Aaron Rowand No Longer A Viable Leadoff Option for the Giants

Aaron Rowand may have a good year and capitalize on that "Great every three years" cycle a lot of Giants fans have bought into. Baseball fans saw it in 2004 in Chicago (.388 wOBA) and in 2007 in Philadelphia (.382 wOBA). Maybe Giants fans will see something similar from Rowand in 2010.

He's off to a good, though not great start so far. While Rowand has hit four home runs this year in 95 plate appearances, his batting average dipped to .266 after tonight's 8-2 win over the Houston Astros and his OBP fell to .310.

Rowand may still have a breakout year for the Giants. That being said, I don't believe that "big" season will happen with him batting leadoff for this team.

First off, Rowand isn't and never was a leadoff hitter. The Giants panicked and gave him the spot because, after Spring Training ended, they had no other reasonable options at leadoff. As Giants fans, we could live with Rowand batting first simply because nobody else looked better in comparison. (Seriously, Edgar Renteria and his .307 OBP in 2009 was perhaps the second best option to bat leadoff on Opening Day).

However, this isn't Opening Day anymore. The Giants have just finished game 26 of the season. Is it the midway point? No, but it certainly has been long enough to tell what has been working and what hasn't this year for the Giants.

Rowand certainly fits in the latter category.

First off, leadoff hitters need to have one of two things in order to be effective:

1.) Tremendous speed or base stealing ability.
2.) A high propensity to draw walks or get on-base.

In terms of point number one, speed can make up for a hitter's poor plate discipline. Look at Willy Taveras, who has a career OBP of .320 and a career walk percentage of 5.1 percent. Why did he bat leadoff for every team he played for in his career until this season? Because Taveras stole over 30 bases from 2005-2008, and 25 bases in 2009 (and to put it in perspective, he had a .275 OBP for the Reds in 2009).

Rowand doesn't have that speed. Rowand has only 60 stolen bases in his career. Taveras had 68 stolen bases in 2008 ALONE.

So, if Rowand can't steal bases, he must be a good on-base guy, right? A "milk the pitcher and draw some walks" guy in the mold of Kosuke Fukudome?

Not exactly either.

Rowand has a career average walk percentage of 5.7 percent. This season, he has been below his career average, as evidenced by his 3.2 percent walk percentage so far in 2010. Now, while his strikeout rate is 17.8 percent, the first time it has been under 20 percent since 2007, his BB/K ratio is still far from impressive at 0.19. Rowand's BB/K ratios the past two years in San Francisco haven't been much better either, as it was 0.24 last year and 0.35 in 2008 (the league average is usually around 0.50).

Also, the big knock on Rowand has been his plate discipline, and this year he has showed more of the same. After swinging at 32.7 percent of pitches outside the strike zone last season (seven points more than the league average), he has been even worse this year, swinging at 42.8 percent of pitches outside the strike zone.

Therefore, Rowand does not fit either category in terms of being a successful leadoff hitter. I know manager Bruce Bochy likes Rowand, and wants Rowand to get comfortable at a spot in the lineup, but leadoff simply isn't it. The more Rowand bats leadoff for the Giants, the less chance they have of making the playoffs. I do not think any Giants fan can argue with that sentiment.

So who do the Giants bat at leadoff?

I suggest two scenarios.

1.) Andres Torres (the main one).
2.) Nate Schierholtz (the secondary one).

In terms of the first option, it makes the most sense. Torres, who has stepped up this year and proved that 2009 wasn't a fluke so far, fits both categories of a successful leadoff hitter. He has good speed (he has four stolen bases this year) and he has shown a strong ability to draw walks and get on base as well (he has a 14.8 percent walk percentage, a 1.00 BB/K ratio and a .398 OBP). Furthermore, unlike Rowand, Torres has proven to be patient in the batter's box. While Torres has cut down on his swings at the plate this year (42.8 percent swing percentage), he has swung at less pitches outside the strike zone (20.6 percent).

