Mild Shake Up
Butto, Tidwell, Gilbert, Marte, Rodriguez, Vrieling, Harbor, de la Rosa……
When you put it that way, it feels kinda underwhelming.
But it went about as I’d expected. We moved Yaz and Doval. Kept Verlander.
We got 8 guys who none of us have ever heard of. Hope one or two of them work out.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Jim Bowden for what he’s worth in the athletic today:
“San Francisco Giants
“Grade: A-
“Key takeaways: The Giants landed one of the five “A” grades (an A-minus technically) in part for landing DH Rafael Devers from the Red Sox on June 15 without giving up their top prospects. Even though they haven’t played well since, it was a phenomenal, lopsided trade, which I think will help them for years to come. During the week leading into the deadline, they decided to be all-in sellers and did an excellent job — so much so, I thought they came out on top in every trade they made. The Giants have reloaded their farm system, gotten younger and put themselves in a stronger position to add in the offseason. Kudos to Buster Posey on crushing his first trade deadline as president of baseball operations.”
I’m not sure I’d use the word “crushing” but it went well. He moved 3 guys and got back 8, some of who may turn into something. I won’t miss Yaz and Doval got sold high which is outstanding because we all know the head case meltdown is coming in NY. Rogers hurts a little this season. Our bullpen, at least for the rest of this season, is a big concern now. The hitters I am going to be cautiously optimistic about because it’s impossible to be collectively this bad for an entire season.
But as SanDawg texted me, “I guess we are about to find out how bad Matos really is…”
matos in RF was my first concern yesterday. But the backups from Sac won’t be much different. Yaz played the position beautifully at home.
Or maybe we see Gilbert, the Mets OF from Rogers deal. Has lower K % than McCray (19% vs. 31%) and contact appears to be something Posey values. No question Rogers lot more valuable and consistent as set up guy than Doval so return might be more promising.
why not? Although roster spots might be scarce. (Not that the Oaxaca Wonder can’t be bumped.).
One thing I did like: Buster making moves. The last couple of years I kept hearing all this bullshit about “oh we don’t know what Farhan was offered! If he wasn’t offered anything good why make the move?” This take always felt hollow to me. You negotiate a deal. It’s baseball not corporate America. I refuse to believe Farhan couldn’t have made a decent deal for Snell last year. Buster would have.
SP they got from Yanks has been in same AA League as Richmond, so scouts have seen him.
Rodriguez, hitter Posey likes, plus Gilbert and Tidwell (from Mets) will go to Sacramento.
No word on who takes 3 spots of guys traded off ML roster?
Posey is the BEST thing to happen to the Giants since Sabean (and I am not alluding to his All Universe skills as a catcher). Read this 2010 SF Gate column by Shea and you will know what I mean. Buster was there from the beginning of that Championship era and knows what it takes to win consistently. It has little to nothing to do with superstars, but everything to do with “making all the pieces fit.”
https://www.sfgate.com/giants/shea/article/MAKING-THE-PIECES-FIT-3250921.php
I could give 2 shits if he ultimately swings and misses on Devers, Chapman (whom, I dislike intently), or the moves he made yesterday – as he’s not sitting on his hands like Zaidi did.
Addendum – maybe this is crazy, but imo – Buster should be given a minimum of 3 seasons (not including this one) to build this team into a consistent contender for the W Division crown.
I’d extend the same charitable take to any GM or equivalent. They should be judged on the logic of their moves, not the outcomes. That said, I think most transactions nowadays are pretty well-reasoned.
I’m satisfied with moves past 24 hours. Someone yesterday (think MacDog) probably right that 19th & 25th best minor league players on Yanks farm seems low level return for Doval. But catching prospect might bear fruit. View Rogers trade as solid with Bhutto MLB ready and couple intriguing prospects. Yaz deal to me was about shedding salary and getting younger. I also like that Giants kept Ray as it otherwise would have sent wrong message about next season.
Commend to everyone Baggerly article in Athletic, Pavlovic et al article in NBC Bay Area Sports and Laura Britt/Pavlovic interview of Posey after all trades yesterday. Underneath Posey’s calm demeanor clear frustration with past six weeks including mental meltdowns in baserunning and defense.
The breakdowns are certainly a bad look, but the severe decline of the pitching and Devers failure to hit over that period have had the biggest impact on the W-L.
Interesting quote (I’ll try to find it) from Posey on who ultimately bears responsibility for lackluster mistake ridden play too–the players. 2 more months for him to evaluate who he has at all levels including staff.
Come on, man. This certainly doesn’t paint the coaching in the minors very well.
Matos comes up and looks lost. Fitz comes up and looks lost. Ramos is a rolling doof who doesn’t understand basic baseball rules.
