The Giants finally made their first significant move of the offseason and, wait for it, they re-signed Sergio Romo to a 2 year/$15 M contract. It might be a slight overpay, but considering MLBTR had him pegged for 3 years/$21 M, it's probably a pretty good one in the current FA environment. Romo had some struggles mid-season as he started hanging his slider a bit too often and lost his closer role, but finished strong and was again a solid contributor in the postseason. This signing gives the Giants a solid 5 in the bullpen with Casilla, Affeldt, Machi and Lopez. Yusmeiro Petit will presumably move back to his long-man/6'th starter role after the Giants acquire another starter. That would leave 1 spot open to competition among Hunter Strickland, Eric Cordier, George Kontos and others.
Whether this impacts the Giants search for another high profile starter remains to be seen. If the Giants have a self-imposed salary cap equal to the luxury tax threshold, then it would seem to put a cramp in efforts to land a James Shields, Max Scherzer or Cole Hamels. With a large chunk of payroll coming off the books after 2015, the Giants may decide they can go above the threshold for 1 season then go back down below it next year.
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The Padres, Rays and Nationals completed a wild 3-team trade that just may have been won by the Nationals even though they were apparently latecomers to the deal.
The Padres get OF Wil Myers, RHP's Gerardo Reyes and Jose Castillo and veteran C Ryan Hanigan. This is kind of an all or nothing trade for the Padres as they role the dice on Myers, who has a huge upside, but is coming off an injury and slump plagued season with the Rays. As for the Rays, they were willing to sell low on the guy who cost them 2 good years of James Shields, so that may tell you something right there. The deal is contingent on Myers passing his physical with the Padres. Hanigan is being brought in to mentor and take pressure off Austin Hedges who will likely move up to the MLB club in the wake of Rene Rivera leaving in this trade after Yasmani Grandal got moved to the Dodgers in the Matt Kemp trade.
The Rays get C Rene Rivera, RHP Burch Smith and 1B/DH Jake Bauers from the Padres, and OF Steven Souza and LHP Travis Ott from he Nationals. Rivera had a breakout season last year at the age of 31. He recently had an article written about him in The Hardball Times featuring his pitch framing technique which resulted in a lot of extra strikes for the Padres last year if you believe in those measurements. I am not impressed with Burch Smith. Bauers looks like a good hitter, but he is still in the lower minors. Souza is an interesting case. He's bit long in the tooth for a prospect at age 25, but he has put up the kinds of numbers in the minors that make sabermetric enthusiasts drool with power, speed, great walk rates and manageable K rates under 20%. I would not be shocked if Souza turns into a better hitter than Wil Myers! Ott is a big LHP in the lower minors. This may not be as bad a haul for the Rays as it looks at first glance as Souza and Rivera will help right away and there is younger talent to boot.
The Nationals get RHP Joe Ross and SS Trea Turner from the Padres. This is a huge win for the Nationals as they trade a blocked OF, albeit a good one, for a first round draft pick and obvious replacement for Ian Desmond who they are rumored to be trying to trade. Since Turner was drafted just last year, he will have to be a PTBNL and will not come to the Nationals until after the 2015 draft in June. The Nationals also get a high ceiling pitcher who is much closer to the majors than the guy they gave up, Ott.
On a side note, the Matt Kemp trade to the Padres appears to have hit a snag, possibly having to do with Kemp's physical. It is unclear if this trade has anything to do with the Kemp situation. Obviously, the Padres are denying that it does.
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The KC Royals agreed to terms with RHP Edinson Volquez for 2 years/$20 M. Interesting since he will be replacing James Shields who the Giants are rumored to be trying to sign since the Giants could have signed Volquez as a FA. I like this deal for the Royals, although Volquez has admittedly had his ups and downs and his success last year appears to be largely BABIP driven.
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The Mariners traded for another player who I think could have helped the Giants, Justin Ruggiano. Ruggiano is an OF with enough defensive chops to play CF and has some pop and speed from the right side of the plate. He would make a nice platoon partner for the LH hitting Gregor Blanco at the least. All the Mariners gave to the Cubs in the deal is a relatively low level pitching prospect.
