Monday, February 22, 2016

2016 Spring Training Update: No News Is Good News

This early in spring training, the only news worth mentioning is generally bad, so it's good news that there is virtually no news out of the Giants camp so far.  The only pitcher not taking his regular turn throwing is Sergio Romo, which seems like pretty much a yearly occurrence. Nobody seems to be too worried about it.

The best news I've heard is about Tyler Beede coming to camp about 30 lbs heavier, reportedly from working out.  He wants to have more stamina this season which he clearly needed late last year.  That is pretty much it.

Word is that Angel Pagan is going to make the move to LF and will like it, because refusing to do so would hurt his FA stock next offseason.

Something we are not reading about in the Giants camp is Pablo Sandoval's weight, which also used to be a yearly occurrence.  There are some rather unflattering pictures of Sandoval on the internet from the Red Sox camp.  Now, over the offseason, multiple Red Sox officials were quoted as saying that Pablo had been asked to lose weight over the winter.  When asked about this upon his arrival at camp looking decidedly just has big or bigger than last year, Pabs just shrugged and said that was news to him.  As far as he knew nobody from the Red Sox had asked him to do anything.  Whew!

Oh, and the Dodgers signed Cuban RHP Yaisel Sierra for about $30 M.  %$&* the Dodgers!

5 comments:

  1. Sandoval. Bullet. Dodged. I'll be honest I was one of the ones who didn't want to sign him and looked to other FAs. I really felt that what he'd said about he didn't need to watch his weight (or get into shape) until he was 30 just made him a major risk for any kind of big contract.

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  2. As one Boston sportswriter said, the biggest problem isn't Sandoval's weight but that he doesn't seem to give a damn. Numbers of Giants fans correctly reasoned that if he didn't keep fit and play with focus and intensity when he was moving towards free agency, he would abandon his effort grossly once he had a huge bankroll and a lengthy contract; and they--we--were glad to see him go. By now, if one is to judge by the latest MCC, he is so past, so gone, that in San Francisco, though not in Boston, he can appear in the rosy mist of nostalgia and selective recollection, to those moonstruck at a distance. That's how, as a Giants fan, I prefer him.

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  3. In SF, when Panda was big (well, *really* big), he had to play in, otherwise everyone would bunt on him. And that sacrifices range when you are really big.

    I read the Sox are asking him not to play in so much this year to try to recover some range. Bunting isn't a mainstay in the AL, so this might work; but it would be interesting to see if anyone tries to bunt for hits down the left side.

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  4. wont miss the drama. but love his last play / the last out versus KC.

    Adios mu chaos's ( spell ? )
    Richard in Winnipeg

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  5. RIW - IIRC, "adios muchachos" should suffice. Kind of like "au revoir" to les Habitante? Go Jets!!!

    Doc - thanks for the updates. You & Shankbone are required reading for me.

    BTW, feel free to say "Duck the Fodgers"...it worked for me for decades. :)

    NWGiantsFan
    DtF!!!

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