The Giants have one corner OF spot locked down for the next 4 years and another that seems to be a chronic source of frustration. The farm has some interesting possibilities for the not too distant future.
MLB STARTER: RF Hunter Pence- .277/.332/.445, 20 HR, 13 SB, 7.3 BB%, 18.4 K%, 708 PA, 4.7 fWAR. Barring injury, Pence has RF locked down for the next 4 seasons.
LF Open.
MLB RESERVE: Gregor Blanco- .260/.333/.374, 5 HR, 16 SB, 9.2 BB%, 17.3 K%, 444 PA, 2.0 fWAR. Blanco is a candidate to be the starter in LF. He's averaged 3.1 fWAR/600 PA over the last 3 seasons. If you limit potentially available starting LF to guys who are likely to do at least that well, the line is not long!
Travis Ishikawa- .274/.333/.397, 2 HR, 7.4 BB%, 28.4 K%, 81 PA. Ishikawa had basically never played LF in the majors before the postseason. The extra versatility makes it likely he will be on the 25 man roster in 2015. He's arb eligible and may be non-tendered first.
Juan Perez- .170/.224/.270. Love little Juan, but bless his heart, I do hope the Giants can find a better option for reserve OF next season.
AAA: Mark Minicozzi- .298/.400/.470, 12 HR, 13.2 BB%, 22.4 K%, 370 PA. Minicozzi is a minor league FA, but will probably be back.
Chris Dominguez- .274/.307/.460, 21 HR, 21 SB, 4.2 BB%, 27.1 K%, 528 PA. Hacker Supreme! Interesting tools but probably will never make enough contact for the bat to play in MLB.
Jarrett Parker- .278/.360/.456, 3 HR, 1 SB, 10.1 BB%, 25.8 K%, 89 PA. AA: .275/.370/.463, 12 HR, 11 SB, 10.7 BB%, 24.6 K%, 419 PA. Parker is a 3 True Outcomes guy, so it probably should not be surprising that he seems to put up about the same numbers wherever he goes. He does that in MLB with at least average D and he's a very valuable player. Worry is the K's would balloon and the BA would collapse in the majors.
AA: Devin Harris- .256/.310/.437, 13 HR, 7 BB%, 28.2 K%, 429 PA. I like Harris a lot, but at age 27, you have to think his career is going to run out of gas somewhere in AAA.
Elliott Blair- .240/.318/.313, HR, 4 SB, 9.3 BB%, 25 K%, 108 PA. Blair was a low round draft pick in 2011 and he keeps hanging around. Again, at age 27, time may be running short.
HIGH A: Tyler Horan- .321/.376/.670, 10 HR, 6 SB, 7.7 BB%, 26.5 K%, 117 PA. Low A: .273/.350/.481, 15 HR, 9 SB, 9.4 BB%, 23.3 K%, 417 PA. Horan hit well in Augusta then kicked it up a notch after a promotion to SJ. He was promoted to Richmond for the EL postseason which usually means that's where he will start in 2015. Richmond will be the big test.
Chuckie Jones- .256/.326/.404, 15 HR, 17 SB, 8.8 BB%, 27.4 K%, 547 PA. Chuckie Jones does a lot of things well. Can he overcome the K tendency? Is he ready to try AA? Still has a little time at age 22.
Mac Williamson-.318/.420/.506, 3 HR, 6 SB, 13.0 BB%, 14.0 K%, 100 PA. Mac would have been assigned to AA, but could not throw due to a torn UCL, so he went to SJ to DH. He underwent TJ surgery after about a month and should be ready to play in the spring. The Giants tend to be cautious with rehabbing players, so don't be shocked if he's back in SJ to start the season.
LOW A: Rafael Rodriguez- .269/.309/.357, 5 HR, 3.7 BB%, 11.0 K%, 301 PA. This was RafRod's best pro season, but barring an unexpected breakout, he's probably not going far.
SHORT SEASON: Austin Slater- .347/.417/.449, 2 HR, 7 SB, 7.6 BB%, 12.9 K%, 132 PA. I really like the early returns on Slater and think he has some power upside. Can't wait to see what he does in 2015.