Torres not only deserves to be batting leadoff whenever he is in the lineup, but he deserves more playing time as well. While taking playing time away from Rowand will be a challenge, if unrealistic (simply because of his contract and clout with Bochy and Sabean), he certainly deserves to be playing more games in left field, especially if Mark Derosa's wrist doesn't fully recover this year.

However, while I agree that he deserves to be playing MORE, I do not think he should be the permanent left fielder for the remainder of the year. If anything, some kind of platoon needs to be worked out with John Bowker in left field. Bowker still has potential. His walk rate is the highest its been in his Major League career (9.2 percent) and his HR/FB rate (15.4 percent) shows that he has power potential. BowkerwOBA and 27.6 percent strikeout percentage don't help), but with Derosa hurt, this should be an opportunity for Giants management to give Bowker more at-bats.

The best scenario, in my mind, would be for some kind of 60-40 split (or at the very least, 70-30) between Torres and Bowker in terms of playing time in left field with Derosa out and likely heading to the DL. If they don't do it now, they might as well just send Bowker to Fresno because he isn't going to get any other opportunities considering how crowded this outfield is.

If Bowker does get the opportunity of playing every few days (and that's a big IF), then Schierholtz (who has earned the starting right field job after a great start) should bat leadoff for the Giants when Bowker is starting in left.

Schierholtz isn't a typical leadoff hitter. Unlike Rowand though, he has shown improvement this year in drawing walks and being more patient at the plate. His walk percentage is 7.4 percent this year and his BB/K ratio is 0.70 (it was 0.28 last year and 0.38 in 2008). Additionally, he has been more efficient at the plate, swinging at less pitches outside the strikezone (26 percent, a nine point drop from the previous season), while making better contact to boot (85.9 percent contact rate; an 8.2 percent improvement from 2009).

Surprisingly, Schierholtz has some speed as well. This year he has stolen three bases in four attempts. (He had only three stolen bases all of last year!) It wouldn't be surprising to see Schierholtz to steal 10-15 bases this year if given regular playing time. Is that Taveras base stealing ability? No, but it's efficient, and certainly better than what Rowand has to offer.

The Giants solution at leadoff? Drop Rowand in the lineup (six or seven would be a great fit), make Torres the leadoff when he's in the lineup, and when Bowker is replacing him in left field every few days or so, move Schierholtz up to the one spot.

It sounds easy enough, and there is a prime opportunity to instill this plan with Derosa going to be on the shelf.

The main question though is whether or not Bochy and Sabean will have the moxie to make the move. (Knowing Bochy and his history as Giants manager, my gut says no...unfortunately.)

Rowand Up, Torres Down in 2010? It Might Happen, Giants Fans

The popular sentiment of Giants fans these days seems to be this: bench Aaron Rowand, and replace him with Andres Torres, who is better suited to hit leadoff than Rowand, the Giants' current candidate.

Granted, I can't necessarily dimiss the idea. Torres is coming off a great year, and Rowand isn't. Rowand is a good defender, but statistically, Torres was better last year (Torres' had a 3.7 UZR in center field last season while Rowand sported a 1.3 UZR).

However, even though the stats from 2009 may favor more playing time for Torres and less for Rowand in center field, Giants fans shouldn't jump on the Torres bandwagon too quickly. While Torres may be a good player off the bench for the Giants roster in 2010 (especially considering he's might be of one of the better baserunners on the 40-man roster along with Eugenio Velez and Emmanuel Burriss), it is highly unlikely that he will duplicate the numbers that he posted in 2009. Additionally, while Rowand didn't exactly set the world on fire in 2009, there is a strong chance Rowand is due to improve in 2010.

Here are a few cases for my thought that Rowand should be the main man in center field over Torres for the Giants:

1. Torres most likely won't repeat his power numbers, while Rowand is more prone to stay around the same, perhaps even improve.