Shoddy defense, lazy throws, terrible clueless baserunning. And we haven’t even talked about the hitting.
This shit should be identified and dealt with in AA, not in the fucking majors. It blows my mind that you lay this at their feet.
Sure, maybe Ramos is uncoachable, but there needs to be consequences for when you fuck up so badly and so often. That’s on the coaches.
Only thing that surprised me was Pavlovic saying Giants didn’t go into full sell mode until after Tues night loss to Bucs. Really? We all know Giants could make surprising run to playoffs as 6 game Padre edge not insurmountable though after Padre trades yesterday gap only got wider.
But at trade deadline you need to be unwaveringly realistic – not unreasonably optimistic – about playoff odds and act accordingly. Giants have been in Dead Man Walking stupor for six weeks. One win over lowly Bucs Tues night wouldn’t have changed that.
Good for Posey and Minasian yesterday. No earth shaking moves like Devers deal but solid competent steps. My only gripe with Posey to date was giving Melvin mid-season extension thru 2026. I am not convinced manager or coaching staff don’t share blame for collapse since mid-June.
Agree with take regarding Melvin and his coaches. However, I think of it this way . . . Yes, Buster extended Melvin thru 2026, but do you seriously believe Buster will not fire him in May or early June of next season, should Melvin tolerate/not take action against a coach that makes a stupid decision (Williams) and/or is not producing satisfactory results, e.g., hitting coach Burrell? Or, the team is floundering?
Buster’s Melvin contract extension was all about showing confidence in Melvin, as well as his coaches and players. In effect, Melvin is on the clock beginning April 1st and I think he knows that. Regarding his coaches – both Williams and Burrell have until the end of this season to prove they belong here. They will be gone prior to Spring Training if they have not improved by the end of this season.
I throw no shade on Posey for extending MoTel.
It very well may be the kiss of death. He did it to show that Mel isn’t a lame-duck manager.
But that won’t stop Posey from shit-canning him at the end of the season.
Ticket prices behind the Giants dugout this weekend have plummeted, but I just don’t have the enthusiasm for it…
You Gotta Like These Kids!!!
The 1986 battle cry actually turned out pretty well.
I wondered if you were headed to Citi Field this wknd. Back in spring my son and I circled tonight’s game so as not to waste Sat or Sun traveling to Queens. Then my summer vacation plans jelled and I headed to South Carolina last wknd for couple weeks vacation. If I had stayed home this wknd, not sure I would’ve coughed up $$$ including $18 for one 12-ounce watered down beer to watch current state of Giants.
The only good development on the beer front is the 24 oz Modelos they sell at the park. Not that’s its spectacular beer but at least you know what you are getting. It ain’t the shitty Coors light butter flavoered beer they sold at the stick.
What should be done with Matos? He can hit but his errors in the outfield and base running are not good. Same with Bailey, gold glove catcher, but I cringe when he is batting. Glad they got young. Now we will see more of Matos. Who else will they bring up
FWIW, Matos 3 partial seasons more or less add up to one full dreary one:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matoslu02.shtml
Does this answer anything?
https://tinyurl.com/2r8j7a5x
oh shit Loo .. Gravedigger vs Matos .. ugh, think I’m gonna be sick. thanks, I guess.
Now do Austin Slater. He just got traded to the Yanks wint Judge going down.
Here’s a golden memory for comparison purposes…
https://tinyurl.com/bdzd27y6
Man, forgot all about Dirty Mac. Up there with Darin Ruf.
Mac the Oaf! Does make you wonder — how would Ramos and Matos handle the old bullpen mounds? Not well, I bet.
Ramos for that matter. He seems to be getting dumber with every passing season.
According to MLB.com., the Giants obtained in yesterday’s Mets trade the #18 (Tidwell, RHP) and #21 (Gilbert, OF) of MLB.com’s top 25 best prospects that were the subject of deadline trades. That’s excluding Tibbs (#8) who the Giants moved in the Devers trade, but who is now with the Doghairs after yesterday’s trade with the RSox. Nobody in the top 25 returned from the Giants trade of Doval.
D-backs ranked as having 5 of the top 25. Dodgers 2 of the 25, both ranked above the Giants two…
https://www.mlb.com/news/ranking-the-prospects-traded-at-the-2025-deadline-mlb?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
MLB’s dnd-July hard trade deadline has become its answer to the NFL draft madness. MLB.com reports that over this past Wednesday and Thursday, there were 50 separate trades made before the deadline. I think that is cool, generates real interest among fans. Something MLB has somewhat blundered into that is a big marketing plus for the game. Manfred will probably do something to F it up…
“end-July” hard trade deadline…
Happy Buster did it. This is much better than Farhan’s yammering about being aggressive and doing nothing.
Getting anything for Yaz is a plus. Doval is gonna be scrutinized like never before. Don’t think this bodes well for him, but we will see. Reminds me of the Pablito trade to the Red Sox. Rogers? Hey, i’d give about an 80% chance he comes back after this rental.
Sabean is now somehow part of the Yank’s braintrust.
No doubt he had something to say about the Doval deal. With Doval’s obvious history of mental melt-downs, no wonder Buster couldn’t pull off a better trade. 4 bodies anyway, 1 or 2 might pan out. I heard this morning that the catcher SF got is the Yanks 3rd best farmhand catcher. Good luck with that…
Posey said, “….you want there to be accountability for the player to understand that ultimately their career success or failure comes down to one person and that’s themselves.”
Agree. Some of these players (you all know who they are) have been given not 1, not 2, not 3, but upwards of a half dozen chances. Particularly true with these quasi major leaguers with the “frequent flye. . . uhh, bus” pass to Sac and SF.
And yet 2 of 3 Giants he dumped Yaz&Rodgers were always accountable in a team full of head cases, they weren’t the were always pro’s with a knowledge of the game.But I get it Yaz&Rodgers on expiring contracts and age also a factor.Get what you can and go young and restocking a minor league farm system that definitely needed it.
My point is what is going on in Richmond? Or SJ? Or Sacto? Or thr AZL?
Why do ALL of our callups look overmatched?
Richmond was dead last or near last in the Eastern League first half, something like 21-46. About .500 in second half so far. Somebody else will have to give any individual player shout outs in what appears there to be pretty much a team wasteland…
How would any of us know unless we’re there? Why are you throwing everyone under the bus when you have zero idea what goes on in San Jose or elsewhere? Or what goes on btw Burrell or pitching coaches and the players? None of us are in clubhouse or on the field during pregame or offday workouts, right?
Fans blame the coaches for freaking everything that goes wrong with zero credit, ever. How is it coach fault Walker throws to wrong base–he said himself he was thinking DP before the pitch! coaches are there to help and advise guys–but it’s up to players to make the plays, or not. 100%
Right On!
Peterson gave up 6 hits 3 BBs 1 run in 6 last game here in SF. Mostly same hitters probably in lineup. Knizner caught Matos started in Rf. this was Lee (3 hit night) near HR off Diaz and Alonso leaping grab off Bailey’s bat to end 2-1 L.
Buster’s expressed keen interest in the utility catcher from the yanks. Puzzling. We may not see him until ST. Same with the others.
José Buttó, however, should show up soon.
Huh. Greg Papa (never really liked him) diagnosed with cancer and is quitting announcing.
Looks like same lineup as last time vs. Peterson except Bailey as C batting 9th. Are McCray and Teng up? One more?
Teng is up, RR named closer.
Slusser says teng starts tomorrow.
Yep, Teng vs Senga tomorrow.
It’s a perfect day here in Berkeley, martinis await at happy hour, grilled shrimp tacos on the menu, Friday night baseball …. Maybe Charles Johnson makes an emergency appeal to Trump. Replace the nerds at Baseball Ref. with others willing to provide data more reflective of the winners these Giants truly are.
watch .. now, these remnants will go on an inexplicable winning streak that will have us all singing I Remember April!
Yes, we’ll be content! My go to is the June Christy version.
Ahhh, very, very nice!
Looks like the Giants are going to be content sticking with their familiar inexplicability.
and consistently inconsistent . . .
I concede .. my self proclaimed prescience is lacking.
hey wait .. maybe not! Early runs!?!? WTF!?!
Just watching the tape. Maybe fucking Burrell finally said ‘hey, look for the first pitch strike.’
Wilbur showing out.
Huh. Yaz homered in his 1st AB with the Royals. Against Gasman no less. Good for him.
Maybe the KC coaches straightened out his swing.
Funniest thing I have read today . . . Outstanding Mac!
I second Blade!
Can they bring up the catcher they got from Yanks now?
what? And dfa irreplaceable knizner to make room on the roster?
2nd funniest thing I have read today . . . Good one xoot!
Yep, same as Blade.
How is it possible that Devers is this bad?
But he caught the Bailey line drive ….
Hey I think Posey saw a lot of himself in that Catcher Jesus Rodriguez, kid has ripped the ball through out his minor league career, over .300 avg every season, he’s has good OBP, has shown power that’s been increasing every year.Would not be surprised if he gets a callup over Kinzer.He’s actually pretty fast for a catcher as well..
He apparently also has a sieve for a glove…
Matos tells Ramos ‘hold my cerveza’. That was a foot and a half high.
Hey! Bailey gets Lee in.
