the starting CF for the WS team and 3 in 5. Give him the oy captain salute and ask him to take one for the team.
During the Giants slide it seemed any LU with Blanco in it, esp leadoff, caught quite a lot of grief. I like the guy, but not starting and getting 500 ABs and putting up .707 OPS (as opposed to Morse .800 plus)…esp since you might get that out of Panik and a dumpster dive/in house 3b option. 3 guys like that in the LU plus Crawford and just like Dirt said on previous thread, be ready for torture.
And if that is Sabes plan then it’s all the more reason to get a front line SP, not less.
Hopefully a full healthy season of Belt makes up for some of it. End of 2013 he was hitting 3rd in LU and raking.
Getting Sherzer would be awesome, but his price would have to come way down. But that would be a nice 1-3 starting rotation.
Is this a battle royale at third or what? Duvall, Arias, Duffy, Chris Dominguez, Mario Lisson, oh yeah and Adrianza is still on the 40 man and out of options. No furniture protection needed with that group. We still need a Third baseman.
I’m probably in the minority, but I don’t mind Blanco as a starter. Ishi and Perez will be around and I imagine Brown, Jarrett Parker and Justin “K” Maxwell will get ST looks. I’m OK with a mix from that group for the OF
“No furniture protection needed with that group.”
LOL.
yeah, I missed that until you pointed it out. That’s freaking hilarious, Bozo
James said something interesting on previous thread, re Grandal: a .700 OPS is the same impact on your offense and runs scored regardless of whether a guy hits .225 or a lot higher. If you look at what Crawford Blanco and Panik did last year their numbers for OPS and OPS+ are almost exactly the same.
Having 3 guys in LU like that worked in playoffs where your 3 best SPs are always out there and Bum dominated, including the clinching relief stint. Over the course of a full season, with a replacement level 3b instead of Sandoval, I don’t think that works so well unless you upgrade SPs quite a bit. And remember the Giants just did barely get into to the 1 game playoff spot with 88 Ws.
Yeah, it’s not completely correct to say the Giants won 2 World Series with Blanco starting, because the “getting” to the playoffs has to be included. And the Giants got to the playoffs in 2012 with a strong first-half contribution from Melky, and in 2014 with strong first-half contributions from Morse and Pagan.
Hopefully the Giants get a strong WHOLE season contribution from Pagan this year. And, as you said, another x-factor could be Belt, with a fully healthy season. If he has a strong season, then Panda’s loss is lessened.
The Giants are not signing guys so far in the crazy high-priced mania of this off-season; but ironically, they helped created that mania by winning the 3rd in 5, in a 2-Wild Card team world. We Giants fans believe anything’s possible, and now all the other teams believe that, too. Just about every team thinks they can be a playoff contender this season. Even the Astros are signing expensive free agents.
I’ve been thinking about the difference between the regular and the post season; I guess we all have. Billy Beano was flat wrong, seems to me. It’s the regular season that’s a crap shoot–a really protracted one. (Look at the Giants in 2013–first place for months, then the injuries, the bad luck, started, and so did the nosedive.) It’s the PS where the teams playing the best ball have the edge and luck has less room to wreak havoc. But to get to the PS . . . . Can the Giants work with what they have, just stay in contention until the break and then make moves? Doesn’t sound like a good bet to me. But it looks like the alternative is spending big money on a SP now.
That’s an interesting take. I’ve always wondered how many teams with superior clubhouse chemistry and lousier regular season records would have won the WS pre-1968.
I kind of chuckled at Lester’s interview on the MLB Network yesterday. He mentioned something about taking into consideration his family when choosing a place to move to. Was that a dig at the Bay Area? So, instead, he’s taking his family to Chicago, which everyone knows is the safest city in the U.S.
and the best weather, too. lqtm
Hey, I have heard that spring and summer in Chi-town is awesome…all three weeks of it.
Obama’s home turf.
Chicago’s not as dangerous as you might think. It doesn’t even rank in the top ten cities for violent crime rate.
By definition, only one team gets to win the championship in 2015, so there’s going to be some disappointment directed at some of these high-priced free agents, by some disappointed fan-bases.