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Last but not least, Michael Morse signed a 2 year/$16 M deal with the Marlins. He will likely play mostly 1B for the Marlins. Sounds like a good deal for him. Wish him the best. He was a good Giant. He didn't really have a place to play with the Giants as they had given up on him as an OF and there is no room at 1B.
What do you think of these moves?
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Romo comes back. I love Romo as a ROOGY to complement Lopez as the LOOGY. The Giants really have 4 guys for the last three innings.
ReplyDeleteNot happy about Myers and Kemp coming into SD. I like them as the pathetic Padres. Not the Pesky Padres. But then they seem to have passed along several of their existing Pesky players. A lot of motions, but maybe not hat much movement in SoCal.
No to Shields please.
Good for Morse. He was good Giant.
As an individual that began a Michael Morse fan club on Facebook I'm sad he's leaving but happy for him since he gets to play in his home base. He did tell me he wanted to stay but was never extended an offer probably due to the OF situation. In any case he wear the black and orange with pride and I will never forget his accomplishments during the regular season and more importantly, NLCS game 5 and WS game 7. Thanks for everything MM and good luck to you. Once a Giant always a Giant!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteGreat signing by the Royals. That would have worked very well for the Giants, but apparently they're in the James Shields sweepstakes which is encouraging and disconcerting at the same time. As for Volquez, BABIP, schmapip, the guy has a very good arm and has shown a propensity for eating innings. He may have put it all back together last year or maybe that was just the Russell Martin/Ray Searage effect. He'd do well pitching for any club that has a good defense behind him, and the Royals have a stellar defense. He should do well.
ReplyDeleteAs for Romo, nothing like paying big for 8th inning relievers, but this is absolutely his market price. I'm surprised the Yankees, Tigers, or Dodgers didn't swoop in at 2/16 + or offer the third.
Romo signing may also suggest lack of confidence in Hunter Strickland and other farm hands to get the job done with anywhere near the same efficiency as Romo. Got to love the WHIP. Whip it good, whip it real good.
All those dingers in the postseason would certainly give you pause if you were thinking Strickland could replace Romo in the bullpen.
DeleteSo, wait... You're pumping Volquez now, Ryan? Oh my. He's averaged 144 IP over the last FIVE seasons. That's not an innings eater in my book, YMMV. But he might do very well with the KC defense and bullpen to back him up, and some run support, if Rios and Morales add as needed.
Delete===========
Back to OT. I've never felt Kontos brings enough, so I suppose Romo should help until our young arms are ready. I'd like to see Hall get his shot soon. Lots of other bullpen guys soon-ish. IMO, re-signing Romo isn't an issue as long as we fulfill our other needs. Uhhh.
I'm curious how SD works out. Kemp and Myers are both known to be some sort of trouble in the clubhouse. Myers for lack of effort and Kemp for chirping about playing time and wanting CF back. The Padres will have two new battery mates for their stellar staff to throw to, that could be an interesting factor. They've lost two excellent pitch framers in Rivera and Grandal. But, gosh, Hedges should be amazing defensively.
Whenever I think of Trea Turner I wonder what could've been... "If only" we'd tried out Monell a bit more in 2013, maybe Heston too. Adrianza at 2B and Pill in LF/3B down the stretch. Rested Scutaro with his finger, back, and neck issues. Traded Gaudin at the deadline when he had a ridiculous ERA around 2.70. *Maybe* that 13th pick would've been ours. *sigh* Dang, Trea Turner is legit.
Wishing all the best to Morse. He was a great Giant in 2014. I couldn't see a logical fit for him going forward, unless we somehow decided to trade Belt. So, nowhere to play him. But hey, maybe we can get him back at the deadline? lol.
Hey, how ya doing carmot? Glad you found a happy place. Cheers!
DeleteAnybody think Giants bid on Jung-Ho Kang this week? Apparently Panik seems ok with moving to 3B if asked. Wondering if the Giants would insert Kang at 2B and Panik at 3B. Kang's stats are unreal. Doubt they translate to MLB but he at least looks like he can hit. Last year he hit 40HR, 117 RBI, 36 2B with a .459 OBP. Even if he could hit half of those power numbers we would be in good shape.
