Rest and Relaxation = Winning Time
We’ll see what this day off did for the boys. They had played 17 games in a row and they definitely looked tired on Sunday (at least until Pence tapped his dribbler into right field). We have our three aces going (Holland–by nickname, Bum–actual ace, Stratton– team leader in wins). And Colorado doesn’t seem all that interested in playing baseball. There’s something going on with that team. They should be better than 2 games under .500, especially at this point in the year, way before the rigors and stress of traveling to and from Sherpatown all season begin to have a negative affect on their bodies.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
During rain delay Sun night ESPN game talking heads noted 3 teams in each NL Division in contention at near half point in season, Giants included. ARod made a point that with Bum post season history, Giants not a team you want to face 1 game elimination.
Given all the sell off rumors by chump teams (Belre Britton yada yada) reported on MLBTR, what if: Sabes had the green light to get whomever he wanted to upgrade roster.
What position(s) would you be looking to improve/targets?
They have another run of 16 straight games now I believe..
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You are right Kat. Upcoming schedule: Rox (3 home), Zona and Rox (3 each, away), Daniel’s Cards (4 home), and cubbies (3 home). Day off, then the Fucking A’s come in for three before the AS break.
Important stretch…team needs to put together some runs of 3-4 wins…none of this mamby-pamby treading water bullshit of winning a game or two, and then dropping a game or two. They need to separate from, and shoot above .500.
WillieD – sell-off rumors or not, it is HIGHLY unlikely the Giants are buyers this year, and IMO, it will be difficult to swing a trade that improves the club measurably. Just heard a clip this morning where Booby was saying as much, and that the club’s needs would be addressed “in-house.”
If anything the club should try to swing a deal for better/younger starting pitching but the premium would be too much for Booby to stomach. As others have noted, this is the club for this year and with some superficial tweaks in the off season probably next year too so we may as well enjoy it.
The big decision will be what to do or not do with Bum.
Pence and McCutchen come off the payroll next year, so there is some more salary space for Bum if they want to re-do him this off-season. I would think that’s when it needs to happen, or just let ’19 play out and say goodbye to him, or trade him mid-season next year.
Also at some point they have to decide about Panik longterm.
Speaking hypothetically, since I don’t see the Giants making any significant moves, my priority for a player (per WillieD’s question)would be a young starter (same as Dirt), or a corner OFer with pop.
As stated earlier, and mentioned by Dirt too, I think the team you see is pretty much it for this year.
Next year the team can shed almost 40 mil via free agents at the end of their current deals. Pence at 18.5 and Cutch at 14.75 make up the brundt of that. Offing Gearrin saves 1.675. Hundley (2.5) and Holland (1.75) are also FAs. I would definitely try to bring Hundley back, and probably Holland.
The short of it is that between Pence and Cutch, you have a definite subtraction of 33.25 mil in salary for next year. Time for Booby and Sabes to go shoppin’!
Giants will, at a minimum, exercise Bum’s option at 12 mil, IMO (I DO NOT see them as sellers and trading Bum).
I am a proponent of signing Bum to a 3-4 year deal/extension, with an option year. (I am not in the let’s trade Bum camp.)
Oh I didn’t see your post. You said it better. 🙂
Believe it or not, I think the pitching is fine. At least in the realm of what we would have to give up to get anything consequential. These young guys have done much better than could be even remotely expected. Ivan Jr wan’t on anyone’s map before he was called up. Suarez and Stratton are good enough. And once Cueto comes back our rotation looks pretty damn good.
We need to get rid of MINAJ and Pence. Another believe it or not is I think we have the guys down in AAA to get the team going. Namely Duggar and Shaw. It’s just a matter of pulling the plug. Fucking Jackson doesn’t even get a sniff anymore.
Add Duggar, Shaw, Williamson, Gomez and Black to Stratton, Rodriguez and Suarez and the club has some relatively young depth to fill holes. I’d trade Panik if an opportunity presented itself but that’s just me.
Flav, you heard anything from Nipper? He hasn’t posted on my blog for close to a month. And he usually posts pretty regularly.
no but he hasn’t posted here in years.
He must be on a coffee run…
Harper terrible baserunning this morning. Schwarber terrible baserunning last night.
On the ESPN broadcast last night Vasgersian went off about how bad the baserunning has gotten in MLB.
It’s all about launch angles and exit velocity now. Fundamentals are becoming a thing of the past. Look at our pitchers and their bunting ability.
