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I don’t care if the Rockies stink, all these strikeouts have been fun as hell to watch. Giants pitchers struck out 30 Rockette’s yesterday. I wonder what the record is for a single day?
And if we rip off 10 wins we’re still in this. Do any of you trust Farhan to get anything for Snell? He overvalues all his players, that’s why he can’t ever pull off a deal. But for the first time in years, maybe ever, I don’t really care if they sell or buy. This year isn’t over by a longshot but if Zaidi decides to pull the plug he better not fuck this up.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
One week ago Padres were 50-50. Now? They’ve won 7 in a row and sit atop WC standings. That’s all it took, one hot streak. Giants are in middle of one now with upcoming opponents Rox today followed by A’s Reds and Nats.
They have infusion of young players up and down the lineup (Fitz Bailey Wisely Villar Schmitt Ramos) surrounded by solid vets Chapman Wade Jr. and Yaz, and starting rotation they envisioned in order finally. Lot to be optimistic about…can they play better on road is biggest question. 31-22 at home plus 19 run diff. 21-33 on road minus 36.
Math doesn’t lie.
Giants have a snowball’s chance to make the post season. Sell, and get more prospects for the future. It’s not like their farm system is loaded. They need position players that hit. Sell is the only move that makes sense…
to you, I get it. I’ll give you more math that doesn’t lie from last year–DBax were 2 games under .500 as late as August 11. Yet the finished with 84 Ws, 6 games over .500 and got in. Get hot and it can happen for any one of at least half dozen NL teams fighting for WC. Including Giants. The Padres were at .500, now they’re on top. That math doesn’t lie either.
Serbia is giving the US men’s basketball team a competitive game so far.
Embiid is terrible. Durant killing it
When Serbia tries to run up-tempo with the US, it’s a big mistake. The US team is very happy to have an up-tempo game with any opponent. The US team likes to go into Show Time mode.
I’m OK with no big trade for the Giants. Several of the younger players have broken into the lineup.
BTW, Yankees are reportedly after Snell. Like they are after anything for the short term to get them a WS win. Make them pay, and sell. Snell is as good as gone next season, so get as much as possible for him.
The Yankees are desparate and need help in their starting rotation. Four of their five regular starters have an ERA over 4. Including “so called” ace Gerrit Cole, who has not been stellar since returning to the rotation last month. Anyone who thinks Snell is going to stay in the Bay Area next year is delusional. MAKE THE YANKEES PAY or lose the levarage we have over Snell. All reports last year were that Snell was extremely disappointed not scoring a 9 figure contract after his outstanding season a year ago. He wont allow that to happen next season/year.
If Farhan does not parlay yesterday’s Snell gem into a major prospects payday from the Yanks or somebody else, he is a friggin’ moron…
Sabes has gone back to the Yanks as a consultant, last I heard. Talk with him, and get Cashman to give up the farm store. Make it happen…
Beautiful set play to end half, screen the screener. Durant cuts to wing to screen for Ant, then gets baseline screen from Curry to cut ball side for midrange J.
Conversely, former MLB executive Jim Bowden is saying San Francisco is not shopping the star left-hander and will hold onto him through the deadline because they “are not going to throw in the towel.”
Frankly, I think Zaidi will do nothing and hold pat, i.e., agreeing to what Willie alluded to at 8:17am. He will gamble that the Giants can make a run at a playoff spot. What Zaidi is gambling is monumental – as I alluded to at 9:22am . . . Snell was extremely disappointed in the off season that the majority of teams were reluctant to hand him something in the range of $300 million. Does anyone really think he wants to stay here (or any place) for the chump change he is getting with this contract, if he has a chance to score $300 million with another team?
Me? I doubt it.
Derrick White is such tremendous story. Began his playing career after HS at DII college for 3 years before transferring to Colorado. Now he’s NBA Champion and playing for his country in Olympics.
Mixed emotions. I’m with Craig. OK either way. Has Farhan ever made a big trade? No. Trade Snell and get a A list prospect. Can he do it? I’m not confident he can, so keep him and see if we can pull it off.
If you look at our starting 4 if we make it? Potentially elite. If we make it that means they are all pitching well down the stretch. We would have Birdsong and Hicks in the bullpen.
Snell Webb Ray Harrison would stack up well vs any team we would face.