Here are Torres' power stats in 2009: six doubles, eight triples, six home runs, .533 slugging percentage, .876 OPS, .263 ISO, 12.5 percent HR/FB ratio.

Those really are incredible numbers, almost TOO incredible to be perfectly frank considering Torres' history.

In his Minor and Major League career, Torres only hit more than six home runs once (11 in 2008 with the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate). Granted, Torres has always had solid slugging and OPS numbers in the minors, but that may be more caused by his speed rather than natural power. From 2006-2008, in four Minor League stints (one Triple-A stint with the Minnesota Twins in 2006, a Double-A stint with the Detroit Tigers in 2007, a Triple-A stint with the Tigers in 2007, and a Triple-A stint with the Cubs in 2008), he accumulated 39 triples.

39! That's some absolute speed on the basepaths folks!

Yet here's a huge red flag when it comes to Torres repeating his 2009 numbers in 2010: the .263 ISO. Torres is not a .263 ISO hitter. The only other time he cracked the .200 mark was in 2007 with the Tigers' Triple-A team where he posted a .214 ISO. As far as his ISO in the majors, it isn't even close. The second-highest ISO he posted in the Majors was .077 in 2003 with the Tigers. (e.g. Walt Weiss territory.)

Another red-flag for Torres is his HR/FB ratio, which was an astounding 12.5 percent, third best on the team in 2009 (behind only Pablo Sandoval and Juan Uribe). His HR/FB numbers were nowhere close to that in his four seasons in the Majors prior to 2009. The second-highest HR/FB ratio for Torres? 3.1 percent in 2003 with Detroit. (He had a zero percent HR/FB ratio in 2002, 2004 and 2005, but he only played a combined 30 games during those three seasons.)

(Note: I could not find batted ball statistics for Minor Leaguers, so that's why I omit them here).

As for Rowand, 2009 was a little more typical for him in terms of power numbers in comparison to 2008. He posted a .419 and a .158 ISO, not to mention a 10.3 percent HR/FB ratio. Granted, those statistics aren't great by any measure, but they are least consistent with what we expect from Rowand. In his nine Major League seasons, he has only posted an OPS under .420 four times. (Although two of the four times were with the Giants...ouch!) Furthermore, Rowand has a career ISO average of .168 (in comparison to Torres who has a .139 ISO) and a career HR/FB ratio of 12.2 percent (in comparison to Torres who has a 7.1 percent HR/FB ratio).

One thing I think that could bode in Rowand's favor in 2010 was his dip in Line Drive percentage in 2009.  Rowand averages 19.7 percent in career line drive percentage. In 2009, that number dipped to 16 percent, the lowest percent of his Major League career. That total was probably affected by his increase in FB percentage (38.9 percent) and Infield Fly Ball percentage (13 percent, his highest percentage since 2005).

I don't think Rowand has a 16 percent line drive percentage in 2010, especially with a better hitting coach aboard in Hensley Meulens (Let's face it, Carney Lansford and his overly intense, counter-productive behavior probably wasn't helping him). If Rowand puts up better line drive numbers, chances are his power numbers will correspond as well.

2. Rowand is better at making contact than Torres.

Blasphemous. Or at least that's what Torres fans are saying. "Rowand can't hit the broad side of a barn!" is probably the most common phrase shouted at Rowand, but you know what? The stats say Rowand makes better contact at the plate.

In 2009, Torres posted a contact rate of 72.3 percent. Also, he made contact on 46.2 percent of pitches outside the strike zone and 84.1 percent of pitches in the strike zone.

Rowand? He posted a 74.8 percent contact rate, making 51.9 percent contact rate outside the strike zone and 85.2 percent contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone.

That is a big and surprising difference, especially considering the fact Rowand has earned a reputation of swinging and missing early and often (then again, his 25.1 percent strikeout rate and 0.24 BB/K ratio certainly didn't sway many Giants fans to believe otherwise). Yet according to the numbers, Torres may not be that much better a hitter as many Giants fans would like to believe. If given regular playing time, his stats most likely would look pedestrian to the point where they would be comparable, if not worse than Rowand's.