Dylan Davis- .200/.269/.341, 4 HR, 7.5 BB%, 24.7 K%, 93 PA. After hitting .297 in 41 PA in Arizona, Davis struggled to make contact in the NWL. Is pitching in his future?
Hunter Cole- .239/.311/.424, 4 HR, 7.7 BB%, 19.2 K%, 104 PA. Interesting low round draft pick to keep an eye on.
Shilo McCall- .200/.269/.333. Very disappointing season for McCall. Not sure where he goes from here. Probably has 1 more season at the most to get some traction on his career.
ROOKIE AZL: Brennan Metzger- .354/.460/..500, 4 SB, 15.8 BB%, 7.9 K%, 101 PA. 24 yo but coming off a debilitating illness that cost him a full season. Will need to move fast.
Byron Murray- .279/.347/.412, 8 BB%, 20 K%, 75 PA. Love the upside of this 19 yo HS draftee.
DSL: Jean Angomas- .286/.384/.383, 9 SB, 12.3 BB%, 8.3 K%, 204 PA. Some speed and plate discipline.
Robinson Medrano- .268/.368/.373, 2 HR, 3 SB, 11.2 BB%, 20.7 K%, 242 PA. Improved on his 2013 DSL season. Will he get a call to the states in 2015? I am intrigued by his size at 6'3", 180 lbs.
Carlos Valdez- .240/.333/.388, 3 HR, 2 SB, 11.3 BB%, 12.0 K%, 142 PA. If he does not get called up to the states this year, he's probably done.
I am cautiously optimistic about Williamson, Horan and Slater. I am cautiously hopeful about Chuckie Jones, Byron Murray and Robinson Medrano.
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I'm rooting for Mark Minicozzi. I don't think he'll make it in the majors if his minor league defensive stats are indicative of his ability to play the corner OF spots and he can't provide enough offense to offset his weak fielding.
ReplyDeleteBut, with this guy, rooting for him is not about the stats. To me he's a 'Giants' kind of guy. Most people would have just given up after the crap he went through. But he didn't. And that's enough for me to root for him. Even if, intellectually, I don't give him much chance.
Minicozzi would be a great story.
DeleteComing in with Blanco as the starting LF is a recipe for a losing season. He is way too streaky every season, including last year where he wasn't hitting worth a damn until a small hot streak at the end of the season made his hitting numbers look OK. He doesn't get enough stolen bases for a lead off hitter, strikes out too much while having poor to average batting averages. He doesn't hit the ball on the ground enough to utilize his speed and pops out way too much. He can draw a walk and play well for short periods of time, but then he always follows that up by hitting very poorly for a long while. He was our starting LF in 2011 to start the season and we had one of the worst hitting in the league and only a hot streak at the end of the year made our record look decent at 86 wins. We had to trade for Beltran to replace him, giving up a great prospect instead of signing a one year veteran free agent. He plays good defense with his speed, he's best as a 4th OF and the Giants maximize his value by having him as a back up who is capable of being a pinch runner, late inning defensive replacement, or starter in case of injuries. There's no way any team that is trying to make it to the playoffs should have him as a starting OF. If he is a starting OF at the start of the season and you have no super prospect in AAA waiting, then you're either screwed or you're trading for an OF before the deadline (Beltran)
ReplyDeleteAgree completely. He did enough to get us through the playoffs and a WS win but can't do a full season with him in LF. I don't have a whole lot of faith in any of the names above either and nobody really should. The good thing is that there are a ton of options out there that just need to be explored. I'm ok with a short term solution like Torri Hunter or even a trade of some sorts for someone like Alex Gordon perhaps? Stealing Shankbone's thunder on that one but I heard his name is out there as being available. Another trade I heard that is very interesting is Belt and Crick for Longoria. That came from MLB network so take it for what you will but I could see a few potential scenarios that could solve the LF problem. Will be interesting to see how fast they move to get a big name if/when Pablo signs with the poo sox.
DeleteMorse and Blanco combined to make a decent LF platoon. One I could live with next year as well.