The trade for Kris Bryant was a big trade.
Snarkk, I am bracing myself for Zaidi doing jack shit or something boring like trading Conforto, Yaz, and/or Flores. That’s all folks!
. . . key Bugs Bunny Looney Toons theme song.
Even without Snell or Ray this is foundation of team of team that could be on rise and compete next season. Rotation set at top with Webb Harrison Hicks and Birdsong at the least plus other depth options. With or without Doval they have solid young arms in pen Miller Walker Rodriguez Hjelle and Bivens. Return of Lee solidifies OF around Ramos and Yaz, plus Bailey and young more athletic IF.
The offense as is currently sits 7th for runs NL, better than 8 other teams. Same with team OPS, most important stat there is for scoring runs, what offense is all about. More experience for young guys and maybe someone else breaks out like Ramos and Fitz have. Pitching and defense can lead the way.
Hicks? No.
Hicks 1st year as a starter has been better than expected imo.
Hopefully SF will put him in the bullpen soon, so he saves his arm. Next year there is reason to believe he will still be good. Why the No?
He had a good month and the rest has been iffy. He seems stronger out of the pen.
“Whatever he decides will probably turn out badly…”
Seems about right to me. I assume Zaidi’s offered Johnson et al a menu of trade deadline choices/recommendations. If the return simply stocks the system with a bunch of second and third tier prospects, I’d just as soon they gamble on 86 wins this year. IMO, a trade that includes Snell should net a couple of players who are more likely than not to be good MLers.
I do wonder what will be different for Snell going into FA next year. He’ll be a year older with another schizophrenic season under his belt. A team that looks at his history and believes that he sucked early on solely because he missed spring training is putting on blinders. Not that there necessarily won’t be a team or two in a better position and willing to do just that in 2025.
I mentioned the playoff odds a few days ago (prior to their meeting with the Rockies), which were 11.5% per Fangraphs. Fast forward this morning, they’re now at 17.6% . . . Still dismal, but they have today’s game with the Rockies and 2 upcoming games with the A’s. So there’s that.
Pecota has their chances pegged even lower at 9.8%.
Both systems put 85 wins at about 50-50 to make the WC for teams now on that pace. One projects 81 wins, the other 80 for SF.
Yes.
What’s interesting is that the SF projections are given little boost from the injection of starting pitching. BP adds a single win, FG 2 over the current winning percentage. That probably makes sense given how they’re calculated, but it does downplay what’s potentially a bigger shift in a season long pattern.
Farhan should be on the phones with the Orioles in a deal involving Doval for O’s 1B Ryan Mountcastle.Giants need a RH 1B with pop not named Wilmer are Villar badly.
Wilmer can go back to NY Mets along with Conforto for Loo’s boy Baty are just decent prospects if possible .
A’s have a player the Giants could probably get cheap with low end prospect in Andjuar (sp) formerly in Yanks organization RH left fielder that has more power then Derek Hill another wasted pickup by Farmhand Stables of wasted roster moves. I’m keeping Yaz though they will need a LH bat once Conforto is gone, besides somebody needs to play a good outfield since Ramos butchered another play yesterday coming in on a ball as it sailed over his head..
AK, good point. I have seen 3 columns regarding a potential trade with the O’s and I agree with you (although, I do not know if they could score Mountcastle). Frankly, in the old days, teams would promote someone internally to the closer position. I think we can still do that with the candidates we have within our organization.
Moreover, Doval is either approaching “long in the tooth/pass his milk due date” or . . . will be there soon. Why not strike while the iron is hot?
Regarding Yaz, his 34th birthday will be next month. He only has one more arbitration year left and every indication is that the Giants will have to pay him 8 figures going forward for him versus the $7.9 they are paying now. Just me, but I want Lee, Ramos and a free agent playing in the outfield next season; or, Hill, Meckler, and Fitzgerald in the mix. Agree with Willie – Matos is NOT the answer.
Nevermind
I’m with Snarkk. Trade Snell and get one or two rising star AAA stalwarts. But I’m also with Blade in terms of tamping down optimism ahead of Tuesday trade deadline. Zaidi’s history suggests couple marginal acquisitions of mid-level at best talent while offloading one or two vets from Giants roster.
