25 in 2010

We recently re-watched the 2010 World Series (it never gets old) and it got me thinking about where all those players are now so I thought I'd do a post about it.

We'll start with the pitchers (11) and go in alphabetical order. Active, under-contract players in the majors are in bold. Giants in italicized bold.

Jeremy Affeldt: retired at the end of the 2015 season.
Madison Bumgarner: signed through 2017 with options for '18 and '19.
Matt Cain: signed through 2017 with an option for '18.
Santiago Casilla: signed for 2016, eligible for free agency in '17.
Tim Lincecum: a free agent.
Javier Lopez: signed for 2016, eligible for free agency in '17.
Guillermo Mota: retired 2014.
Ramon Ramirez: a free agent.
Sergio Romo: signed for 2016, eligible for free agency in '17.
Jonathan Sanchez: a free agent.
Brian Wilson: a free agent.

There were only two catchers, and one played every inning of that post-season.

Buster Posey: signed through 2020.
Eli Whiteside: retired 2015, still with the organization as a bullpen coach.

Not one of the seven infielders are still playing on the team although one returned, memorably, for the 2014 post-season.

Mike Fontenot: a free agent.
Aubrey Huff: retired 2014.
Travis Ishikawa: a free agent.
Edgar Renteria: retired 2013
Freddy Sanchez: a free agent--has not officially retired.
Pablo Sandoval: on the Boston Red Sox.
Juan Uribe: a free agent.

The same is true for the five outfielders--none are playing with the Giants.

Pat Burrell: retired 2012, still with the organization as a scout.
Cody Ross: a free agent.
Aaron Rowand: retired as a player but coaching in the White Sox system.
Nate Schierholtz: currently in the NPB with the Hiroshima Carp.
Andres Torres: opted out of his 2014 contract with Boston, presumably a free agent.

There you have it. Of the 25 guys who won the title in 2010 only SIX are still on the team's active roster. Seven have retired and a few more are most likely done as players. We'll probably see Juan Uribe and Cody Ross on the diamond somewhere in 2016. Who knows about the rest?

The one glaring omission is of course Tim Lincecum. He was so awesome then it is hard to reconcile that with his uneven performances since and equally hard to picture him in anything but a Giants uniform. Otherwise I'm pretty happy about the guys the Giants held on to!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I hope all of you have a great time celebrating. I am certainly thankful for much in my life. As always, I appreciate all the readers, lurkers, commenters, and contributors here at RMC. It's great to know you are out there and I value all of your contributions to the site. Thanks for sticking around.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.


p.s. Baseball-Reference let me know that my sponsoring of Matt Duffy's page expires in a month. I think it was thirty bucks last year. Now they want three hundred! Way to go, Duff-man. Play like a star and you get noticed. Y'all will have to help me pick a new kid to sponsor.

Que Es Mas Improbable?

Mark notes that he was watching some of the Giants postseason successes recently.  Which raises the question:
Que Es Mas Improbable?
Que Es Mas Increible?
Que Es Mas Macho?

We Need a New Thread

The off-season is upon us and it's time to talk about 2016. Here are the free agents who've been given Qualifying Offers from their teams. Teams signing them have to forfeit a compensatory draft pick. MLBTR also rates their top 50 free agents (with predictions about where they will wind up). They think the Cubs will land David Price, for example, who they list at number one. They think Jordan Zimmerman (#7) will get 6 years/$126M from the Blue Jays. Check it out.

But it's not just about free agents, right? We need to look at the system and the youngsters and talk about who will get a shot and who has the best chance to succeed in the bigs. Not to mention comeback performances from some key guys like Matt Cain and Hunter Pence. How do they project out for next season?

Let's make a blueprint, position-by-position, for the Giants winning the World Series. Actually, a blueprint for making the playoffs. After all we know what they can do when they get their chance. If they can get in the post-season tournament I'm pretty confident they can run the table with Ol' Boch at the helm.

I know we've covered some of this ground already but let's do it again. Hell, we've got a few months. And the Winter Meetings are what, a month away? We've got work to do.

--M.C.