3. Torres' high BABIP doesn't bode well for 2010.

Torres posted a .347 BABIP in 2009, third-best on the team of hitters with 20 or more plate appearances behind Pablo Sandoval and Fred Lewis. Now, BABIP numbers aren't a bad thing. For the most part, groundball hitters have very high BABIP numbers, and Torres is a groundball hitter, so...

Stop right there! Torres was NOT a groundball hitter in 2009. He posted a 0.69 GB/FB ratio in 2009 along with a 49.5 percent flyball percentage. Rowand in comparison had a 1.16 GB/FB ratio and a 38.9 percent flyball percentage. So, if anything, Rowand is more of a groundball hitter than Torres, and Giants fans know that Rowand doesn't have the speed to be that kind of a hitter.

Torres does have the speed to be that kind of a player, but for whatever reason, he wasn't able to do so in 2009 and hit more flyballs than groundballs (15.5 percent more to be exact). Was last year an aberration for Torres? It could be. In 2002, 2003 and 2005 at the Major League level (again, no Minor League batted ball stats), Torres didn't have a GB/FB ratio below 1.81. That being said, his last stint in the Majors was 2005, and it is obvious by his power numbers in the Minors that he seems to be more inclined to try and hit for power and swing for the fences rather than just make contact.

If Torres continues that approach, chances are he won't have a BABIP as high as .347 at the Major League level again. Sooner or later, his luck will run out and his BABIP will hover around the league average of .299, which will make his stats look a lot more pedestrian than numbers he put up in 2009.

As for Rowand, he hovered around the league average in BABIP (.318) last season. If he can catch some breaks and get that BABIP to rise (which will if he can improve that line drive percentage like I said before), then Rowand's stats will look a lot better than in 2009.


The bottom line? I know Rowand makes more money and chances are, because of his contract and "gamer" status (which isn't a bad thing by the way), he will probably start in center field on Opening Day. That being said, Torres will be a very interesting player to watch in 2010. There is a good chance he could prove me wrong and continue to put the heat on manager Bruce Bochy to play him more. If he can utilize his speed better, he certainly will be hard to keep out of the lineup, especially if Rowand struggles.

However, if Torres regresses dramatically and posts lower numbers at the plate from a year ago, well...don't say I didn't warn you.

Milton Bradley in San Francisco Sounds Great, but Move Is Game Giants Can't Play

From Bleacher Report

On Sept. 26, the Chicago Tribune reported that the San Francisco Giants may be one of three teams interested in the services of talented, but troubled switch-hitting outfielder Milton Bradley.

Tribune reporter Paul Sullivan, claimed the best option for the Cubs could be a straight-up swap for Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand.

Rowand, a solid clubhouse veteran, has struggled to make a dent in his two years so far in San Francisco, especially this year.

While Rowand has hit 15 home runs and drove in 60 RBI, he leads the team with 123 strikeouts, and has only drawn 29 walks.

To make matters worse, Rowand has three years, $36 million remaining on the big contract he signed in 2008.

With better and cheaper outfielder options available such as Andres Torres and even Eugenio Velez, the Giants may be better off if they could get rid of the popular, but declining center fielder.

Getting Bradley in return though is not the solution, even if it means getting rid of somebody as unproductive as Rowand.

On paper, Bradley makes sense for the Giants. The Giants struggled mightily with OBP and OPS this season, as evidenced by their team .310 OBP and .700 OPS, which both rank last in the National League.

Even though his .378 OBP and .775 OPS are significantly down from last year, he would actually rank second on this Giants team in OBP (behind only Pablo Sandoval) and fourth in OPS.

Furthermore, his 66 walks (which would be second on the Giants) would also help a squad that most likely will finish last in the Major Leagues in walks with 384.

