H Day
Supposedly, Harper is signing somewhere today. I’m not falling for the hype until I see a signature. I fell for the Stanton hype and it’s just not worth it to wonder “what if” until *what* has *happened*.
If he doesn’t sign with the Giants our back up plan of Gentry/Parra/Solarte should be enough to make up for his lost production…..
…..if you take everything they do in 2019 and compare it to his first two weeks of the season….
Trying to catch up on the Harper news last night (sounds like he will break the log jam today), I saw a story (believe it was the Merc story) of Farhan saying the Giants may have some deals in the works to move some of those who “started” last year and was just waiting what shook out with Harper, Machado and other position players. So if true, probably means he is looking at Panik, Belt and Crawford possibly moving.
Can we think if we did sign Bryce (think it may be as high as 35% chance), could they move some contracts, Dyson would be a $5 mill savings – Dyson and Panik somewhere??? – for prospects they could package to the Tigers for Castellanos??? Having his right-handed power bat hitting behind Harper would be transformative to our lineup.
Merc story also relayed Boch saying they think Duggar will be hitting lead-off…I am not sold…
But potential lineup if they make the suggested trade;
1) Duggar/Gentry (starting the season?) – CF
2) Solarte/Hansen – 2b
3) Harper – RF
4) Castellanos – LF
5) Belt – 1b
6) Posey – C
7) Crawford – SS
8) Longoria – 3b
Thoughts? 100 more runs scored pretty easily and Harper/Castellanos would both be 40 homer capable hitters with those extra games in CO and AZ…
Longoria ain’t hitting 8th.
He may be the worst hitter in that lineup…but I was aiming to split left-right handed hitters through most of the lineup. Move him up against lefties and probably Panda gets some starts against righties…
I recently read that Farhan had a backup plan if the Harper thing fell through, something about a trade he’s been working on since Nov. I’m thinking maybe a Samardzija for Ellsbury kind of a needs/salary swap type of deal. Or maybe a Longo for Upton, don’t know why the Angels would want to trade Upton but they could use a 3B.
It was a tweet from Bags yesterday that I read. – “When I asked Farhan Zaidi if he is positioned to pivot if Harper doesn’t pick SF, he said that trade conversations that began in November remain active. Don’t be surprised if the Giants unleash a flurry of moves once some of the major free-agent tumblers click.”
good. A *flurry of moves* would please me.
Could not say it better myself…wait I did already say it above😁
This NBC article says pretty much the same thing as the Bags tweet, except it uses more words.
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/giants/giants-continue-discussing-trade-options-they-wait-bryce-harper
Cueto said this yesterday in Scottsdale through interpreter in Hank story: “It was almost 3 years I was pitching with discomfort in the elbow.” It just got progressively worse to the point he couldn’t pitch at all and finally had the surgery that will likely keep him out most of this season.
Thx to Blade for link to Pence write up, very cool. Great guy, and even though we all saw the erosion of skill set, he’d never Machado his way to 1b on dribbler or routine ground out, ever.
Just wonder what would happen if little woman would give up her cell phone and social media for say a month and rejoin the real world.
Speaking of Machado, one of my favorite players, Dustin Pedroia was put out of action most of last season because of that tool (i.e., a takeout slide that most people deemed dirty). As a result of that play, Pedroia is playing this season with the knee of a cadaver. I hope he has a good season.
Pedroia born and raised played HS ball in SanDawg territory, Woodland CA before going to Ariz St and Sox.
Cadaver knees can be ok… 🙂 Since ’97 I’ve had a cadaver ACL in my left knee after I blew it out trying to be JT Snow in my softball league playing on a way too foggy night in the Presidio. Oddly enough, my surgeon was the Giants’ orthopedic surgeon but apparently only for a short time… hmmm.. He said they had only 5 years history with that kind of surgery, good luck after that. It’s been acting up lately. Never want to have to go through that again. Steve, agree about Pedroia, great player.