DeleteThe problem was when either Morse or Blanco were asked to step in as full-time starters they were overexposed. Morse as a 9-inning everyday player when Belt went down and Blanco as a full-time leadoff hitter when Pagan went down. Conversely, Morse thrived when playing limited LF/1B innings, DHing, and supplying bench power. Blanco also thrived when batting 7th/8th and playing 4th OF, adding great D and base stealing threat.
Bottom line the Giants need to add a backup CF who can hit leadoff when Pagan goes down. Blanco can then thrive in his 4th OF role. Morse, if resigned, adds tangible value when not overused and coming off the bench. Plus both these guys are great teammates.
Agree with the shark; Morse could be well worth resigning. While an AL team may offer more, Morse fit well with the team and is a handy guy to have on the roster. Certainly worth exchanging numbers, and if he'll come back for a reasonable price...
DeleteThis....plus Williamson callup next September.
DeleteAnd give Minnicozzi an AB in the show. Good karma.
NWGiantsFan
DtF!!!
Morse will likely get paid more than he did last year and he's a terrible defender. He's capable of playing 1B and LF but he's one of the worst defensive OFs in the game at this point in his career and is a serviceable 1B but way below average. He's got a good bat but he's obviously streaky. He is injury prone as well. A great teammate, but at this point it would be best for us to let him go. Lots of teams (Mets, Reds, # of american league teams I'm sure) want him and he should get a bigger contract than last year. Signing him worked out last year, but we just can't afford to have his terrible defense with a declining Pagan in CF plus we all know that signing Morse will end up with Blanco starting at the end of the year. I wish we could have gotten Markakis for one season. Hunter would be perfect on a one year contract where he should be much healthier than Morse plus he's always in great shape, he's a better defender than him and an equally good teammate with a solid bat. Colby Rasmus could be had cheap and he's a young in his prime power hitter who always has the potential to hit over 30 hrs or hit below .240. Aoki would be a solid signing but I wouldn't want the giants to give him more than 2 years given his age and decline in SBs. Willingham, Schierholtz, Ryan Ludwick and Johnny Gomes could be minor league signings that could bolster the bench. Alex Rios would be a great signing depending on his contract, I wouldn't want us to give him no more than 2 years.
DeleteAgree again. I think Hunter and Rios would be the best FA options at this point if we end up signing Pablo. I wouldn't want to go more than 2 years with either and hopefully no more than 20 total. Morse was obviously lightning in a bottle and although I was good with us getting him last offseason, we need to turn the page and not make another Huff, Burrell, Scutaro, Torres, Sanchez, am I missing anyone mistake?
DeleteDon't get me wrong, Blanco is one of the best 4th OF in all of baseball and what he brings off the bench is a huge reason why we just won our last 2 WS titles. The key with both was that he was filling in on both of those rosters. In 2012 he filled Melky's shoes in the second half and last year he filled Pagan's shoes in the last 2 months. He has shown that as a 4th OF he can step up and help out for a few months as well as add value off the bench but if we lean on him too hard he is going to fall over.
I am honestly hoping that the Pablo Sandoval saga ends very soon. I think there are a ton of moves out there that Sabes could make once he either signs Panda or watches him walk. Right now though he isn't focusing on potential trades or even other FA's because he is trying to get Pablo to stay. Once that ship has sailed I think he will make a bold move like Tomas or pull a trade but until he knows whether he is going to be paying Panda or not, he doesn't know whether to throw money at 3B or LF. I honestly don't think it makes a difference in terms of how our lineup looks. Whether we have a middle of the order bat in LF or at 3B I think the other position will be filled by a much lesser player. If we keep Panda we will have Willingham and Blanco platooning in LF. If Panda walks I think we either see a big trade for a 3B or LF or possibly a big signing like Tomas and Duffy and Arias dueling it out for 3B.
Hardly know where to start with all this but I'll try:
DeleteAnon: You say Blanco had a small hot streak at the end of the season? You do realize that he hit .296 from the All-Star Break on. I'd say that is a lot more than a small hot streak at the end of the season.
Pato: Torii Hunter is very old and is now a terrible defender, maybe as bad as Morse. He is also a terrible fit for the fanbase due to his outspokenness on the right hand side of social political issues. Forget about Alex Gordon. KC is NOT trading him! Forget Longoria too. He has a very team friendly contract. Crick and Belt would not come close to getting the Rays to part with him.