I don’t have much disappointment with the off-season so far. Just the Tomas thing, and I promise to not keep harping on that. And he could turn out to be a bust, anyway.
Scherzer would be a nice get, but I don’t think the Giants will be willing to go as high as “Kershaw money” for him. And, as somebody mentioned the other day, his price may be coming down a little bit anyway as time goes on. A lot of the other teams have already gotten some high-priced free agents, and the number of suitors for Scherzer may be dwindling.
Several of the MLB pundits think that the Yanks or Tigers will end up with him.
The thing I’m most pleased with about the off-season so far is the Dodgers losing Ramirez, Kemp, and Gordon. All three of those guys were tough outs for the Giants this past season.
The Giants seemed to neutralize A-Gon pretty well with the extreme shift. A-Gon is so slow that Panik was throwing him out from medium-deep right-field.
It has been regularly reported that Giants management will not go after Scherzer.The length and money is too big (and I don’t see Sabes pulling a rabbit out of his hat on this one). Everything I have seen/heard is that Shields is still the top pitcher they are pursuing (and the last I saw on this was a couple of days ago).
I don’t see Dominguez getting much at 3rd as he has overall sucked defensively. I think Duffy will get a harder look there if the Giants don’t go the trade route (also, Duffy was the Eastern League batting champ). Everything I am hearing is that the Giants will fill the hot corner role via a trade.
Blanco as a starter? Nope. I do not want to see the guy out there as an everyday guy. Great off the bench and as a spot starter, but nada as a starter.
I am sticking to my original thoughts, in that I am not tripping on the lack of movement. Even if Sabean and crew go dumpster diving to fill the holes, I am down with that, as he has proven time and time again that he can be successful using this model.
Just putting this out there for future reference…With the team as it stands is likely going to suck. I’m basking, and will live with it but really this is bad. Peavy was a STUD in his short time with us. Is he gone?
Now we have Mad bum (coming off 270 innings including 50 very high stress ones. ), Cain off elbow surgery, Tim off 3 years of sucking, Petit, and no one. Maybe no Romo.
Blanco,Pagan,Pence Belt Panik, scrub 3b,craw, Posey. Our worst line up in years
If we were not flappers (and somewhat blind) this is a team that may struggle to win half its games.
everybody said the same thing about the team last July and August. Go look at the archives, it’s all there
When have the Giants ever been the best team on paper? Sabean knows what he’s doing. And if the Giants step back a bit in ’15, that’s not the worst thing, as they build towards ’16 and beyond. Sabean plays the ‘long game.’
So what’s wrong with making a trade for Middlebrooks? Dude has no future now in Boston,has plenty of upside, power, D, like I’ve mentioned had an injury plague season last year, which killed his overall play, but jacked 17 bombs then 15 his first 2 years, nice size at 6’3 220lbs
Thanks for the Matt Dominguez shot Wilco. Still feel he has upside as well.
he can’t stay healthy and he hasn’t had an OPS over .700 since 2012–and that was in a seriously better hitters park than ours. I do, however, love his last name and think it would look great on a line up card. After that…..
Andrew Baggarly @CSNBaggs 8m8 minutes ago
Giants=my fridge when I return from a road trip. Either get really creative & whip something up, or order pizza. Lester/Pablo was the pizza.
Brian Murphy @knbrmurph 41s42 seconds ago
Baer tells us to “let the cake bake.” After 3 parades, I get it. Just want to make sure cake isn’t from ‘MacArthur Park’, left out in rain.
I just don’t really see what options are left on the FA market for the Giants so a trade is the obvious move. What pieces do the Giants really have to exchange? Not much without significantly subtracting from the big club along with prospects. Outside of Bumgarner and Cain who’s untouchable? Posey, Pence? I’d sell high on Panik if the deal was right but it’s not like they’d get Jeff Kent in return.
None of the regulars will be moved to add a 3rd baseman. If they go the trade route, I believe it will be pitching prospects that are predominantly used.
Just prospect aren’t going to net a starting caliber player in return. Nothing better than Arias/Duffy/Duvall. I think Sabean is going to surprise with a controversial trade.
