tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post394756039354863808..comments2024-03-27T10:29:44.159-07:00Comments on Raising Matt Cain: 25 in 2010M.C. O'Connorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-12114533970343999932015-12-15T08:27:07.774-08:002015-12-15T08:27:07.774-08:00The Giants went into the payroll penalty in 2015, ...The Giants went into the payroll penalty in 2015, so I'm not sure where all the counting the money comes in. <br /><br />And the only reason we weren't in the playoffs in 2015 was mainly due to injuries, in particular, I would name in order, Pence, Panik, Belt, Aoki, most of whom were not available the last couple of months of the season, when we were still in contention or at least near enough to still challenge LA. <br /><br />Our offense hummed when we had our guys in there. We were 34-17 with Pence in the lineup, averaged 5.5 runs scored in his first stint, which had Aoki leading off, then 5.0 runs scored in his second stint, which had Aoki missing for around half the games (plus he was not the same after returning; Blanco and Maxwell weren't that good then either), and lost Panik midway, replaced by Adrianza, plus Pagan was never effective. Still averaged 5.0 runs with three non-producing parts of the lineup. <br /><br />Even with our poor rotation, we would win a lot of games averaging near 5.0 runs per game last season. But injuries so random and none considered a recurring one, and yet it stopped our offense. <br /><br />So I'm not sure about all the bellyaching, especially after 3 in 5. The Giants went beyond the penalty threshold, so they were certainly paying a lot of people a lot of money. They were prepared to spend more, but Lester had a bond with the other GM. They put together a team that had enough fail safes and risk mitigation that we were very close for nearly 5 months, mixing and matching, then traded for Leake and Byrd to boost the reserves, until all the injuries caught up with us and overwhelmed the offense. Short of hiring someone to whack Kershaw or Greinke in the knees, I'm not sure what else one can reasonably ask the Giants to have done last season. <br /><br />Worse, had they spent more money last off-season, we most probably would have ended up with Shield in the rotation, instead of Samardzija or Cueto. Or paying Lester an even more uglier amount of money. <br /><br />In any case, they stepped up this off-season. They are right at the penalty threshold, and ready for b'ar. I assume they will pay the penalty if they need to mid-season or perhaps engineer a trade where the other team absorbs salary or the player is still paid lowly (last non-arb season). <br /><br />Unless LA trades their young stars (doubtful, that is what the new GM has been building up for), their big upgrade, which nobody has been mentioning, is Urias, who is only 19 YO but could be joining their rotation within the first half of the 2016 season, so they only need to stay in the hunt early on before kicking in turbo with Urias, who has dominated every level where he has pitched a significant number of games, even though he has been 6+ years younger the average age of the league. He is Greinke's replacement at some point.obsessivegiantscompulsivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11362706004246875823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-84707147355493499432015-12-14T18:33:49.853-08:002015-12-14T18:33:49.853-08:00Holy shit! I go skiing one day and the Giants spen...Holy shit! I go skiing one day and the Giants spend $130M. Yikes. This makes the Samardzija deal look like a bargain. You have to love the organization's commitment to improving the pitching. It might not work but they are reasonable gambles, hard to argue with, and have a good chance of making a big impact. The Giants need bookends for Bumgarner and it's still a question what guys like Peavy and Cain have left. (This makes the Petit role a wide-open race. I'll put money on Timmy.)<br /><br />But Cueto is a flashy move. I'm starting to like it. I had no idea it was coming.<br /> M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-52051446528510071962015-12-05T06:34:22.149-08:002015-12-05T06:34:22.149-08:00Fuck Zack Greinke. I am grateful that the Giants ...Fuck Zack Greinke. I am grateful that the Giants didn't pay that kind of money for him. That contract is ridiculous & shameful.<br /><br />Now, though, the Giants need to get to work & do so with haste. Sign Leake, for Gods' sake, & go for Alex Gordon, too. Then, give a REAL go for Maeda. This could still be a formidable rotation.<br /><br />Alternatively, do nothing, pout out lost opportunities, & just count their money ... kind of like last year. Crappy alternative - Giants' fans deserve better.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-75891629119799906212015-12-04T18:17:49.297-08:002015-12-04T18:17:49.297-08:00Mixed feelings about Greinke to Arizona: LA lots ...Mixed feelings about Greinke to Arizona: LA lots weaker without him (good!) but more likely to compete with us for whoever might be the next best bet along the line: Cueto? Samardzija? Kazmir? The Giants lose an opportunity but avoid a possible grave financial burden. We might be able to get a mix of pitching and OF that will serve us better than Greinke and Impoverishment. We have to face a stronger Arizona team, but then, so does LA, to the same extent. Acornnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-21749840889123900972015-12-04T17:59:42.702-08:002015-12-04T17:59:42.702-08:00On a related note, how many other jobs (besides be...On a related note, how many other jobs (besides being a sports columnist) can you just pull stuff out of your ass with no regards to whether or not you get it right and be paid for it? What if engineers operated that way?Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-17716118937734631152015-12-04T17:57:33.724-08:002015-12-04T17:57:33.724-08:00I guess that shows that what you read before a dea...I guess that shows that what you read before a deal is done is speculation, nothing more. What I have been concerned with, from several articles, is that the Giants, supposedly front-of-the-race bidders for Greinke, seemed to think of everyone else as what-happens-if-they-don't-get-Greinke. Which, considering what I just said about how you shouldn't read anything into rumors, makes no sense. However, it disquiets me. The Giants clearly have several starting pitching slots to fill. Wasn't last year an example of throwing a lot of money at Lester and then having essentially no back-up plan? Shouldn't Leake be signed now if the Giants were interested in him in addition to a front line starter? Logic dictates that the Giants take care of things better than that - they have plans, back up plans and back ups to their back ups. But it's damn hard to tell from what little you hear.Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-607019830862628752015-12-04T17:46:16.581-08:002015-12-04T17:46:16.581-08:00WTF?<a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/diamondbacks-to-sign-zack-greinke.html" rel="nofollow">WTF?</a>Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-48423649712887043792015-12-04T17:41:20.763-08:002015-12-04T17:41:20.763-08:00I think it is derived from NPB. As I understand i...I think it is derived from NPB. As I understand it (which is probably not very well) teams have to bid, the Hiroshima Carp (in this case) have to decide to accept the highest bid and then the player, or his agent, has to negotiate with the team like any other free agent. Hiroshima residents, for what it is worth, feel that Maeda has contributed to Hiroshima, so now they feel good about him challenging the major leagues. At least the one's they interviewed on tv.Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-23132052337843304122015-12-04T15:05:02.164-08:002015-12-04T15:05:02.164-08:00Is the posting system for NPB players as byzantine...Is the posting system for NPB players as byzantine as the KBL scheme?<br />M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-17052524505286567182015-12-03T20:05:18.482-08:002015-12-03T20:05:18.482-08:00Should we be thinking about the Leake / Maeda comb...Should we be thinking about the Leake / Maeda combo? Seems like a good one. Just announced that Maeda will be posted.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-15032702878025512312015-12-03T09:20:24.530-08:002015-12-03T09:20:24.530-08:00Saw that coming. Roster space crunch. You have to ...Saw that coming. Roster space crunch. You have to lose quality players to keep or obtain quality players. Petit certainly had some amazing moments as a Giants player. I hope he lands a spot somewhere. He's had two solid seasons back-to-back after that awesome September in 2013. And of course his 2014 post-season was epic. Did you know he pitched for Oaxaca in the Mexican League? Sanchez, on the other hand, was on a downward trend and the injuries piled up in almost absurd fashion. I love the kid and really wanted to see him stick. Maybe he'll sign a minor-league deal with the Giants.<br />M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-40226572744292302492015-12-03T06:42:59.161-08:002015-12-03T06:42:59.161-08:00Giants dump Petit - that sucks. His flexibility m...Giants dump Petit - that sucks. His flexibility made him very valuable. His occasional studly performances were impressive.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-52208348361806266772015-12-02T19:13:29.837-08:002015-12-02T19:13:29.837-08:00Joe Panik hasn't "done" anything. He...Joe Panik hasn't "done" anything. He's young and studly and so talking heads want to talk about him so they make up possible trade scenarios. The Giants are too smart to trade young, cost-controlled stars. And Kelby will be next year's Joaquin Arias, just younger and studlier.<br />M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-73629082423522951942015-12-02T16:10:27.442-08:002015-12-02T16:10:27.442-08:00Since I watch plenty of Mariners' games on loc...Since I watch plenty of Mariners' games on local TV here, I'll still get to watch a lot of Nori, but without any emotional investment! Fine w/ me.<br /><br />What has Joe Panik done to deserve all of this talk about trades? The only conceivable way that I can imagine that the Giants would truly consider this would be if they are going to sign Zobrist (which I think is very unlikely). Kelby was a nice player for a few months & a useful utility guy, but he's no Joe Panik (especially in the field).<br /><br />The clock is ticking on Greinke ... still think that it will be the 'Mystery Team'.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-83442524305323160812015-12-02T15:27:47.239-08:002015-12-02T15:27:47.239-08:00One less thing for Ron to worry about: Nori Aoki t...One less thing for Ron to worry about: Nori Aoki to sign with Mariners. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/mariners-to-sign-nori-aoki.html<br />Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-39636859906901223292015-12-02T08:57:01.999-08:002015-12-02T08:57:01.999-08:00'Mystery Team Alert': all of the usual sus...'Mystery Team Alert': all of the usual suspects now being mentioned + St. Louis + Washington. We're not getting Greinke (or Cueto).Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-74955025145458028972015-12-01T18:45:49.116-08:002015-12-01T18:45:49.116-08:00Barry Bonds to the FloMars?
