It's the Winter Meetings so you expect some action. The Giants sign RHP Kevin Gausman to a one-year $9M deal, with incentives. He was non-tendered in Cincinnati. He's 28 and has started 150+ games in his career. The Giants also purchased 34-year old infielder Zack Cozart from the Angels for over $12M, but it seems the point was to get 21-year old shortstop Will Wilson, the #15 pick (from NC State) in last year's draft. The team certainly has money to spend, and they'd rather take a chance on a guy who has one season of rookie ball than a seasoned centerfielder. But that's what you do when you are rebuilding. If they get anything out of Cozart it will be a bonus, but he did hit 24 HR two years ago.
--M.C.
9 comments:
This post at MLBTR encapsulates the Bumgarner situation nicely.
Does this really make sense. You go a full 9 million for a guy who has done very little in his career. I thought the point was just made that 9 million was ridiculous for Pillar. To me, Pillar is worth at least as much as Gausman until proven otherwise. Maybe he is a late bloomer and diamond in the rough, but I do not see, after all the current talk about money, how he is worth 9 million. I get the part about Wilson, increasing our minor league prowess with more guys who may be called up in late 2022 or 2023, but a rich team like the giants should field a competitive team every year, while building up its minor league system. If Pillar was redundant because we have outfielders who are younger and cheaper, can't we say the same thing about Gausman, or is it, that players from other teams always seem better until they play for a while in a giants uniform.
I don't think they think about player value that way. That is, Kevin Pillar and Kevin Gausman are not equivalent just because they make about the same amount of money. The Giants, in their mind, don't need Pillar. It frees up a spot for a young outfielder or even another pickup, even a free agent. The money is not the point.
They need starting pitching. They might not have Bumgarner. Gausman costs the same in dollars but Pillar was more "expensive" because of his roster spot. They think they can replace Pillar, and I'm OK with that. I think they can replace Pillar, too.
Bumgarner, not so much.
Cole gets 9 years and $324M from the Yankees.
Like I said if you want starting pitching you gotta pay for it.
I see your point, but who is Gausman replacing? Isn't it true that we have young pitchers waiting for their opportunity, just like we have young outfielders? Our young pitchers are just as likely to succeed as our young outfielders except maybe Yaz, and Dickerson if healthy. But Duggar also has trouble staying healthy, and some of the guys who were brought up late in the season looked promising in the minors but at least so far, did worse than the young pitchers that were brought up. Are they saying they want 13 pitchers and just 4 outfielders? What is the deal with the roster spots. We have 40 Roster spots, and someone who would have had a roster spot will not, because of the 9 million we are spending to give Gausman a spot. I am all for amassing great minor league talent so that in 2022 or 2023 the giants will be very good and very cheap, but in the interim I do not want to see them field a team like the Marlins have fielded the last few years. We need rebound seasons from, Crawford, Belt, and Posey. Longoria has never been a good OBP guy, and to the eye test he is not the fielder he once was. He is also another guy who when on base does not find a way to blaze around the bases. I like him as a very good third baseman on a team that has a few other real stars, but for him to be expected to be one of the stars is problematic. I am hoping that somehow Zaidi pulls off some magic and is able to put a competitive team on the field. I do not think that many giants fans would be happy with a team that is not competitive. At least the 2019 team was in the wildcard race for a decent part of the season.
I think that's a laudable goal, and I think FZ & Co. talk that way, but I think the reality is different. It is a rebuild and it may get ugly. If the veteran guys rebound, then the team will have a much better chance of being competitive. If they don't . . .
There is no magic. Even FZ can't conjure up something out of nothing. But I'm not concerned about that. If season ticket holders want to go to the beach instead of go to Giants games, that's fine. It's their money. If the Giants want to cut Pillar and spend on a 21-year old, that's OK too, it's their money. I think they brought in the new guys (FZ, Harris, Kapler, etc.) because it was past time to modernize. To move beyond the championship years and build a new organization. To update and upgrade and get the talent pipeline flowing once again. That's not a knock on the old regime. Just a recognition that "time waits for no one." Things change and you have to change with the times.
It might take a few seasons. It won't be too long, but it won't be tomorrow. Most likely, anyway. I'm ready. I say "bring it on." I like the idea of a full-on commitment to a new team. If the first steps are painful, then so be it.
7 years, $245M for Anthony Rendon. What a terrific ballplayer, and very much under-the-radar until this post-season. Whew, those are some big numbers.
I wonder if the Giants could offer Bum something like $100-120M for 3 years, so that his AAV is absurdly high ($33-40M/yr), but the team is only committed for the short-term. I would think that most PoBOs and GMs would prefer that. I also wonder if Bum is like a lot of the "older" Giants and skeptical of Kapler and the new coaching staff. He might look for a more compatible personality somewhere else.
The Giants want to get younger and promote their minor-league players faster. And they want to challenge their veteran players to improve their games and accept new roles. That's a good scenario for a wide-open competitive roster, but no so much for an established club.
It is going to be interesting. But it is time to "bite the bullet" and get on with the long-term improvement program.
it is time to "bite the bullet" and get on with the long-term improvement program.
Agree 100%.
Patience grasshoppa.....
If folks are willing to write off 2020, and the team is purposely not worried about 2020, what will give the players the energy to play their butts off, for 2020. Especially if the number of fans dwindle. But even with 37 thousand fans on average a game last year, the team still was terrible at home. Nothing to make a MLB player play hard than to think they have a chance in the post season. I am looking forward for a rebuild, but again a team that had a winning record on the road, does not need to be dismantled because it is horrible, it needs to be tweaked so it can eke out some more wins. Maybe the team will surprise us and play better than projections? The fans will start out the season with hope. But, with all the management changes, if the team does terrible, the pressure from the fans will be felt by management, and they we will see what they do. Having some major prospects do very well down on the farm, could allay fans fears somewhat. But by fans, I mean supporters, and as supporters, it is not just emotional, it is financial. I guess the very wealthy franchise, if it does indeed take a loss, can just use it as some kind of a write off. I still remember looking forward to a combination of Bumgarner and Alderson. At least one of them made it big.
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