Yet as most baseball fans all now, while Bradley can fill a need in terms of filling statistical holes for the Giants, his personality and attitude is too much of a risk for Giants general manager Brian Sabean to take.

Bradley has worn out his welcome in almost every stop in his Major League career, despite his solid numbers.

He was pretty much booted out of Cleveland, despite hitting .321 and having a .421 OBP in his last season as an Indian in 2003.

His hometown Los Angeles Dodgers got sick of his act and let him walk after two seasons, even though he hit 19 home runs and drove in 67 RBI in 2004.

Despite having a career year in 2008 in Texas where he hit 22 home runs, had 77 RBI and sported a .436 OBP, the Rangers still didn't deem it worthwhile to make an effort to resign him to a new contract.

Unfortunately for the city of Chicago, the Cubs did give him a contract, and already, after one year, they want him gone.

You could point to Bradley's decline in almost every statistical category as the reason why Cubs fans want him out of Chicago.

However, all players have bad seasons, and with two more years remaining on his contract, you think Cubs fans would at least give him one more season to redeem his mediocre performance in 2009.

Bradley though is an exception to that kind of common thinking.

Already in one season he has proved to be a distraction. He doesn't get along with his teammates. He doesn't get along with Cubs manager Lou Piniella. And lastly, he doesn't seem to mesh with the Chicago media or fans.

This is a city where Ozzie "I can't say 10 words without insulting someone" Guillen is still managing, mind you.

I know it is tempting for the Giants to make a trade for Bradley. The change of scenery, a new, more temperate manager, and a more relaxed media scene may be able to coax a big season out of the disgruntled outfielder like it did in Texas in 2008.

When you look at the whole picture though, there are just too many question marks with Bradley. And when you consider his declining slugging numbers (his slugging percentage dropped from .563 in 2008 to .397 in 2009), and the fact that AT&T Park isn't necessarily a hitter's park like Progressive Field in Cleveland or The Ballpark in Arlington, Bradley simply isn't as enticing a commodity as he was a couple of years ago.

I sympathize with many Giants fans out there. I agree with them when it comes to trading Rowand, and acquiring a big bat to make the playoffs next season.

That being said, anybody who thinks Bradley is going to kill two birds with one stone is out of their mind. I guarantee you, if Bradley comes to San Francisco, he will only accomplish one of those "wishes" for Giants fans.

I think they can figure out which one it is.

Aaron Rowand: the 2009 San Francisco Giants Least Valuable Player

I have been easy on Aaron Rowand in his two years in San Francisco. Maybe I was just being sympathetic because he had a decent first half in 2008. Maybe I forever have the image of him crashing into the wall at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia burned in my mind. Maybe I like the fact that he chews Grizzly.

But I can't defend him anymore. Tonight proved, as most Giants fans have already known for a couple of months, that Rowand is the team's Least Valuable Player for the 2009 season. That's how bad Rowand has been this year, and that isn't easy to say when you have Merkin Valdez and Edgar Renteria on this roster.

Yet time and time again, Rowand has simply been unable to come up big on any occasion with the bat. Tonight's at-bat was a golden chance for him to at least somewhat improve upon his declining image, and still...he has a classic, "Your 2009 San Francisco Giants" at-bat. He looks at two very hittable pitches and then whiffs on a crappy low, out of the zone pitch.

I mean...well...I didn't die really on that strikeout. I was more devastated by Fred Lewis' strikeout to be honest, mainly because I want Freddie do well considering all the unmerited grief he has gotten this year (even on this own blog).

However, that is the problem with Rowand. It was almost as if I expected Rowand to get out before he even stepped into the batter's box. I was disappointed Travis Ishikawa walked the at-bat before despite the walk putting runners on first and second because I knew Rowand was going to strikeout, or even worse, ground into a double play. That is how bad it has gotten with him. We can't expect good things from him ever, and even when he does good things, the game is usually in hand.