Besides money and length of contract, Harper must be thinking about winning it all, it’s just a matter of how quickly. Being 26 he’s got time, I haven’t heard anything about that from him. His options seem to be staying with the Nats, who offered good money but have proven that they can’t win the big one and he wants out of there… or, going to the Giants, who maybe put on a good show in Vegas and are promising a winning team 2 or 3 years down the road… or, the Cubs, who are and have been in “win now” mode and likely will remain in that mode under Epstein … or, the Phils, who have shown they’re ready for the next step up. I’d guess he’d be inclined more toward Phils or Cubs. Which means he’ll sign with the White Sox. …….
Harper, per FP santangelo who k.ows him well, said the all time HR list is one of his main concerns. Why would he spend even a year in SF if that’s important to him? Go look up his ATT career record. It’s abysmal
Well he wouldn’t achieve that in Chicago with the Cubs either…and he thinks he will catch Bonds??? Yeah right. He is never going to hit 50-60 homers naturally…
he would hit more homeruns in pretty much any park in mlb. If homers are so important to him, and FP says they are, then he’s not seriously considering the Giants, Boras is just using us as usual
The only LH power that made any sense at ATT was Barry Lamar Bonds.
Stretch would be the only other Giants power guy I can think of that would have been undeterred there, except he hit a lot of low liner HRs, which the tall wall would have reduced to doubles.
Going after a LH power hitter for that park is nunsense.
If I were such a hitter, I’d use the Giants for negotiating leverage, and that’s all…
During the Vanderbilt/Virginia college baseball game that was televised yesterday, in the broadcast there was a montage of Vandy players who are current major leaguers. Somehow they left out Beede.
Giants’ first ST game is next Saturday vs. the Angels. There’s kind of a myth that the players practice a lot before the games start. Not really.
I think they stay in much better shape, but not necessarily practice.
Team Harper and Boras not showing much hand today…
20 mins ago has the Philies in the lead FWIW.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2821129-bryce-harper-rumors-phillies-have-a-lot-of-momentum-and-traction-with-star-fa
Harper can probably hit HRs out of that Philly bandbox with a one handed swing…
I checked.
He’s hit 14 career HRs at the Philly yard, 2nd behind his Nats home park. Hmmmm.
Citi Field (Mets) is 3rd with 12…
that’s a fucking dead giveaway as far as I’m concerned.
We all know that the Giants do not want to cross the luxury tax threshold, correct? Currently, we are at approximately $180 million payroll. So, if Harper and Boras want a minimum of $300 million for 10 years, that comes out to $30 million per year. I recognize that a lot of these contracts are back loaded, so this might occur with Harper’s future contract.
Now, back to the Giants . . . They have already let it be known via the media that they do not want to do a 10 year deal. However, again, per the media – they’ve let it be known to Harper, that they would like a shorter term contract with more money paid per year. Huh? How can the Giants do that if they only have $26 million dollars of wriggle room before they pass that luxury tax threshold of $206 million dollars?
If the Giants have a new attitude about the luxury tax threshold, this is what they are facing . . . they’d pay 20% on any amount over $206 million this year ($208 million next year, $210 in 2021). Color me skeptical.
Suns v. Bucks in Phoenix on Monday March 4…
Maybin a non-roster invitee (signing).
If they have not announced a deal by now, he ain’t coming. As Flav pointed out and Boras has always tried to leverage us…if the Phillies are putting $300 mill on the table, he is going there. Hime run bandbox but that fucker ain’t hitting 650 home runs for his career. Very interesting that he is intentionally going to stick the Gnats fans in the eye…Maybin now?
Giants outfielders in 2019.

Mac (under) the knife’s grandfather.
My independent survey has shown that the average baseball fan cannot name a single outfielder on the Giants current 40 man roster. I’m not even sure the average Giant fan can…
Mac the Oaf
Disabled Duggar
Snodfart Slater
Maybe Maybin
Parra Que Perder
Well done, Xoot!
lulz
F P, lol. Harper can forget about the HR record right now because he’s never getting near it Harper currently has 184 HRs in his career at age 26. If he hits 30 a year for another 10 years, he would still be 100 short of Frank Robinson’s 586. Plus he’d be 36 yrs old by then.
