Sorry for not posting something on this earlier. Just got home from work.
I'll start off by saying I've been a big Hunter Pence fan for a long time, so I'm obviously happy he's going to be a Giant. He's the guy I wanted them to get last year, both because I like him as a player and his contract was controlled for 2 additional seasons. Oh well, better late than never! It sounds like Sabes was actually in on him last year, but couldn't get a deal done. I don't know why, but I'm guessing the 'Stros were demanding both Wheeler and Brown. The 'Stros ended up getting quite a rich package from the Phils that I doubt the Giants could have topped.
What do I like about Hunter Pence? Well, there are several things: 1. His size and athleticism. 2. His intensity on the field. He just looks like he's up there to do some damage every AB. 3. His incredible consistency from year to year. 4. I love how he is one of the few tall, lanky players who seems to understand the basic physics of why it's hard for a tall lanky hitter to control the strike zone.
Hunter Pence understands that the slight increase in leverage you get from gripping the bat down at the knob is useless if you can't get the barrel of the bat on pitches on the inner half of the plate. His solution? Choke up a full 2 inches or more! His arms give him plenty of leverage while choking up helps him get the bat around quicker as well as getting more of the fat part of the bat over more of the plate.
He's a slasher who can hit the ball with authority from foul line to foul line and has enough pop to get it out of any ballpark. He has not been intimidated by AT&T as he has hit very well here. The Giants desperately needed another RH bat with power in the lineup and Pence is just what the doctor ordered.
What of players the Giants gave up?
I've been as big a fan of Nate as anybody over the years, but at some point you have to admit that the guy is a 4'th OF. He's had his chances and has failed to sustain success long enough to win a permanent job. Pence is a clear upgrade
Tommy Joseph is a very interesting prospect with tremendous power potential. He has worked hard at improving his defensive game behind the plate to the point where he is a legitimate MLB catching prospect. I have a feeling he will never hit for much of a BA in the majors. Hate to give up Joseph, but I really don't think the Giants could have gotten more for him in another time or place. The Giants are deep at that position and you have to give to get.
Seth Rosin is a guy I have liked from before the 2010 draft when the Giants took him in the 4'th round. He has not performed as well as I had hoped, but he's had nice peripheral stats. I think he can turn into an innings eating MLB starter, probably a #3 or 4 is his ceiling, but he was definitely in the second tier of the Giants current crop of pitching prospects.
All in all, it was a fair trade for a player who will help the Giants this year when they have a chance to make it back to the postseason and next year too, when there is some uncertainty about several players, mainly Melky Cabrera.
I am disappointed the Giants did not get a closer at the deadline. To me, that is as big or bigger need as adding a hitter. Hopefully Sabes can figure out how to add a bullpen arm down the stretch from a waiver deal or the Pence trade could end up being for naught.
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im glad victorino is a bum...now i can hate that midget even more
ReplyDeletehappy for tommy...very good chances that he breaks camp next st with the big club
nate is gonna tear up that bandbox....you watch and see
LOVE the Hunter Pence trade, been a fan of him since a rook. However, I think it was a HUGE mistake to not trade for a reliever. Think about our bullpen: Casilla is a mess, Lopez can't face RHPs, Affeldt is somewhat unreliable, and the one guy who's been solid for a year and a half, Romo, has seriously looked awful for a week or so (remember that bomb that Pagan ran down vs the Padres? that was a ball hit off of Romo). Hope we can get a solid, hard throwing RHP out of the pen on a waiver deal. We need it!!
ReplyDeletePretty sure you called it that Rosin was going to be traded. Nice call.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great site and please now it is very appreciated. Always a pain to run through box scores.
I just thought Rosin was a guy other teams would see value in, yet was not one of the Giants top tier pitching prospects. That's how I figured he was gonna get traded.
DeleteRosin will make the Phillies very very happy that they made this deal in the long run. We seemed to have no clue how to use him. Joseph will get the early buzz but Rosin will be the long-term steal in this deal.
ReplyDeleteI agree Rosin is an underrated prospect.