I know there are the Rowand fanboys out there, and believe me...I was one of them for a long time. I want to have patience for Rowand because he seems to work hard (Kruk and Kuiper harp about how much batting practices he takes before games). However, Rowand was paid handsomely and expected to be a centerpiece for this team and he has been anything but in his two seasons in San Francisco. He has been anti-clutch in every sense of the word. Lewis or Randy Winn in my opinion would be a better option in the outfield next year, and when you say that...well...you're not having a very good tenure with your team to put it nicely.

Here are the two stats that clinch Rowand's putrid, award-winning season in my mind. He leads the team with a 119 strikeouts (the next highest total is Winn with 90) and Lewis has seven more walks than Rowand despite having almost 200 fewer at-bats.

I'm sorry. That's pathetic. Plain and simple.

Aaron Rowand. You're a likable guy. You chew Grizzly dipping tobacco (an underrated brand), you can make a great catch here and there, and you even look like Johnny Drama, my favorite character from "Entourage."

Nonetheless, you take this LVP award easily this year. You lead the team in strikeouts, you have a lower OPS than two backup outfielders, and you grounded into a triple play in Milwaukee. I think those accomplishments speak for themselves.

Congrats Aaron, and good luck on defending your title next season. With Randy and Bengie Molina likely gone next year, you'll certainly be the favorite to repeat (unless Brian Sabean idiotically resigns Rich Aurilia next year somehow).

The PG Beat: Double Digits Day! Rowand and Winn make Bochy's decision harder, Giants batter Livan

It's funny. When I write an article about how Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn are struggling, and that one of them needs to step up in order to fill the centerfield position, both guys absolutely tear it up. Rowand goes 4-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBI. Winn goes 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

Now, manager Bruce Bochy is put in a tough situation because now he's not choosing between two guys who are putting up pathetic numbers at the plate, but instead, he has to choose between two outfielders who seem to be on the cusp of a breakout. Sure, it's Livan Hernandez they were facing today. However, I was so impressed with Winn's and Rowand's at-bats that I just think they are more than capable of building upon these performances today. Who is primed for the bigger breakout? I don't know, but Bochy is going to have to make a tough call, and I guarantee you whatever decision he makes will upset some fans when it is all said and done.

Other than Rowand and Winn's performance, this really was just a great game for the Giants today. They had great approaches at the plate, and special kudos goes out to their pinch hitters. Schierholtz and Lewis both had big base knocks as pinch hitters, which further supports my point that the Giants have a glut in the outfield in a good way (similar to the dilemma Hugh Hefner and Playboy Magazine has when picking their Playmate of the Year. It's that good). I feel that with this latest performance, the Giants are going to be in good shape in the outfield, especially with Torres coming back off the DL. If somebody falters, Bochy will be able to replace them with ease, since Lewis, Torres and Schierholtz can easily replace Winn or Rowand should those two veterans prove today's game was a fluke rather than a encouraging sign.

Other than the hitting, Martinez pitched well in today's 10-1 victory over the Mets. Much like his win in Houston, Martinez didn't have room for much error. When he left the game, it was only a 3-1 game. A mistake here and there (and he didn't get much help as evidenced by Sandoval's two errors) and this could have been a different ball game. That being said, he kept the Mets in check all day and didn't make any big mistakes like Jonathan Sanchez did yesterday (though like I said, Sanchez still pitched great, but giving up a home run to Luis "What is a home run?" Castillo is unforgivable). Great to see Martinez get a win, especially in front of his friends and family since he is a New Jersey native.

Also, great performance by the bullpen. I know they were pitching with a big lead, but they came in and mowed down the Mets' lineup. Medders, Howry, Miller and Valdez all pitched very well and kept things from even getting slightly interesting after Martinez came out in the fifth. This was definitely a good bounce back performance for this bullpen, especially after the last time they relieved Martinez against the Dodgers and got absolutely rocked (i.e. