The Giants showed up to the off-season party in the loudest car wearing the dandiest threads and immediately bought the two hottest babes in the room drinks. I suppose if they go home without a date they can at least take pride in going all out. No pantywaist efforts here--the Giants have made it absolutely clear that they want the best players out there. The club was first-in with Giancarlo Stanton and now they are first-in with Shohei Otani. This is quite a show of organizational testosterone. I don't know what to make of it. But if they want those guys I'm fine with that. They'd sure help the team!
--M.C.
16 comments:
If they can afford it why not?
I like our chances of landing one of them, but it could still easily be a shutout. Apparently the Dodgers are still kicking the tires with Miami, and that is Stanton's preference, so he's probably going to wait that process out, though he's probably got a deadline of this week to decide, I would think, the ball is on the T and he just needs to swing.
If I had a choice, I want Ohtani, adding him to our rotation would be like adding Bumgarner to the rotation in 2010, a young stud who can be an ace, lined up as our NUMBER THREE behind Bumgarner and Cueto. That would make Moore #4 and Samardzija #5, one of the best rotations in the majors, if not the best. That alone would put us back into NL West Division contention with Doggers.
On top of that, he would boost the lineup as well in LF, though that probably means Span back in CF, especially if we somehow land Stanton as well.
But Stanton would be great too, just not as good.
Ohtani would be less risk with the reduced outlay and commitment. But Stanton is a proven superstar, it remains to be seen what Ohtani can do, although the track record of NPB pitchers is pretty good. (It was interesting that all Boch could say about him was how much he liked his swing!) In either case the team would still have moves to make. I think that's the biggest thing for me. If they strike out with the two biggies will they be as swift and decisive going after the second-tier targets? Regardless, the speculation is fun, and I like that the Giants are in the thick of it. After last season they have to do something to energize the fanbase and show they are serious about getting back to the playoffs.
Agreed, a lot of this is energizing the fanbase. But I can see a backlash if both falls through, much like off-season where management intimated that getting AJP was the start of big changes, but ended up being the only big move.
The way I see it, Stanton would boost our offense greatly, but our defense would still be porous, and with him sucking up all the payroll, we can't do much else, and that won't be enough to ensure getting us back into the playoffs, we would be on the fringe, though possible if things roll our way.
With Ohtani, yes, unproven, but most translations put his performance in NPB as roughly 3-ish ERA, and I think pitching works anywhere, it's hitting that is much more harder to envision, hence the number of hitting prospects who fizzle out in majors when promoted. Plus, getting him (alone) means that we can still spend money to improve another position.
If we get both, it's going to be a hell of a mosh-pit in the NL West, a battle to the death that will spill out into the other divisions, as we all beat up on the other teams.
Still, as much as Colorado and Arizona are young and improved, most of their improvement in 2017 over 2016 was because the Giants beat up on them in 2016, and then they reversed that and beat up on the Giants in 2017. If we can return to beating them up, then they are only above average, and if we play them .500, then we'll need to beat up on the rest of the MLB to make up for that. And both were barely over .500 against NL East or Central, so it could be quite a catfight next season.
The Giants were 8 - 11 against both Arizona and Colorado in 2015. They were 13 - 6 against Arizona in 2016, but 10 - 9 against Colorado. The last time the Giants really beat up on Colorado was 2012 when they had a 14 - 4 record.
This guy thinks Ohtani is the real deal.
BobbyE says the Giants are casting a wide net and that Otani and/or Stanton are not the only fish they are trying to land. That's what I want to hear.
Miami rid themselves of Gordon’s contract, to Seattle, so no Panik for Gordon swap is envisioned in a trade of Stanton to the Giants. If we are not getting Gordon, we will need Panik; since they haven’t kept Gordon, does that increase their need for Panik?
Gossip hath it that the Marlins are confident that Stanton will/would accept a trade to the Giants. And is Gossip ever wrong?
And the Mariners have Robinson Cano at 2B so Gordon is moving to CF!
Whatever, I've no time for another ballclub's off-season logic.
I do hope that means we keep Panik, but at this point everyone is on the trading block. Everyone in my book does not include Buster, MadBum, or BCraw.
My prediction:
- Stanton is not going to become a Giant. He is going to remain a Marlin, then get traded to LA next off-season, when they can fit him into their payroll structure.
- Ohtani is going to become a Giant, & we will be all-the-better for it! Plus, we will then be able to afford a few other deals, perhaps even for one of the Marlins' other great OF's.
Looks like you might be right about Stanton.
Ohtani to the Angels! I did not see that coming. Anaheim? Sheesh.
One of my friends who is a Marlins fan said he would not buy his season marlin's tickets if they traded their second baseman to the giants and ended up with Panik in return. I had told him that he will end up liking Panik a lot. Better news is that the fish got rid of Gordon anyway and Panik is still a giant. So I guess he does not pick up his season tickets. Let's see what the giants do in the next two weeks. I am not so worried about third base. We have Arroyo on the upswing, and Pablo as a place holder. If Pablo gets back to health he could be at least a 280 guy with 20 dingers. Arroyo could end up figuring it all out, and being just fine. Our biggest need is a solid outfielder who can hit 300 and either be a really solid lead off guy, or a serious power hitting outfielder who can hit 300 and go deep around 40 times.
Fuck the Angels. We could have really, really used that guy. And with Stanton choosing some assorted non-Giant teams, that leaves the Giants exactly where they were on October 1, needing 3 outfielders, a pitcher, a relief staff and, in the time they have left after all those, a 3rd baseman. And to find some power in the players they have left.
Just f-ing wonderful. Stanton is making a horrible decision & putting some Teams in impossible situations. I still think that he's a Marlin in 2018. The Angels will still suck, even with Ohtani, so whatever.
Time for us to get creative or lucky or both.
Ah, well. Yankees, eh? At least that's on the other side of the country. Can you imagine Judge-Stanton? That's a lot of homers.
NOW we get to see what the Giants are going to do.
Post a Comment