Nice Giants have climbed from 11% to 17% in playoff chances this past wknd but that’s still just 1 in 6 probability with 6 teams ahead of them in playoff chase. We all hope they catch fire last two months with solidified starting rotation but any move by Zaidi/Putila to mortgage young talent for aging vet would be mistake.
Best thing about 2024 Giants has been infusion and integration of young talent into roster including Fitzgerald, Ramos, Wisely, Harrison & Birdsong. As well as gradual jettisoning of aging vets including Slater and Ahmed.
Good evaluation Dean . . . Forgot to mention that the other day (yesterday?) when you wrote another in depth evaluation of the team.
Thanks but just echoing comments you and others have made in past month. Needless to say my view on Zaidi has regressed significantly past 3 years. Was big advocate of hire at end of 2018 but have seen diminishing results in recent seasons.
We won’t get more than mid-level guys with Snell on his opt-out at the end of the year.
You may be spot on but given Yankees recent decline my hope is Pinstripes overpay to get another established arm in rotation. Also think Red Sox might take shot at Snell as well. I’m in camp where despite Snell’s struggles this year I think he’s opting out at end of season so get some value back now.
Exactly Chuck, and contenders like Yanks are up against CBT and leery they get stuck with Snell’s $25 K salary next year if he gets hurt and then opts in. Lot of contenders that at least profess getting under CBT is a goal. giants are there too so sending back cash with Conforto or Snell won’t do them any good. How much will it cost Hal to be in on Soto?
I’d trade Snell only if they can get back top near-sure thing prospects. But don’t expect that from the Yanks, whose GM Cashman has some kind of hypnotic power over other GMs where he gets quality players and gives up next-to-nothing in return. I’ve seen it time and time and time again. As a Yanks hater, it’s maddening.
Sort of happens with the Dodgers, too. Teams overestimate Dodger mid-level prospects.
Saw quote from Baseball America guy J. J. cooper: “about 60 prospects are moved in July every year, and that, if three of those players end up with sustained big league careers, it’s considered a solid trade deadline.”
so reality is the “prospects” you get back as a seller will likely never amount to much of anything.
Laz already has guys pissed off at him lol.
Seeing Laz at 1b got me listening to great Eddie Palmieri cha cha tune “Lazaro y su Microfono” last night, with flute/trombone combo. On same LP with Justicia, Sujetate la Lengua, Viejo Socarron etc.
Casey Schmitt and David Villar have combined for 73 plate appearances this season. with 0 walks/19 Ks.
And Schmitt says, I’m touching all 4 of them!
Schmitty!
Trivia note …
Jorge Soler was the first Giants leadoff hitter to reach base 5 times,score 4 runs,and drive in 3 runs since Jim Davenport who did it TWICE!!
July 26 Jorge Soler 2024
September 12 Jim Davenport 1958
May 4 Jim Davenport 1963
Willie’s 1:06pm . . . So? I could say the following: 1 of 30 teams become World Series champs, “so reality” is that Giants should schedule their golf vacations now. Or, every year the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers out spend everyone, “so reality” is the Gmen have little or no chance.
My drift is that it doesn’t stop GMs from trading at the deadline year in and year out; nor fans from hoping that their team benefits from a trade.
Of course, there’s always hope. But the idea that by trading a major league player for prospect, that guy turns into a major league player at all, let alone better than what you have, are rather small. Which is why I wouldn’t trade Yaz or Chapman or Wade Jr. Doval, in heartbeat
Zaidi did trade for Kris Bryant when he was still a good player. Two months of Bryant, I think. In the magical 2021 season.
Road Rocks are good for what ails ya’…
They’re not trading Chapman for sure since they finally established a reliable 3rd basemen that plays everyday.Problem is will he opt out if Melvin is gone next year along with Z?
I can’t see Melvin only getting one season. That’s just not a very Giantsy thing to do.
The Giants’ August schedule looks kind of nice. The September schedule looks kind of rough.
Happy Chappie!
Yeah, make ’em pay!
Glad to see so many farm hand finally up and playing definitely adding a spark to the line up. Like what Fitz has been doing and Bird looks like he is gonna be something special. But at this point I don’t see a complete player in any of them. I can see both sides of the snell debate but in the long run unless he opts out of his op-out he is history. Might as well see what the wind blows in. Also not a fan of Z any longer but my opinion is just that. And it seems to me that we could use an overhaul in coaching at all levels of the minors
Baseball gods not on Rox side right now. Nice hustle by Hill to get on first place. If he can hit at all like the triple he smoked earlier he fits profile of exactly what giants need.