Rios might be worth considering if the price is right, but I'd be willing to bet Blanco beats him out for starting LF by the end of the season just like he has done the last 2 seasons.
Go look up stats for Markakis, Rasmus, Willingham, Schierholtz,Ludwick and Gomes. Anybody who thinks those guys are better options than Blanco are simply either talking out of ignorance or extremely poor analysis.
Honestly I'm not sure where this blind love for Blanco comes from. Pretty much everyone but you Dr. B is on the same page that Blanco is a great 4th OF and has done an admirable job filling in but other than that NOBODY wants to hitch their wagon to him for an entire season! To use the same argument you used below, who better than the Giants to know this which is why they got Morse last year instead of letting Blanco start in LF. It wasn't even a platoon either, Blanco barely played until the injuries started.
DeleteAs for Hunter or Rios, Hunter's stats last year were pretty solid. He can't be worse than Morse in LF and his bat would be as good if not better. Rios has good upside and is a .300 hitter from the right side with some speed so where is the risk in signing him? He also has potential to hit 20 HR's and have a breakout season and we would be investing while his stock is low. Whatever Hunter said or did should be put in the past where it belongs.
As for crazy trade ideas, you can't shoot every single idea down and never come up with one yourself if you want to be taken seriously. I didn't come up with the Longoria trade idea, someone who actually played the game and gets paid to talk on TV did so if you don't like it you should take that up with him. Crazy trades happen every year so not sure why that one was so far fetched. TB is always looking to get younger and cheaper and Longoria is actually falling apart more each year. I think it would be the Giants more than TB that would be against that deal but stranger things have happened.
If you remember correctly, I was the one who predicted that Blanco would be the starting LF by the end of the season. He was except he was needed more in CF, but it sure as hell wasn't Morse starting out there even when Blanco moved to CF!
DeleteGo ahead and sign Torii Hunter. I'm tellin' you, Blanco will be the starter by the time the season is over. Ditto Rios. They are both done, as in stick a fork in them!
Longoria is not, I repeat, NOT coming here, so please just……stop!
As for ideas, show me someone who is reasonably available who has played better than Blanco for the past 3 seasons. I'll keep shooting them down until you can show me someone, using statistics, who is likely to be better and who is reasonably available. It's pretty easy to pull names out of your rear, hold them up and say "hey looky what I found" but it's another to demonstrate from statistics how they are a better option.
Would be great to see Williamson as a Sept call-up. He has shown nice strike zone discipline with gap power, average and the potential for HRs down the line. Having watched him at SJ, I was impressed with his natural athleticism at the plate and in the field. If he can come back from TJ, this homegrown kid can own LF in 2016/17.
ReplyDeleteGood thing is there are options in free agency that are cheap. Although I believe Moose is the best RH power 1B/LF. I'm hoping teams like Cincinnati are scared of his D. He probably say no to Seattle or SD. I think Perez can be a good plattoon with Blanco if we signed a Bonfacio but we needed that power bat coming off the bench. Please don't say Gary Brown.
ReplyDeleteSo, please name some of these good options that are cheap in FA and please provide stats to back up your choices.
DeleteBonaficao .290/340/380 career vs LH. 31 age can play 3B, 2B, OF. .320 WOBA 26 SB In 2014. Panda, Panik Pagan insurance. UZR/150 8.8 in LF not great but. Made 2.5$million last year so ~4$million. Which is surplus value. Of course I want Moorse first. But if not here's a cheap source of production. Steamer projects him for 1.0 war btw.
DeleteSo he is a RH version of Blanco who can also play some IF? Sure, I'd take him over Morse for the same price.
DeleteOh, BTW, there's always Brandon Belt if you want to bring up Duvall, or someone else, and he sticks at 1B.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest mistake the Giants can make is to not consider options like Belt in LF and even Posey at 3B. It used to not happen often at all but there are enough examples of players switching defensive positions during their careers and continuing to have success. LF is not hard to play and Belt would run circles around what Ishikawa just did in the playoffs.