ReplyDeleteIf you move Panik to 3B why sign Kang when you have Duffy in house for 2B? Adrianza even.
DeleteSure. If the Giants don't put in a posting fee bid, that would practically be negligence, IMO. A team only pays it if they agree to terms with Kang. At the very least, I'd bid 6M. I *highly* doubt that wins. But, as the ONLY team able to negotiate, the team can leverage that towards trying for a 4/12M contract and go from there. Kang only made $380K USD last year. And then, if they don't want to go over, let's say 6M AAV... gee... SabEvans can always say "We tried to sign Kang." Sound familiar? LOL.
DeleteSome of Jung-ho Kang's 2014 batting splits (I'd posted earlier on BASG):
.356 avg/.459 obp/.739 slg/1.198 ops, .506 wOBA.
vs. LHP: 79 AB, .392/.543/.848/1.391, 29 BB/16 SO, .569 wOBA
vs. RHP: 266 AB, .361/.446/.73/1.183, 33 BB/72 SO, .501 wOBA.
w/ RISP: .361 avg, 29 BB/42 SO, 119 AB/83 RBI.
w/ bases loaded: .533 avg, 3 BB/4 SO, 15 AB/24 RBI
w/ 2 outs: .373 avg, 25 BB/40 SO, 142 AB/57 RBI.
IMO, Kang is best suited for 3B, so keep Panik at 2B. YMMV. Cheers.
Carmot, I read somewhere that teams felt he would be more of a 2B for MLB. His numbers are off the charts. I know they won't completely transfer well to the MLB but you have to think he will make contact and do okay.
DeleteJustin, I have a lot more hope in Duffy but I doubt Adrianza will ever hit enough to be a starter. Kang is a highly touted international prospect and I would much rather get him if the money was right or even Asdrubal Cabrera. I think Duffy should get more seasoning at AAA and also get on a weight training plan to bulk him up a tad. The dude is fragile. I think about 10-15 lbs of muscle would do him a lot of good. I don't think Adrianza will ever hit better than the Mendoza line. I hope he proves me wrong.
Kang had a CAREER year last year. Pretty big outlier from his regular numbers. SLG % was 250 points over career average.
DeleteBrett Pill hit 18 in the same league.BRETT PILL.Enough said.
Delete2012 and 2013 were pretty nice years as well. He definitely came into his own in 2014. Tons of power that we do not currently have. If he can be had for cheap minus the posting fee, let's say 4 years/ $28M I am all for it. However if the AAV is $10M or more then keep walking.
DeleteUmmm. Brett Pill has tons of power. What is your point? If he could play other positions besides 1B and hit more consistently he would still be a Giant.
DeleteFair enough, your "source" may feel differently. I'd wager a fair amount that my formulated opinion is based on more substantial evidence than yours. But then, my eyes don't see Yasmany Tomas as even remotely capable of 3B, yet ARI will try him there. lol. I think that's nearly a joke. IMO, he'll likely be even worse than Trumbo at 3B. So, clearly my judgement disagrees with TLR and the pro scouting/development minds of the Diamondbacks- but they have a ton more info to go on.
DeleteMost MLB "experts" believed Kenta Maeda would be posted this off-season, I've said for months that I didn't think he would be posted. Hours ago, it was just announced that he will not be. Oh... Kang and Asdrubal share the same agent/agency (Octagon; along w/ Billingsley, Kuroda, Scott Baker, and Adam Rosales) so that might somehow cover the Giants' shopping list in one go. lol.
Kang going from Korean league to MLB is a pretty BIG transition. Every year a Japanese middle infielder comes over and does good, but not great things. Media circus is another reason for Giants to stay away. It's the reason they won't give Zito another shot because of the media distraction. Kang could be the exception I just don't think Giants take the risk. Even good Cuban players had to spend time in the minor leagues...Giants want a guy ready by opening day. From what the Giants have said they will either trade for 3B or go homegrown. Locking Romo up to me signals Okert or some other RP prospect being used as trade piece to get 3B.
DeleteOf course Panik would move to 3rd if the Giants asked..He would do anything for them to try and help...But, it's an idiotic move....