Wow. No beef with Bam...<a href="http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2015/12/01/reportedly-set-to-join-marlins-barry-bonds-never-asked-to-be-full-time-coach-with-giants/" rel="nofollow">Barry Bonds to the FloMars?</a><br /><br />Wow. No beef with Bam-Bam, but you have to find a way to keep no. 25 around. He knows more than anyone about hitting. Maybe when they finally get around to retiring his number he'll be back. Assuming he goes to Florida at all, that is.<br /><br />M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-66205477034163723902015-12-01T16:26:13.510-08:002015-12-01T16:26:13.510-08:00Exactly. If Ellsbury got that, Heyward will do bet...Exactly. If Ellsbury got that, Heyward will do better. He's young--that's the thing with Heyward. And like a lot of all-rounders the numbers aren't eye-popping until you look at the overall picture. But he's young, only 26, and has all that big-league time under him including post-season. He'd be a great addition to any team. (Would you move Pence to left if you got Heyward?) FanGraphs does <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/trying-to-put-a-value-on-jason-heyward-in-free-agency/" rel="nofollow">their usual over-the-top look </a>at his value if you've got the time to kill!<br /><br />M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-68515327388637392772015-12-01T16:20:42.071-08:002015-12-01T16:20:42.071-08:00The latest article claims that we & LAD are th...The latest article claims that we & LAD are the 'finalists' for Greinke. We've all seen this tune before: a 'mystery Team' will suddenly emerge - usually LAA or Texas. Still don't think that we're going to get into something that long-term & that rich.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-70706680013558167712015-12-01T16:10:23.389-08:002015-12-01T16:10:23.389-08:00Although the pundits are predicting something like...Although the pundits are predicting something like Mark, I'm not sure that I understand why Justin Heyward justifies such a massive Contract. His body-of-work to-date doesn't bowl you over. His 2015 was good, but he didn't drive in many runs. The defense & speed part are great tools, though. On the other hand, we are living in a world in which Jacoby Ellsbury makes $21M.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-48033098983891610282015-12-01T15:01:15.254-08:002015-12-01T15:01:15.254-08:00I like Heyward, he's an excellent player, but ...I like Heyward, he's an excellent player, but I'll stick with my usual on long-term deals for OFs. Pence is one of those fine all-rounders, and he's paid off handsomely, but he was also out all season with injuries. He's got three more years on the books so I don't expect the Giants to chase a fancy FA. If you are gonna go for the "salary structure-busting" deal it has to be for starting pitching, right? Heyward is going to get $20M+/season, maybe $25M+, don't you think? So far all the predictions for the market are too low--guys are getting even more. Heyward will get a primo payday much like Price. Greinke, now that Price has $30M/season, is going to get at least that much, but maybe not for as long. Either way I think that's too rich for Evans and Co.<br /><br />I've heard the Doug Fister talk. Could be a great bargain compared to the others, eh? I guess I can live with not getting my precious shiny bauble. Just have to count on Matt Cain rediscovering his mojo. And maybe a little Leake thrown in.<br /><br />The Giants have a great core with the infield and Buster and Pence. Great lineup, solid D. Good bullpen depth, need a lefty, but don't all teams need more lefties? Ace pitcher with Bum, just have to fatten that ro' for the long haul. When are the youngsters ready to contribute?<br /><br />Oh and let's not forget rehab/scrap heap/Evans-is-a-genius pickup Kyle Blanks. When he hits the game-winning homer in the LCS all the talking heads will shit their collective pants. :-)<br />M.C. O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-92137385637701267352015-12-01T14:51:40.099-08:002015-12-01T14:51:40.099-08:00Sorry - 12 guys before, now 14.Sorry - 12 guys before, now 14.Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-37048234861174552332015-12-01T14:51:04.254-08:002015-12-01T14:51:04.254-08:00So it looks to me like Boston's salary was $15...So it looks to me like Boston's salary was $153 million for 10 guys out of a 40 man roster. Now they have added Chris Young at $13 million and David Price at $30 million. So $196 million for 14/40 of a roster. Bet they're loving that Pablo deal now!Zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-26639976841563947262015-12-01T14:00:06.585-08:002015-12-01T14:00:06.585-08:00Price to Boston. No surprise, there. Greinke now...Price to Boston. No surprise, there. Greinke now likelier to end up on NYY?Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-9660295223500423172015-12-01T12:14:28.454-08:002015-12-01T12:14:28.454-08:00This is probably the first time ever that Zack Gre...This is probably the first time ever that Zack Greinke's accomplishments in 2015 (statistically, the best season in about 40 years) are compared to Aubrey Huff's accomplishments in 2010 (a decent year for a slugging 1B). Interesting comparison.<br /><br />I don't see Greinke's return to LAD as a slam dunk. There are other Teams who would eagerly out-bid LAD.<br /><br />Bumgarner's deal should be renegotiated after 2017 (for market value, which will probably be around $25-28M). No sense ever letting him test the waters.<br /><br />Pitching-wise, we need more than Leake & a prayer. Lincecum's minor league deal will be a speck on the cost analysis chart, so that's worth doing, but we need someone of the Fister variety.<br /><br />I'm all for getting one of the best OF gloves in the game. He's becoming a good hitter, too. People thought that he'd instantly do that in 2010, but Buster out-played him & got the Rookie-of-the-Year. But, after a few years, Heyward is now a legit multi-tooled player.Ronnoreply@blogger.com