DeleteWhat on Earth makes people think they know more about whether Belt can play LF or Posey can play 3B than the Giants?
DeleteOr to make the strange assumption that the Giants haven't considered these options, despite Belt's having played some LF in the past and Posey's moving to an IF position has been repeatedly discussed. As to the Royals trading Alex Gordon, who ran up 6+ WAR this year and 7+ the year before last, what on earth makes anyone dream that if the Royals decided to do so, they would not demand a price in players so high that the Giants would be idiots to make the deal?
DeleteThank you, DrB, for insisting on stats to back up arguments and let the hot air out of the most bloatedly fanciful ones. I would along the same lines be eager to see realistic trade scenarios for every proposed trade, both so that its costs would be visible along with its benefits, and also because once realistic costs were put out in the open, the folly of many proposed trades would be stark.f
Belt has played LF in the majors and he looked fine out there if I recall. He moves well and has a good arm so if a team need is in LF and they have a surplus at 1B wouldn't it make sense to at the very least explore that option? What was your take when Pablo switched from catcher to 3B? How about when Donaldson did the same thing? Did Brenly permanently scar you when he tried to take over at the hot corner and made 5 errors in one inning? Just because the Giants haven't talked publicly about trying these moves doesn't mean they aren't considering them.
DeleteNo, it doesn't mean that. But then why advise that the biggest mistake that the Giants can make is not to consider them, when it's clear from Belt's time in the OF and the discussion of Posey's playing 3B that they have considered them? It would be silly for me to say that Pato would be foolish not to mention signing Torii Hunter when I know that Pato has mentioned it. The Giants have, we know, considered Belt in LF and Posey at 3B. They have made, for now, their decisions about those moves. Hence DrB's question, since the only way your pronouncement about a big mistake makes sense is if one interprets it as recommending the moves.
DeleteGo look up Belt's defensive stats from his minuscule trial in LF. I don't think you will come back saying he looked fine out there. If Belt looked so great in LF, why do you suppose Sabes and Bochy have been so adamant about saying they don't want him out there, and yes, they have said it! As for Posey to 3B, Bochy addressed that earlier this season in an informal chat with several beat reporters and said it's not going to happen. Again, it's not just that he is not considering it. He HAS considered it and rejected the idea.
DeleteYou just said it, very small sample size on Belt in LF, if he worked on it over the winter he would be much better out there.
DeleteRBJ, you are talking to the wrong guy here. Go tell it to Sabes and Bochy. Ain't. Gonna. Happen!
DeleteThe real problem with Blanco as a starter is you weaken your bench. He could start but his value is more as a 4th Of/spot starter. Look for us to sign Rios. The Giants have always liked him( remember Rios for Timmy talk) and the Giants usually end up getting guys like that (Finley anyone?). Giants get him on a one or two year deal and IMO they could do worst.
ReplyDeleteSo you start in inferior player so you can keep your bench strong with a better one? Hmm….I don't think it works that way. I would take Rios or Morse as long as the price is right and as long as they are cool with coming off the bench after Blanco takes their starting job, as he will.
DeleteI didn't say you start a weaker player but the point is that a guy like Blanco's versatility and the fact that he can be sometimes over exposed speaks to him being more valuable as a 4th outfielder. Same situation as Petit in regards to yeah he could start but he seems to have more value as the 6th man or long reliever coming out of the pen. which BTW, you keep referencing Sabean and Bochy in regards to they know best and that is how they see Blanco too, as a 4th OF.
DeleteYes, he is a 4'th OF if you can find a better guy to start, but that's the problem. Who is that guy going to be? I seem to remember Petit moving into the rotation over the last month of the season. Same thing with him. He's great as a 6'th starter/long man as long as you have 5 guys who are better than him in the rotation. That was not the case in September last year so he moved into the rotation.
DeleteThe Giants keep trying to find LF's who they hope will be better than Blanco, but they aren't which is why he has taken over as starter by the end of the season 3 years running. Hopefully they can find that guy this year, but as I have said and as the numbers indicate, there is not a long line of possibilities.