Hey, Bailey gets one in on his 3rd try!
Giants have an INSANE 7 Catchers on their Rivercats roster??
i texted a Mets fan, best way to get Ramos out is put him on base.
That’s so funny Mac I’m still busting a gut.It’s so sadly true how dumb he does on the base paths..
Wilmer was due for an injury figure 10 days on a hammy pull?Mr.ED back to the staples temporarily..
Devers with the fucking hat trick
Golden sombrero.
Willie, on your 4:01:
IDK if you are responding to my or Unca’s post immediately above your 4:01. Whatever. No shit that none of us attend SJ or Richmond or Eugene or Sac games, etc. Not many of us attend many, or in my case, any Giants games. So, per that, we can’t comment on anything? That’s channeling Twin. We do know by their records that Richmond and Sac aren’t doing particularly well. Multiple “experts” in the farm systems rating services and on sportstalk constantly say the Giants farm system before the latest draft and this trade deadline was in the 20s — way thin at the top with some gems in the low minors that are 2+years out from the big club. Buster obviously confirmed all that yesterday by selling off big club players to bulk up on minor league bodies. I think it is completely legit for Unca, me and anybody else (like most of the usuallly obsequious Bay Area media) to question the coaching at the big club after a complete team face plant out of the AS break blocks, and a string of Matt Williams gaffes at 3rd. These coaches are big boys, they can handle criticism, and they know their charges have played like little leaguers during the past few weeks…
Well, Flan man can’t! Up until guys like Belt, Crawfish, and the Bore Corps retired, the defense was very solid. And they knew where to throw the ball and how to run the bases.
Since then it has been spotty to awful. The baserunning is flat terrible. When it goes on for 5 years, you have to wonder what the coaching staff looks at with guys, and how they are being taught.
Right?
It’s either they are drafting guys that just aren’t good, they are ignorant, or they aren’t getting coached up. I get that players are accountable, but when you see the same mistakes for 4 years running with different players mind you, where does the coaching come into play?
You coach basketball, right?
Giants have been poor for years at drafting and developing position players. It’s that simple, obvious. For every Craw and Belt, there’s a multiple that come up and act like they’ve ditched fundamentals camps and instructional league for Happy Hour…
Shoulda been a DP. Oh well. Should be 2 outs.
This season is just so fucked. Haven’t there been at least a dozen it woulda been a DP if he hadn’t touched it bullshit plays?
that is precisely what I’ve witnessed.
I was just watching Mr. Baseball (a terrible movie with Tom Selleck) . . . Not certain if the Giants play is worse than this movie or vice versa?
Devers, Adames, and Chapman – the 3 amigos are 0 for 11, with one run scored (Chapman).
to be fair, Rogers had the occasional bad luck eighth.
Butto looked like Doval there. Way to hold Soto.
I guess the Giants are like Severance. You lose your baseball knowledge when you walk into the Giants clubhouse.
Wonder if Rachel wishes he’d been traded…
Devers ins’t even fouling shit off.
Oh. there we go.
be nice if Devers did something next.
Well, a single. But Willy whiffs
More shit swings to end the inning,McRay overmatched, Ramos and Adames pathetic AB’s both broken down swinging At garbage..
That measly single wasn’t going to make up for the previous ABs. A bomb might have had utility.
a bomb would’ve been best.
Especially the 1st & 3rd 1 out AB.
Oh boy. Ghost runner time.
See if we can do anything
Here comes the slider. Hey! He moved the runner
Ex-Met!
Yay Dom!
The Yaz memorial hard foul
And then the 2025 memorial at’em line drive.
yup
McCray should be on the redeye back to Sac.
There’s still daylight
Jesus. McCray overmatched.
OMG
OMG x2
YESSSS!
Hard cheese for the save!!!!! Back to .500!!!!!!!!!!
Next stop playoffs!!!!!!!
(beerbeerbeerbeerbeer)
RR hits a hundred. Whew!
W. R Rod gets revenge on Mauricio to end it
Rodriguez up to the moment.
Fuck Yeah!
Whew. Made a fucked up day a little better for me.
Mac the oaf!
lol, xoot.
fucking finally. That has to have felt good for our boys.
Smith deserves to play more (but no idea how Melvin does that with Devers at 1st) . . . Again, a seeing eye single up the middle to center. Almost everytime I see him at bat or in the field, he is up or prepared for the moment.
Devers should go on IR for 10 days. Get him right.
Doval blown save and loss — aided by horrendous error by Yanks RF.
And winning run scored on a Rogers-like knubber.
Slater?
No, guy they just got from Rays.
That wouldda been too much! Just saw the highlights. Jesus. A horrendous play by the RFer and a 12 foot base hit.