A friend and I were speculating on the launch angle and exit velocity of some guy vomiting outside the bar the other night…
I lay odds the exit velocity was higher than that of Pence’s game winner on Sunday…
I guess I’m just wondering how comfortable everyone is with OF, esp should Cutch leave, and 2b, 2 spots I’d upgrade given the opportunity. Waiting on Cutch to show me a little more pop and rbis, frankly.
Panik is a fine defensive IF currently in a big slump. His pop from 2015 big season (and first week of this one) is gone. Hanson hits much better LH so that doesn’t help much vs. LHP and his D isn’t his strong suit, tho I like the guy. Pablo bless his contributions isn’t a 2b and Specs isn’t that much of a hitter.
Gorks and his .800 OPS, and I know I’ve said this before, do not seem sustainable. I’m not sure how well Giants would do with an OF of Mac Slater and the kids alongside Gorks. While certainly cost effective that doesn’t seem near on par with what other contenders have and more like what the Padres would do.
It would be interesting to see how other clubs react if they give McClutchen a qualifying offer. The only worthwhile outfielders in the free agent class are Harper and Puig so we’ll know about Hernandez, Duggar, Williamson, Shaw & Slater soon enough.
I don’t see any significant moves regardless of where they are in a month.
They’ll ride it out with what they got and hope the injured guys return to help.
Even if they’re way out of it they have very little to offer as far as guys who are both useful and affordable to a contender. Bumgarner talk is nonsense…
I’m sure you’re right, Chi in his earlier post too. If they can hang around and be in hunt for Division or WC tho, I’d like to see them make a cody ross type move or some such to show fan base etc. they are in it to win it and not just to contend.
Any and ALL moves will be based on their ability to keep under the luxury tax threshold. Don’t be surprised if they make a hard play for Harper in the off-season.
Staying under the threshold will reset the penalty from going over this year at 50%, to 20% for next year. That, and the loss of Cutch and Pence’s almost 34 mil in salary will set them up to be players in FA next year.
Puig makes so much sense for the Giants.
Why don’t you guys see that???
Next year, Pence, Gorkys, Cutch and Mac will hopefully be gone and the kids are here to stay. Although Gorkys prolly stays as the 4th OFer.
Have we given up on the Oaf?
Panik is a great disappointment. I had him going to the ASG this year.
He’s not going anywhere either and Specs is strictly a utility guy.
Just say Noaf.
I think Gorkys will be back, especially if he sustains anywhere close to his numbers this year.
Am I the first to post this? I’m surprised.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
love it,
Saw that. Hilarious…Russell telling Barkley “he is still number one.”
Is their a minus launch and bat speed when Pence bats?
It’ll never happen, but if he proves he’s healthy, Cueto is exactly what the Yankees are looking for now.
I’d send him and V.O. there in exchange for Ellsbury’s hideous contract (but about $20 million less than they owe Cueto) and Aaron Hicks since they won’t part with Frazier…
Williamson with a bomb in his first game back on the farm.
are you fucking kidding me? Just now? WTF I didn’t even call it! Argh!!!!!!!
It was last night but still-lulz
Sandoval’s contract includes a $20 million club option or $5 million buyout in its 6th year (2020).
Anyone know how that works? Do the Giants have to pay all or part of whichever option they choose?
Man, I’d forgotten the Red Sox were still on the hook for 2019 with him. Ouch.
I’d think the Sox would still be on tab for the 5 million buyout for ’20.
Of course, no way the Giants pay 20 million for him in ’20. They could just re-sign him for a pittance later in the off-season before ’20.
So if the Sox are on the hook for the buyout, why wouldn’t they be on the hook for the $20 million club option if the Giants chose to exercise it – unfair as that may be…
Could it possibly be the Red Sox choice even though he’s not on their team?
Worker finds dead body in the basement of NY Giant’s Janoris Jenkins who isn’t home.
I have a hunch this is going to be a big story…
1. Gorkys Hernandez (R) CF
2. Buster Posey (R) C
3. Andrew McCutchen (R) RF
4. Brandon Belt (L) 1B
5. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
6. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
7. Joe Panik (L) 2B
8. Austin Slater (R) LF
9. Derek Holland (S) P
Wow. Posey in the 2 hole. Slater with the start. Go get ‘em kid!
Why are they sitting the red hot Pence?
can’t wait any later on Slater
A family friend?
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/06/26/victim-found-at-janoris-jenkins-home-identified-as-family-friend/
Slater wanted no part of those bullpen mounds on the long foul pop up down the LF line. Ha! Smart guy.