DeleteWell, I'll add my 2 cents, I like Blanco and think he could be a starter in LF and would do just fine. He said he was pressing early on, thus the struggles with the bat, once he settled down he hit pretty well. I do think he would do better hitting 7th in the order. Sorry Doc, but Tori Hunter can run circles around Mike Morse. Belt can play LF better than most people think but why move a gold glove caliber 1st baseman out of his position. I truly believe Posey can handle 3rd base and would be above average there, however, he does not want to move yet, so that won't happen. The best move would be to sign Pablo but only if we can get him for a Pence contract or less and sign Tomas to play LF. If the Giants do that we will break the even year championship streak. One last thing, I like reading this blog daily, including the comment section but the replys can be pretty harsh if you don't back up your comments with cold hard stats, it's almost like you guys don't want anyone commenting at all Doc unless they agree with you. I'm sure your blog gets plenty of hits a day Doc but you would probably have more if things were a little kinder and gentler on here.
ReplyDeleteAgain, Giants management has addressed both the Belt to LF and Posey to 3B questions and have said they are not going to happen. I'm not sure why people keep bringing it up.
DeleteAs for comments, I use the Jim Rome rule: Have a take, don't $%&#. That's all I ask. What is so hard about backing up a position with some data?
Torii Hunter 2014 UZR/150 RF: -20.1.
DeleteMichael Morse 2014 UZR/150 LF: -25.4.
I don't think that exactly translates into Torii Hunter running circles around Michael Morse. Torii Hunter is a shell of the guy you are remembering.
Sorry, RBJ, but if you would look at the cold, hard, icy and steely facts you would find out that Hunter's recent defensive performance is even worse than Morse's. And it seems to me odd in terms of the hard, cold logic I myself prefer for you to say that DrB insists on people's agreeing with him, which would imply kowtowing to his own, maybe idiosyncratic opinion, when you also admit that what he wants is not for people to side with anything arbitrary but to support their own positions with facts and specifics. He isn't asking, or so that I don't speak for him, I as an admirer of this site don't ask for yes-men or -women, but for rationally argued points of view, supported by data that are publicly available so that we can all equally examine them and their worth.
DeleteI think people keep bringing up Belt to LF and Posey to 3rd because they are reasonable ideas considering the shaky situation we have in LF and the Pablo dilemma. Personally I would never move Belt off 1B because I think he is just to valuable there and believe a GG awaits him. I do think Belt can handle LF. He played OF in HS and in JC, so it's not like he has never been out there. The other reason is that I don't want Belts bat out of the lineup when Posey plays 1B. That is when I think Belt should have a chance at LF. The same thing is true of Posey, much more valuable behind the dish, but with Susac around a Posey move to 3B in a pinch gets people thinking. I think the only reason I even entertain the idea is the every time Posey takes one off the noggin' I cringe and wonder if that is the shot that knocks him senseless. If that happens and Posey has to move to 1B then where do you put Belt, I would think LF would be the only place unless we have Tomas out there then they can trade Belt for Longoria, lol.
DeleteAnd my Hunter worse than Morse is based on their 2014 defensive fWAR, -18 for M and -25.7 for H. But that miserable figure for M of course includes his games at first base, where he was better than in the outfield. It may well be that M is worse than H in a competition for worse-ness as an outfielder; "better" may technically be right, but it's so misleading as to be a misnomer.
DeleteBTW, my comment about the comment section on this blog was not meant to dog out Doc B but was food for thought. It just seems to me that when reading the comment section that it could be a bit more accommodating to other peoples opinions.
DeleteRBJ,
DeleteThank you for the advice. I might have gotten a bit to frustrated in this comments section. After I put up some numbers to show how good Blanco has been and made a comment that it is going to be a lot harder than it appears on the surface to find a better option for LF starter, a whole bunch of comments showed up with people trashing the notion, except without a shred of evidence to back it up. Yeah, I got a bit frustrated with that. I mean, what I am supposed to say? "Oh yeah, you guys are right. Despite his 9.2 fWAR over the past 3 seasons, Blanco is really trash and pretty much anyone can do better?"