DeleteLet''t not forget, the kid has only played half a year in the Majors...The pitchers are now going to have a book on him and will adjust...and he will have to keep adjusting and getting better at the plate....He doesn't need the stress of learning a totally new position defensively, and a position where he will be one of the weakest hitters (power wise) in ML...Just leave him at 2B where he can just go out there and play instinctively and help the Giants the most
Just leave PANIK alone and only pick up an IF that can and will play 3B..I don't think that is KANG or CABRERA..
SteveVA
That what this conversation is about. If you don't like Kang that is fine and I am only liking him on a small low risk/high reward deal. If not Kang or Cabrera then who? Of course I want to keep Panik at 2B but who can play 3B that can be acquired? Sabean himself said we are going to fill the position from outside of the organization.
DeleteOnly an idiotic move until it doesn't work. Everything is speculation for now. We wont know what anybody CAN do until they try. Learning a new position? It's baseball which Panik has played his whole life. I'm not talking about changing positions in the middle of a season. Still have spring training to get work in and learn. As a young player/rookie you play the position the team tells you to play. Panik came up a SS. Did he tell Giants he doesn't want to play 2B? No. He played 2B and still had his share of errors. Panik is young and athletic enough to make the move. Whether it's Panik, Duffy, Adrianza, or Arias it doesn't matter. Too say they can't play 3B because they will have the weakest power numbers in ML is in itself idiotic. You want to put your best players on the field. If you aren't going to make a trade and Giants solve 3B internally, all I'm saying is put the best players on the field. Bochy is a Hall of Fame manager because he does things outside of the box. Case is point Ishikawa.
DeleteHiroyuki Nakajima and Kensuke Tanaka both re-signed to NPB teams the past two weeks. Even so, there is a much better and more recorded history of NPB players having success in MLB, no position player has come directly from KBO.
DeleteAt the Winter Meetings, Kang was reportedly seeking 3/24M. Yesterday, his agent Alan Nero said he's looking for 5M/year minimum (2/12M, 3/16.5M or 4/20M). Clearly, they're becoming more aware of how risky it will be for an MLB team to get serviceable value out of Kang. And the fact that Nero/Kang hold almost no leverage against the one MLB team they will negotiate with. Kang's got power, of that there's no doubt.
But can he hit well enough to utilize it? Will they be doubles (or outs) instead of HR's? One should consider his home, Mokdong Park, for Nexen. LF & RF (322 ft.) are basically the Crawford Boxes at Minute Maid Park. Straightaway CF (387 ft.) is shorter than in CIN, PHI, or NYY. And I've mentioned before, the KBO ball was juiced.
Should or will the Giants bid? Sure. We spent $2M on the combo of Arias, Abreu, and Hicks in 2014. Rios just got 1/11M, Sandoval 5/95M, Headley 4/52M, and Lowrie 3/23M! We still don't have a 3B. Consider that most FA hitters won't sign in SF anyway. AND, we might only have 20M left to spend. So, rather than going with "just" starting the back-up plan of Duffy or Duvall or whomever... Toss in a PF bid of 6M or 6.5M (at the least)? If it wins and the Brain Trust doesn't want to risk more than 5.5M AAV (incl. the PF), we still don't spend a dime.
Is it better to spend prospects to acquire 2 years of 31 year-old Prado at 11M AAV? One year of Zobrist? Another? Maybe, maybe not. YMMV.
@david sanchez, if you want to use an example...
You do realize Pill hit 9 HR in 259 MLB PA's? Felix Pie might've suited your case better than Brett Pill. Oh well.
Felix Pie: MLB career .369 SLG/.664 OPS/75 OPS+, hit 17 HR/.524 SLG/.897 OPS in 2014 KBO.
I agree. I am just going off what Sabean said which is it will be solved externally. Trying to start a list of external options for 3B. Pretty much all of the 3B options are either bad or not much better than what we have.
DeleteNames that have been reported as possibly available: Chisenhall, McGehee, Middlebrooks, Kang, A. Cabrera.
