The win last night assured the 2013 San Francisco Giants of two things: they will not finish in last place and they will finish with a winning record against all the teams in the NL West. Hunter Pence, not surprisingly, was the recipient of this year's Willie Mac Award. He certainly deserved it. The Giants and Pence are supposedly finishing off a 5-year extension** to keep him in orange-and-black. I'm happy to have him back, although I'm a little surprised by the length. But he's a good all-around player--speed, glove, pop--and he gives the team a solid middle-of-the-order hitter. Yeah, he can be a little frustrating when he grounds out on the first pitch in six straight at-bats, but over the long haul he's a positive (5-WAR this year) contributor. With a couple of more hits this weekend he'll reach 300 total bases for the season. He's currently 9th in all of baseball with 298. He's obviously respected by management and his teammates, and the fans have really warmed to him, so the extension seems like a no-brainer, much like the situation last season with Angel Pagan.
Ryan Vogeslong pitched well and got the win, giving him a nice finish to an otherwise forgettable season. It seemed, not long ago, that the Giants would pick up his $6.5M option for 2014, but his recent struggles have changed the calculus a bit. If he's a 2-WAR pitcher it's cheap, but at age 35 there may be concerns about his fitness for another go-round. Maybe they will offer him an incentive-laden, lower-base salary deal instead. I'd be OK with either one, as long as he's part of the mix. I have faith in Vogie, and think the Giants should keep him.
Yusmeiro Petit today, Guillermo Moscoso tomorrow in Matt Cain's spot.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
**looks like $90M, probably an overpay, but that's the Giants
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