DeleteI'm happy with the Pence trade.. Makes sense in alot of ways.. Its good they didn't include Brown or Panik in the package... Hate to see Nate and Joseph go though.. I'm happy that despite various pundits ranking the Giants farm system pretty low, it was able to supply Joseph and Rosin making this trade possible. Thats why I don't pay attention to farm system rankings much, instead I like following the Giants Minor leaguers on your blog. Thanks for your great work! LG
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback and kind words, everybody. It is gratifying that people come to read the site and make comments, even the Debbie Downers!
ReplyDeleteI'm not crazy about the trade. Pence has a .447 slugging percentage this year and that is while playing half his games in the Philly band box known as Citizen's Bank Park. Add the fact that his defense has eroded the past couple years according to UZR, and I don't think he will make the impact people think he will.
ReplyDeleteI do believe he fits what the Giants need in RF, however: a right-handed hitting OF with some decent pop. I just don't think this acquisition is the game changer we want it to be. The Giants still need a power threat in the middle of their line-up and I don't think Pence provides that.
I posted about it in the last thread, I like the trade a lot. You get a nice RH OF bat, an infusion of energy for the club, a year of control at cost, and a hedge against Melky leaving and a possible draft pick at the end if things don't work out. If things do work out, you have nice corner OFs and Blanco or Brown to provide leadoff and defensive work in CF for cheap.
DeletePersonally I think PacBell plays neutral to RH pull, and I think Pence is going to do some nice damage. A 3-6 of Melky, Posey, Pablo and Pence looks very nice to me. With the scrappy vets Scutaro and The Riot replacing the early silliness of Burriss, we have some coverage and the hope of a late inning walk or single to start rallies off the bench.
It'd be nice to get a power threat pinch hitter and a closer, that will be a tad difficult but its a strength of Sabey Sabes. It would be nice for Pence to play LF and shift Cabrera to RF, but not the end of the world if that doesn't happen. Good team, they just need to execute their defense and get some hits down.
You can look at this as a strength or a weakness but I think you could take Melky, Posey, Sandoval and Pence, put their names in a hat and draw them out in any order to bat #3, 4, 5, 6 and it wouldn't make a wit of difference in lineup production. Pence lengthens the lineup signifcantly. A definite upgrade!
DeleteYou may put his numbers through the War Calculator and come up with a 0.5 upgrade, but the effect of having that extra bat that demands respect in the lineup will translate into a bigger difference, IMO.
I'd like to see Pence bat after Belt. Which means 7th after Pablo comes back. The reason for this is Belt. Yes, Belt's eagle-eye, walk first, slash line-drives as a last resort, is dictating this.
ReplyDeleteWe have to help Belt. He has no protection with Crawford and the pitching spot hitting after him. Pitchers are comfortable shaving edges and corners. And, if they walk Belt, well, so what?
I think Pence is the answer to that. Also, we get a lefty, righty, lefty thing going at the bottom of the line up. (Belt, Pence, Crawford).
We need production from the bottom of the line-up. And Belt hitting 6th followed by Pence hitting 7th is the best way to achieve this.
That kind of feels right. Or, is this a waste of Pence hitting so low?
I think pence should bat 6th when pablo comes back and let belt hit 2nd. He'll get better pitchers to hit there batting in front of melky and posey and if he walks he is setting it up for our big hitters
DeleteI totally agree with Belt being a very effective 2nd hitter as he is. Guy who works the count. Patient. Doesn't like to leave the strike zone.
DeleteBut my goal is that Belt is forced to swing the bat. Sometimes the 2nd hitter is a little situational, taking some pitches. Bunting. I don't want him thinking anything but, "Give me a pitch I can DRIVE." Batting 2nd will give him those pitches, but also some distractions from the prime directive: Swing the damn bat.
I understand the thought behind batting Belt 6'th and Pence 7'th, but I guarantee you, the Giants did not just give up 3 players for a guy whose going to bat 7'th. Ain't gonna happen!
DeleteAgreed. Won't happen. Just dreaming of fixing Belt.
DeleteSpeaking of swinging the bat, Nate goes yard in Washington.
ReplyDelete