And Slater apparently had never seen 3 good mlb sliders until that strike out
Jesus. I get he’s amped up, but by the 3rd pitch you gotta think,’ hmmm, prolly not gonna throw me a strike.’
Holland just threw 4 strikes for the walk.
Each of them were just outside the box. Good for the ump.
Is that the “Gorkys Grape” on the left?
Dead CF bomb from Gorks who is putting lot of higher paid teammates to shame.
Gorkys da bomb!
Man, Twinner woulda loved this Gork revival. We gotta check and see if he’s got a middle name we can use as his nickname. lol
“Gustavo”. That one prolly won’t catch on
Goose! Or Maxim, if you’re into russian lit
I’m sure Boch calls him Gusty
Head him talking about Specs the other day and he called him Tommy.
Nice job by Holly.
oh no another line drive in the scorebook. Unbelievable.
Pence is really pitiful.
I’d love to see his BP…
When you put the ball in play, great things happen!
Giants appear to have good chemistry anyway.
Dugout is always enthusiastic…
Better not screw this up…
yeah, Cutch. Great throw from Parra. That was low enough to cut off but right on the plate. Slater’s a fleet motherfucker, though.
Fuck!
Jesus, Cutch. Clang. That is a terrible play.
WTF???
oh shit that looked catchable
Do you score that an error on McC? Sure as fuck looked catchable on the replay…
He didn’t fucking touch the ball so no.
But it looked like it went right over his glove, and he COULD HAVE caught it, IMO. Moot point…damned run scores.
Not an error but should’ve been caught. Pence in his prime catches that.
So, if it should have been caught, shouldn’t it be an error? In my book it should be…
Willie Mays at 87 catches that…
that was an error, to hell with the official score keeper
What’s with McCutchen and this ole shit?!?
Now see, I can just give Loo a thumbs up and not waste his time with a post.
Almost killed an infant with that foul ball…
The big boned gal with the glove needs to get in front of the guy with the baby in his arms.
Grand salami?
No salimi, but we’ll take that shit. Great AB!
Gustavo! I don’t think juice gives you that kind of grit (or eye)
Robo-ump!
Bring ‘em on! I’ve been a proponent for at least a test drive…cannot be any less consistent than the human umps…
Can we praise an ump? That guy was very consistent that inning on that inside slider. Great AB by Gorkys.
Here we go. Quick and painless please.
Not to be.
Watson has some sick numbers this year. 40 K’s and 7 BB’s in 36 IP.
Dyson’s scaring me here
Fuck.
The guy should absolutely be standing on 3rd…
Yup.
MLB baserunning: worst ever nowadays.
He lost the plate swiveling his fuckin’ head to 2nd so many times…
I thought the same thing–he reminded me of a 13 year old pitcher looking back to 2B and then moving to the plate before he turned his head there
Some of the games this year have taken on shades of 2010’s torture…
DP, please. Now…
god damned weirdest DP!
Holy shit. Did they get either of those?
They did!
BOO YAH! DP! Ballgame!
Great play by Belt!
great play by all three of them, beginning with Panik who didn’t panic. Crazy game.
Wow, what an ending !….
wow tough play all around by the GG men. Out both ends!
Boo Yah! Two Pack Dyson grinds it out.
Fuck Yeah! Humm Baby!
Dyson’s 94 mph “sinker” moves more than any fastball I can remember. wtf does he struggle so much?
I don’t think he knows where it’s going half the time, it moves so much.
You all are welcome on my channeling the DP. 😉
All right, thumbs up for you.
I’m not sure Belt gets enough credit for his defensive prowess. He’s pretty damn good.
He’s the Rodney Dangerfield of Giants…
That’s a fact, Jack! Not only glove work, but setting and throwing on a DP, too..dude has an accurate throw.
If he could hit the inside corner with that pitch all the time, he’d never give up a hit. Unreal movement;
Gold Glove Gumby . . . for the win.
Is this Gustavo’s first post-game interview? I don’t believe I’ve heard him on air before. Amy G just wants him to shut up. I sort of like his run on bullshit.
“Goose”–excellent name by the way
I watched that misplay by McCutchen on that liner to right, late. He was right there, and somehow did not get the glove on the ball. WTF? He didn’t even have to stretch for it. Basically, beyond routine plays, he mostly sucks with the glove if challenged…
Yep. I watched it a couple of times…he should have caught it…definite error in my book.