After Bill Nuekom took over for Peter Magowan as the Giants managing general partner at the conclusion of the 2008 season, the new-look front office has claimed one thing and one thing only: Money will not be an issue when it comes to signing free-agent players.
Well, if that's the case, why don't we just sign CC, Texiera, Manny, and K-Rod. I think then the Giants would have a pretty beastly team, don't you?
However, as baseball fans, we all know this just isn't possible. At some point, a team (not-named the Yankees) runs out of money to sign players to their organization.
Even if it were possible to sign all four of the aforementioned players, how would that work in the club-house? You thought Barry Bonds was a nuisance to the Giants? Imagine what would happen if those superstars started to lose, the team would probably self-destruct.
The point being, is you can't buy a championship.
Just look at the Yankees, the biggest free-agent signing in their history was the signing of Alex Rodriguez. They still haven't won a championship since his arrival, and remind me if I'm wrong, but they missed the playoffs in 2008.
Now on to my beloved San Francisco Giants and what they need for a successful off-season.
Sign CC Sabathia:
Free Agent hitters like Mark Texiera and Manny Ramirez for example, aren't exactly lining up to play 81 games at AT&T park.
Since it opened in 2000, AT&T Park has been the home of the Giants for nine seasons, and has always been known as a pitcher's park. The saying "pitching + defense, wins championships" could most readily be applied to such a ballpark as AT&T.
Well then, with Barry Bonds gone, the Giants have no reason not to live-out this saying. And a great start would be to sign CC Sabathia.
Sabathia split the 2008 season with the Indians and Brewers, compiling a 17-10 record, with a 2.70 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 253 innings.
In 2007 with Cleveland, Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award. After being traded mid-season to the Brewers this past year, Sabathia finished the season with an 11-2 record, 1.65 ERA, 128 strikeouts in 132 and two thirds innings.
A player of this caliber would be a huge boost to a Giants team who, let's face it, don't have a great lineup. And adding a single free-agent hitter to the lineup isn't going to change much, and isn't a bright idea considering the Giants have hitters coming up through their system.
However, adding one pitcher to the rotation would change a lot for the Giants. For one, it would boost their overall pitching staff, which even though it was considered the team's strength, finished in the bottom half of of the Majors in ERA, ranking 17 out of 30 teams with a 4.38 ERA.
Some fans think that signing CC would be risky because he might become the next Zito. However, let me assure you why that won't happen. Barry Zito's ERA and strikeout numbers were on the decline for three full seasons prior to signing with the Giants. Sabathia on the other hand has had his best two seasons in the past two years.
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about 1 month ago
I think the CC issue has been talked about enough already, so here is what I think about the infielders section you mention....
You mention Gillaspie...he's a third baseman. You mention Villalona...he's a first baseman. Yeah Gillaspie was on the roster in September, but that was basically to see the big league game in person. He will probably be a Triple-A for most of the season if the moves the Giants are rumored to make actually happens.
And Villalona is still just 18 years old. He has been on the slowest of tracks and the Giants have made this no secret. He was at Low A this year, will be at High A in 2009. While he is, along with Madison Bumgarner, the two can't-miss prospects of that batch of that played A-ball last year, they are still AT LEAST two years from making a regular impact in the bigs.
The main things the Giants, and also fans, need to remember is to not rush these kids. The lower levels of the Giants system has some of the best talent around, but if they are rushed, they will not have the time to develop.
from about 1 month ago
my bad forgot to hit reply to comment.
read the other one.
about 1 month ago
I'm not saying i want any of these guys to be playing prior to 2011, but what im saying is i dont want to sign any aging infielder to a multi-year contract because it would totally go against the youth movement. In my opinion, our offense will be upgraded automatically from last year without any new additions through free agency.
Kevin Frandsen will be back, Manny Burriss will be a full-time starter, Fred Lewis and Nate Schierholtz (assuming we traded winn) will be full time starters, and pablo sandoval will be a full-time starter. Thats basically 5 new everyday starters. Sandoval will allow us to drop molina lower in the lineup (where he belongs) and will take pressure of Rowand.
I know my lineup (which i have mentioned previously, in other articles) doesn't have a superstar but if we sign CC, i think this lineup could put up enough run support to get us to the playoffs.
1. Burriss SS- could easily steal 40 bases, hit .280, on base of .380+
2. Frandsen 2B- great 2-hole hitter, rarely strikes out, can bunt manny over and can hit and run.
3. Lewis LF- b4 last year i thought he had a whole on the inside corner, but he figured that out & could possibly hit 20 hrs with a full-time job.
4. Sandoval 3B-we saw what he can do last year, the guy can flat out hit.
5. Rowand CF- he fell off in the 2nd half, but i think he will improve in his 2nd year with the team
6. Molina C- why he hit in front of rowand last year is beyond me, i think hitting 6th will help him.
7. Ishikawa 1B- this guy can pick it at first base, and has tremendous pop.
8. Schierholtz RF- all i know is that from watching the olympics, he is a gamer. And also has pop.
unlike the past few seasons, where the giants have had players in the lineup that i have despised when they come to hit, such as feliz, alfonzo, roberts, vizquel, durham, etc. This lineup from top to bottom would arguably have 8 fan-favorites. And there is a reason they are mostly fan-favorites, they've shown they can produce.
from about 1 month ago
Outside of Molina and Rowand, who in this lineup has PROVEN they can produce as well as you claim they can at the Major league level?
Sure Sandoval had a very impressive showing last year, but lets not put him in the cleanup spot and say he'll be the best offensive player on the team. Start him batting 6th or 7th and let him work his way up. If he continues to hit like he did last year, he'll be hitting cleanup soon enough.
about 1 month ago
FIX THE BULLPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
about 1 month ago
FIX THE BULLPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
from about 1 month ago
exactly what affedlt and the guy we get in the randy winn trade are going to do.
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