If the Giants bid on Kang and don't get him...then Sabean gets roasted some more for coming in second or third or whatever. Better to not get involved. His numbers are great, power is great, but CAN he hit ML pitching? I have no problem with Uggla and seeing what he has because...he was FREE! 5 year commitment to Kang who might be Uggla? I hope the Giants take a pass. I like Prado because I don't think you have to give up much.
DeleteWhen the off season started I felt the Giants needed a 100 RBI guy behind Posey in the line up. That was my wish list. What I'm learning is the Giants are great at being imperfect! They are the type of team that likes to hear what they can't do and they go out and prove to you they can. That's the chemistry of the team. They rally together and play as a team. Play for each other. If no moves are made the Giants will go out there and play even harder. Cubs and Marlins make that Wild Card spot harder, but the Dodgers lost a lot of threats who I feared!
Who ever the Giants add need to have that warrior spirit and who battle. That's why they are in on Shields. They don't care about how old he is and will be. He has a Giants kind of mentality. I'm hoping they don't sign Shields, but I can understand why they would. The Giants play in a pitching park...
Luis Valbuena would be my #1 choice by far.
DeleteSome others: Plouffe, Asche, Cecchini, Prado, Bonifacio, Olt, Holt, Freese, Castellanos, Chris Johnson are some others. Kaleb Cowart, TJ Rivera, Wilson Betemit, Kouzmannoff are some minor leaguers. Yoan Moncada for the long-term plan.
Justin,
DeleteTotally agree. I like Prado as well but I actually think his price will be high for a few reasons:
1. Yankees know we are desperate for a 3B. They know there is not much out there.
2. His contract is pretty team friendly and has 2 years of control.
3. He can play anywhere! 3B, 2B, OF, 1B.
That was perfect. Just hate it when people keep going back to Adrianza and Duffy. It is pointless when Sabean said the Giants are going external. If you look into the past he doesn't just say stuff to say stuff. Usually it is spot on. If Duffy or Adrianze start at 3B it is because he exhausted every avenue and a deal just could not be made.
I don't think we need a 100 RBI guy either. Justin Upton would be nice because at the least we could probably either extend him or give a QO if he has a decent season which I know he is capable of. Just scared of what it would cost in a trade.
carmot,
DeleteI have been big on Valbuena, Plouffe and Prado. I think Plouffe will get extended so he is probably unavailable. It wouldn't hurt to call on though. I think Valbuen and Prado might be our best bet.
I like where you are going with Moncada. However, I think if we go in on Moncada it would be beneficial to get a few other guys such as Yoan Lopez. If we sign Moncada we will definitely be going over our allotted international cap thus barring us from spending the next 2 years unless the player is under 300K. That is a huge penalty! If we go over the cap spending we should maximize the talent we get. Go big or go home.
@justin... C'mon. I just cited Kang's agent's words directly, so where you get 5 years?
DeleteNice wish list. Wanna tell me how many 100+ RBI players SF has had over the past ten seasons? lol.
One. 2012 MVPosey.
Sabean has said he WANTS to go external, but it's different to make it happen. I'm sure he has been given teams the dry rub to make a deal. I take no news as he isn't liking what he hears. You are right to get a deal done Sabean will have to give up a lot. You can do that if the player you acquire is 25 and you plan on him being with the team for the next 10 years. To give up a lot for one or two years of a player hurts. It took so long to rebuild the farm system to where it is now.
Delete1. To make a trade the other team wants a ML ready player in return(Belt, Crawford, Panik, or Susac). Sabean refuses to give up the ML players Giants have. Sabean wants to do an all prospect deal. Deal within low minors.
2. Panik has said today that if Giants want him to move to 3B he will...where there is smoke there is fire!
3. Looking at Kang as the answer feels like desperation. Tomas I understand to take a chance on...Kang I just don't see it. I could be wrong.
4. I like Prado the most out of all options
Barry Bonds 2004 - 101 RBI
DeleteClose but not close enough:
Pedro Feliz 2006 - 98 RBI
Ray Durham 2006 - 93 RBI
Bengie Molina 2008 - 95 RBI
@ Roger: Sadly, I *highly* doubt anybody beats NYY for Moncada, if they're in... I wish.