Jobu must of made a special rum batch for Soler who finally is delivering bigtime in recent weeks.Wtf keep him leadoff it seems to be working ..
And maybe Z found another dumpster special in Derek Hill having a nice game with 2 hits ( one a triple)2 runs scored and showing plenty of speed beating out that infield hit.Looks great in the outfield as well..
11 hits for Giants today so far. 8 of them by older guys-3 for Soler 2 each for Chapman and Conforto 1 for Yaz. Once again Melvin yanked Schmitt for Wisely…
Ground ball to 3b, just what doctor ordered. Bivens gets out of it.
Rox Tovar is hella fun to watch.
He has 17 HRs, after hitting 15 all of last year in 150 games. Raised OPS from .695 to .789. turns 23 next week Aug 1.
Here we go.
Dovall isn’t closing too well these days. Can’t locate the fastball…
hooooooooo ballgame!
Brooms!
Good news: Giants sweeeep!
Bad news: That’s the last time they play the Rockies.
I’m going to miss the Bad News Rockies.
Hard to figure what a sweep really means. Rocks are garbage. If Farhan doesn’t trade Snell, he better pray they sneak into the WC. If the Giants miss the WC, and that is likely, Farhan will need to really explain himself when Snell leaves Farhan holding the bag in the off season — and barring more injury, he will leave…
Always nerve racking with Doval but got it done
SWEEPING is what they had to have🧹🧹🧹🧹
3.5 Back in W/C will find out soon what they will do! 54 K’s from the pitchers this series impressive..
The men’s basketball team ended up blowing out the feisty Serbian team.
The women start tomorrow vs. Japan. I can see their game on the USA network at noon (I think.)
Perils of Pauline with Doval closing games. Wonder how many of his saves have come when he entered 9th with 2 or 3 run lead and surrendered earned run.
But 4-game sweep of any team – even High Altitude Rockettes – is sweet. Still 6 teams ahead in wild card chase including 3 with 50 or fewer losses but Giants shaved deficit to 3.5 games this wknd. Whatever Zaidi/Putila draw up in next 48 hours, don’t mortgage Giants future. Give Fitz, Wisely, Ramos, Harrison, Birdsong et. al. space to grow.
Só I didn’t notice till now the Giants called up both Rodriguez&Bevins and put Birdsong back to San Jose to finish out his time needed on 10 day option.They also put Sean Hjelle on bereavement leave to be with his family..
32-22 gets them to 85 Ws.
Saw this on MCC site from “lexluth” and I concur:
“I like this team. They are frustrating as hell. but for me, they’ve been more fun to watch this year than the last couple years.”
I agree on that. There is a lot of promise with this team.
What about Farhan’s conflict of interest?? If Giants don’t make playoffs this year, he will be fired and his reputation as a brilliant guru soiled. So it’s in his self interest to hang onto Snell and hope the Giants catch lightening in a bottle. Might be in franchise’s long term best interest to sell Snell, Yaz, Comforto, maybe even Soler and Chapman. I actually like the talent on this team and would prefer that they play for this year rather than tank.
after the Dodger series no one was saying this team was fun to watch. They are hot and cold creamed shit.
the trade deadline is the trade deadline. No waves around here. The pitchers off the IR is our deals. But to think they will even wave as everyone leaves on their opt-outs after the season is dreaming.
“…frustrating as hell.” yes they are that too and there were winnable games in LA.
Fun to watch? Sure, if they play the “Holograms” (AKA Rockies) every game.
zzz . . .
Baggs mentioned something I forgot about re: 2019–Z did send Melancon away to Braves, who sent back T Beck and took on all the rest of his contract. Debate Bum if you want, but Melancon deal was tremendous. Also traded away Dyson from pen.
With all the SP&BP depth is there any logical reason for keeping Cobb around at all? Hip surgery, shoulder stiffness, just the other day a blister on his throwing thumb to the first batter in rehab start.WTH is wrong with the Giants,his own body is telling him he’s through, and to waste a pitching spot for 2 innings of work at best makes no sense to me.