As for Belt and Posey, yes, they are reasonable ideas on the surface but there are major problems with both potential moves and on top of that, Giants management has repeatedly said they are not going to make those moves. I just don't see the point in bringing it up over and over when Giants management has obviously considered both options and rejected them. It just seems to me that by this time, Giants management, while not perfect, has earned the benefit of the doubt and maybe they have good reasons for not making those moves that seem so reasonable on the surface.
Sorry, Blanco's fWAR over the past 3 seasons is 7.2. That comes out to 3.1fWAR/600 PA's.
DeletePoint still stands.
DeleteUZR numbers are great but the eye test also has to come into effect as well. Tori Hunter may not be the same wall climber that he was in the past but he has more range than Morse. That may be arbitrary in your mind but it is a fact in mine.
ReplyDeleteHunter better, Morse better, UZR or eyeball test: they both seem to be pretty bad. I'm reminded of Samuel Johnson's comment about a dispute as to which of two minor poets was better/worse, "Sir, there is no settling a point of precedency between a louse and a flea."
DeleteHow many games did you see Torii Hunter play last year?
DeleteAlex Rios' name has come up a few times. He had a terrible season last year with an OPS of .710 with just 4 HR's and negative D. Does he have another bounceback season in him? Well, maybe. He's done it several times in the past. Just remember that he will be 34 yo and has played his entire career in fairly extreme hitter-friendly parks and the negative D on top of that.
ReplyDeleteJustin Upton is available for trade by the Braves. Okay I know that they want pitching that's young and cost controlled. He's a .274/350/490 guy. 27 years old. Lots of K's but about 10% walk rate. Negative defense but better than the Beast or Hunter. Plays everyday which has value. $15 million for one year, so there's that. Knows the division. Gonna cost Crick and Duffy.Panda leaves, do you do it?
ReplyDeleteUpton will cost a lot more than Crick and Duffy.
DeleteNo. Stay with Duffy if Panda leaves.
ReplyDeleteGood scenario though.
NWGiantsFan
DtF!!!
RF is tougher than LF, yet Hunter STILL had a better UZR than Morse plus he has a much better defensive pedigree. Giants got by with Morse bottin balls in LF because he hit decently enough AND had Blanco to replace him later. This is what needs to be done again, only with Hunter who should provide better D than Morse did yet given his age he's slower than he use to and a move to LF should do him better. Colby Rasmus would be a great 1 year signing too. There are plently of C grade LF types (Ludwick, Willingham) that the Giants can sign as minor league free agents and bring up as pinch hitters/emergency OF while using Blanco as a late inning replacement for Hunter if Hunter doesn't do well in LF or just to give him rest at his age. We have Mac Williamson who could be the future barring a healthy/productive year, Brown could be a 5th OF. Cuban Thomas would be a great signing with obvious risk, yet he is a 24 yr old w/ power who you'd only be giving 10 mill a year potentially for a Cespedes/Abreau/Puig type in the future. Lets be real, due to the recent success of the cuban hitters it doesn't seem as much a risk as say signing a player from Japan.
ReplyDeleteGood points. The one thing I think Dr. B isn't getting is that in all of these scenarios Blanco is still playing a large role. The other thing he isn't considering is that all the FWAR/WAR/OBGYN stats you dig up tell you what an individuals value is without considering how he fits in on a team and in the lineup. Blanco would be complimented by a guy like Willingham or like Morse last year instead of it being an either or situation or one is better than the other. They are both different players playing different roles and filling different holes that are both important on this team. Blanco alone can't fill Morses shoes and Morse can't fill Blancos. If they are going to go with a short term solution for the meantime like with Morse last year, I see no reason why any of the options you have mentioned wouldn't compliment Blanco nicely.
DeleteThere is nothing tougher about RF than a longer throw to 3B. Hunter is done, done, done! I would have no problem with signing any of those names to minor league deals and see if you can catch lightning in a bottle. I have never said the Giants should not try to get more out of LF. I've only said it would be harder to get in upgrade on Blanco than it appears on the surface. That's all I've said, people, all!
DeleteWith that, I am closing down the comments here unless somebody has something to say about the prospects that were listed which is more the point of this series anyway, getting an idea of the prospects the Giants have at different positions at different levels. Just another way of looking at the farm system.
Delete