DeleteI've followed news on him since he boarded the plane and left Cuba. Yoan Lopez is a possibility, his workout was at the Giants' DR facility 6 weeks ago. They're definitely aware of him. It would be interesting to see what we'd actually do if we broke the IFA pool. Will 2B Jose Fernandez also become available in time to sign? I wouldn't worry too much about the future 300K cap. Maybe it increases our chances of hitting a lottery ticket? More quantity, but no Javier, Edie, Beltre, Cabrera types.
You're right, the price on Plouffe would be very high. I actually like Cody Asche as a buy-low candidate that might break out over the next few years. I'm all about the cost-control and prime years.
Side note: I'm bummed Chihiro Kaneko won't be posted. I really like him. I was never interested in Maeda. But wait until Shohei Otani gets posted (just maybe after 2016 season?). No doubt he'll want to sign w/ an NL team.
Ruggiano is one of those guys that you don't think of (at least I don't) until someone else gets him. Then I think "yeah, he might have been a nice addition". So I wonder if there might be another RH outfielder available out there who could be worth picking up. I'm not looking for a "stud" anymore, but just a useful piece.
ReplyDeleteIf TB is tearing down, which I can't completely figure out yet... Desmond Jennings?
DeleteBen Zobrist would be a great addition but I doubt we have the prospects for that trade.
DeleteSure we have the prospects for that trade. You just wouldn't be happy letting them go for Zorilla in decline.
DeleteOur prospects are not MLB ready which most teams want. Of course if you add Susac in the mix the deal might get done. But prospects alone we would have to give up the farm for Zobrist.
DeleteCrick walks too many guys, but his raw stuff and physique still make him tantalizing as a prospect. Blackburn does just enough to make him intriguing. Mella has the attention of scouts as well.
DeleteResigning Romo's a good move.They should resign Vogey,and put him in the pen.He can replace Machi.Vogey like Petit can go 1-3 innings an appearance.Depending on situation.Makes our bullpen stronger.Easier to fill 4 and 5 spot in rotation.Vogey's velocity will be up with the reduction in innings.Shit if we have big leads.Petit and Vogey can close games out to.
ReplyDeleteYah mon,
ReplyDeleteJust pay the price for Justin Upton. The cost will be high, he won't re-sign, he's pouty, blah blah blah. At least the Padres and Mariners are likely to be out, so that's two fewer bids that Sabes would have to beat.
Without another impact bat in the lineup to make up for the loss of two impact bats, there's going to be a lot of frustrating losses getting blanked by the Despaigne's and Stults' of the world.
Use an in house option at third or find some other cheap option. Score some runs, let the kids pitch.
They'll fill 3B w/Cabrera.Or They'll trade for Viciedo or Craig.Duffy still needs another year to add strength.Gillespie had the same problem.Duffy better all around player than Gillespie.Nice UTI piece.Good bat of the bench.
DeleteNo one on here knows how well Adrianza will hit in the majors. Ehire has decent contact skills and looked like he was coming around right before he pulled his hammy. He has had a few injuries over the last few years that have held up his progress a bit but the glove has always been good and I think the bat will come around. I think a healthy Adrianza makes Crawford expendable and that just may be the trade that could pull a 3rd baseman into the mix.
ReplyDeleteOr, better, moves Crawford to 3rd, as some of us have proposed on this site. Crawford, with his excellent arm and rapid reflexes, can surely field the position at a high level. His hitting last year was as to OBP, ISO, and wRC+ not far from costly Sandoval's, and those figures--and even traditional ones such as HRs and RBI--have been on an upward trend, remarkably so for a guy in the #7 or #8 hole.
DeleteCrawford is not moving to 3B!
DeletePreach, DrB! Preach on! Personally, I don't understand this new fascination of moving Giants players out of position. Makes no sense to me. Cheers.
DeleteDr B strikes again, deletes posts because they don't agree with his opinions. You know you should really get a twitter account so you don't have to worry about people having their own opinions and you can just give yours.
DeleteLosing Morse creates another void in the lineup, and even somewhat of one in depth unless anyone really thinks Ishikawa will stick for a whole season. Plus we need a DH role player on stand bye, that isn't Posey.
ReplyDeleteWhat a confusing off season.