We can agree to disagree. I think he can get a starter (not a huge big name) for prospects, and the few articles I have read on how they will fill 3rd (via a trade) says that it will be via pitching prospects.
I’m bummed to see Morse go, though I realize the Giants weren’t likely to keep him. I had soured on Morse during his horrific slump, but looking at the season as a whole he was a major contributor, and of course there was the huuuuuuuuge HR in the NLCS and the clutch ABs in Game 7 of the World Series. The Giants won a WS with Burrell in LF, and then Morse/Ishi this past season, I think we could’ve gone at least one more year with Morse again, but I guess Sabes didn’t want to go beyond that. Best of luck to The Beast, though I wish he had gone to the AL.
LA DFAed the Beard. I loved it when he exercised his $9.5 mil player option this year.
That is so fucking sweet. And the best part is the Bums still pay the 9.5 million, just for the right to remove him from their 40 man roster.
Yeah, the Dodgers have to pay Wilson all that money to go away from them. That’s pretty hilarious.
Actually, it’s noteworthy that their new front office is willing to jettison dead weight, no matter the cost. That makes them far more dangerous.
I was bummed in a way to see Morse go, but realistically, I just didn’t see the value, even for two years. He will always be a great Giant in my eyes. Sure, he struggled for parts of the year, but he was one of the few who carried the club during the first couple of months of the year. There is no doubt he was a contributing factor in the “Three in Five drive.” Good luck to The Beast. Like Mac…would have preferred that he went to the AL.
Ah yes the Giants and what they need to do. This debating on players goes on every year. But if you look at it and say it out loud 3 in 5 years. what is not to love. Sabes has brought in players that are just talented enough to get them to the dance and then ALL of the players have contributed to complete the season. What is going to happen when Bochy decides to hang up his cleats? We have not even began to look at that scenario, but that could happen at any time. All I have to do is look down to Santa Clara at the Niners to know that things go from great to frustrating in just a few short years or in just one season for that matter. It is a wonderful feeling to win and win big. But that can not last forever. Look at the Yankees and Boston, and now the Dodgers, how much money do they throw around? and how many WS’s have they won in the last 5-6 years. I will alway be thankful that I got to see the Giants win a World Series. Seeing them win 3 was just Icing on the cake. Cause there will come time when they won’t be winning.
Really not into Blanco starting or getting a starter’a s number of ABs. Unless he bunts every time up …
lqtm
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/12/16/dodgers-dump-brian-wilson-eat-95-million/20490235/
I see Bozo already beat me to this news
Taking monies from LA and not helping them, in my books that puts BW up there with Jason Schmidt, two Dodger salary killers. Love it.
At least the dodgers got something out of Uribe, but the Wilson and Jason Schmidt signings were 2 of my favorite’raids’ by the Fodgers.
Hah!
Oops, didn’t see your post. Agreed.
Wilson is just further evidence against overpaying for a closer. The Perez guy LA also brought in to set up didn’t work out well either. LA is starting to make good moves now that Colletti has been kicked upstairs.
For all the crying of poverty from Oakland, Beane signed Johnson to $10 mil deal last off season only to DFA him too.
Yay to the Bums dumping Wilson — and still having to pay him! Now I can wear my orange shirt with the Wilson bearded silhouette again.
Isn’t Scherzer represented by Boras??? Enough said….
Yes he is GH,
Mentioned that yesterday, No way in hell Sabes talks to that prick.Borass will just have to fuck over another GM for Scherzer.
I missed the later comments yesterday so I think we are both on the same side of this argument…
Hilarious to see more egg on the LA Fuckers faces. No Wilson I think means they now waste more dollars on Romo. Good for you Sergio, fleece them for all you can.
Now with these mediocre players like Lowrie, Rios and Melky all falling by the wayside, does that mean there are less suits for Justin Upton or does it mean the Braves will know the market is down to basically the Giants, Phillies maybe (but would they trade Upton to a division rival?), Rangers I could see pursuing Upton and not many others and they try to pound flesh even more to force the pursuing teams to cough up more???
Thoughts?
The upside about Morse going elsewhere and the Giants not wasting tons of dollars on Lester/Tomas/Panda is that I think the team has learned after a championship, you don’t need to then sign your heroes for silly deals like Scutaro for 3 years, Huff for a couple, Pagan for 4, etc.
I agree with Magnus and others about not wanting to get fleeced by second- or third-tier players. But I am feeling just a little like we are asking the third time to go to the junior prom and coming up empty. Maybe we just will skip the prom, I don’t know. I do confess I am starting to buy in to the JUST DO SOMETHING sentiment. Almost.
and who will ever forget that homer by Morse before the Ishi clout? Adios, Beast.
Other salary dollars the Dodgers are eating so far, in addition to Wilson’s:
“The Dodgers are also paying approximately $12.5 million to Miami to cover the salaries of the traded Dan Haren and Dee Gordon, and will pay a reported $32 million of Matt Kemp’s remaining salary as he plays in San Diego, a deal that is expected to be finalized this week.”
…which, as said above, makes them leaner and more finely tuned than they have been…play ball!
Well, it was said by a Dodger fan, so he’s hoping.
And more salary eating from the Dodgers to come:
who is this? Hey, remember when MadBum threw his glove down and said to Puig, “Let’s go!”? And then homered. I think we lost the game, but it felt like a win.
It’s Ethier. The Dodgers still owe him 3 years/$65 million, and they can’t give him away. No one wants him, even for free.
Yeah, MadBum set the tone this season, all throughout the season. The Giants would keep competing all throughout.
And Puig’s bat-flips, for every extra-base hit, weren’t appreciated.
He’s staring down the umpire, right? At first I thought it was 2-trips.
If they got rid of Ethier there would be nothing stopping Puig from ruling that team with an iron fist or in his case, an iron brain.
I guess the Orioles could be in for Justin Upton and trade rumors has Seattle as potential competition…
from Morse. Nice.
Double M’s @Mcode38 36m36 minutes ago
I will forever be grateful for all of the love and support from the fans of @SFGiants
Nice parting message from Morse:) I always like a guy who acts like he enjoys playing a kids game, working (working?) 6 months a year and earning more in a year than even someone making 100k a year will earn in a lifetime. I wish him well in the the fish bowl…
PS Speaking of Sabean garbage heap pick ups.. Two different left fiel options….
One will be 32, He has two 5 homer seasons, a ops of 691, 676, 707 last 3 years
The other will be 33. He has four 20 homer seasons, and ops .812, .783, .691 last year
Who would you rather have??
And no it isn’t Morse:) Hint the 1st one is Blanco
Al Del Greco?
Cost is an issue. So is durability. Blanco has both of those on his side. Morse got a great deal and I think it’s a good fit. But I would rather remember what we got out of him instead of watch him fall apart the way Huff and Scoots did…..
I’m gonna have to agree the 2/16 he got from the fish was one year too much. The 8 mil not such a big deal, until he’s watching from the DL in 2016. I really liked the guy and his contributions to the team were HUGE, but he did right by himself to go to Fla.
I’d invite Alfonso Soriano to Spring Training for a look.
34/101 in 2013…
In addition to Upton, this is another guy who says he hates ATT
Maybe he’s referring to his cell phone carrier…
The Marlins are the most bizarre organization in baseball.
Who says the Giants are idle? Curtis Partch, reliever, signed to minor league deal.
Getting a bit of a Partch throat over that exciting news Pawlie.
How much stock should you put into a player’s proclaimed hatred of a ballpark? Upton has been a consistent player over his career and he’s in his prime. Give him 300 PAs in SF and the lousy numbers very likely go away.
BTW, Upton has crap numbers in Cincy, Philly, LA, St. L, Milwaukee, and Wrigley. He’s been very good in SD, as bad a hitters park as there is.
The other guy was Eithier. LA will give him away, then we should take him (assuming they pay most of his salary). No I don’t like him ether, but Blanco starting I like even less
Marlins have added a lot of pieces. They could compete for the NL East next season, certainly a WC birth at minimum…