Imo, no one is coming near Bonds record, ever. They aren’t playing that long because they’ll have all the money they need anyway long before 40, and all the relievers used these days will help hold numbers down.
Yo Wille, Rutgers just lost a heartbreaker to No. 24 Iowa Rutgers hit a 3 to take 1-point lead with 3.3 left, but Rutgers then did not guard the inbounds pass — why, why, why? — Iowa heaved it into the left corner, ball deflected to Iowa freshman who banked in a 3 to win it.
oh man. Yeah, either get right in his face with long armed big or use extra defender to double nearest pass.
Tough L for Monmouth, but…I saw that their game with Canisius is on ESPN U next Friday! At home right? Love to see that one. Very competitive league. Is the tourney still at Siena?
RU coach Pikiell said he used extra defender to take away Iowa top 3 gunner Bohannon. Whatever. You gotta put someone on the inbounder.
Exactly . . .
Bobby Fuckin’ Grich? Is he serious?
I have almost no memory of Grich’s career. He was an AL guy in the era before games were all over TV.
I remember Grich mostly as a 2nd sacker for the Angels, I think. I know he played in Baltimore, but I’ve never paid much attention to the AL. He was a pretty good player, but no way was he a HOFer. At this point, I’m pretty sure I’d take him over Panic…
3 point contest time on TNT…
Thanks for the heads up.
Meanwhile Kentucky blowing out #1 Tennessee Vols. I’m watching Bradley Braves (home of Hersey Hawkins) vs. Illinois St Redbirds of Missouri Valley conference, before Utah/Arizona St for 2nd place in Pac 12 and Stanford hosting UCLA come on later.
What happened to Harper announcement? Will Boras announce when his next announcement will be?.
They’re probably still pounding out a detail like when the opt-out year is. The opt-out option is all the rage now.
Yeah Joe Harris!
yeah that’s cool. He’ll be able to tell everyone for rest of his life he whipped Steph Curry.
Guy hit 7 3s the other night, UVA guy.
The 3-point shooting contest is legit, but the dunk contest does nothing for me.
San Dawg was a big Bobby Grich guy if I know that dude like I think I do.
#7 Nevada on ESPNU. Jordan Caroline, intriguing player. But is there a role in the NBA for a 6’7″, 250 pound guy? I like his passion and toughness. I see some Draymond Green fire in him, but Draymond is taller and more versatile.
The twin brothers are cool. Fun team.
Anyone remember the Van Arsdales?
I sure as heck fire do…
Bobby freakin Grich a HOF candidate??
I can’t control my laughter 🤣🤣🤣
When a player like Jeff Kent stomps on every stat that counts and he’s getting rear ended every year on the ballot! Screw the HOF voters for their stupidity every freaking year election times come around..
Bobby Grich, there’s a name I hadn’t heard in awhile. I don’t know why but I strongly disliked those Angel teams back then, with Grich, Downing, et al. There was something about Grich’s batting stance, or he used a really small bat and looked silly, or something. HOF? That’s just silly.
Oh yeah, I loved me some Bobby Grich. Still have a nice big ass Bobby Grich glove that I use for softball.
HOF? I don’t know about that.
Savy move by Kaep and his lawyers to get over on the NFL. Do I think it was deserved? No. Kaep can’t get a job in the NFL because he isn’t a very good QB and does things that divide locker rooms and pisses off some fans.
Do i personally have a problem with him kneeling during the anthem? No, I don’t. I tune in NFL games to watch the action, not to get my world views confirmed.
If he was Marino good, an owner would deal with his baggage and bring him, but at his level of production, no one wants to deal with all of that other controversy. No collusion required on this one.
He was better than some of the garbage QBs starting in the NFL.
More rumors abounding that Harper is going to the Phillies.
@MLBINSIDER_
#BREAKING
Source: After meeting with his agent and examining all the offers on the table, Bryce Harper has made his decision and is tentatively planning to announce it in a
@PlayersTribune article. Harper is taking his talents to the Philadelphia #Phillies. 10-years for $310M+
10:04 PM – 16 Feb 2019