This is a rough time for me. The season is over and there's nothing going on. I click on all my favorite blogs and news sources, hoping and praying that there will be something to write about. Something good would be nice, like the Giants getting Hanley Ramirez in a blockbuster trade for Eli Whiteside and Waldis Joaquin (it's a major-league ready-to-go battery, you see, I'm not just talkin' outta my ass here). Naturally I stare at one of my favorite spots to stare at in the off-season, the MLB Important Dates link from mlb.com. Presto! Something to write about! The GM meetings are here! The GM meetings are here! (I feel like Navin Johnson getting his new phone book.)
I doubt the Giants will do anything earth-shattering. Extra Baggs says Randy Winn has been let go. No surprise there. Having him at the top of the lineup has been a big reason why our offense stinks. This year's dropoff (.262/.318/.353) from his career line (.286/.344/.418) is pretty alarming, especially since it is even worse than his terrible 2006 season (.262/.324/.396). He sandwiched two .790+ OPS seasons in between, but that isn't particularly impressive (104 and 105 OPS+). He's a good fielder and baserunner and can get on base at a .350 clip when he's going well, but has no pop. That makes him a role player, or a 3rd OF on team with two studs. The Giants, of course, populate their team with league-average guys. That's fine when you have a Phillies-like murderer's row (Utley-Howard-Werth), but we don't, and we won't for a long time.
So long and good luck, Randy.
1 comment:
So far the Giants have signed Freddie Sanchez (to no one's surprise). I think the Giants might be well served by waiting. I expect bidding for Holliday and Bay to go relatively quickly, so if the Giants are not going to chase one of those guys, it would help them to see what the vast array of might-be players do in the fall league or winter ball. Then, they could use that knowledge to try to fill holes or make trades, rather than just going after warm bodies. I include among those players Eugenio Velez, Buster Posey, Nate Schierholtz, Fred Lewis, Travis Ishikawa, and pretty much anyone else you can name that is not Pablo Sandoval, Freddie Sanchez, Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand (who, for all I know, might benefit from some rest). One exception to the above: sign Juan Uribe. Also from the Chron, Angel Villanoa is out of jail on bail.
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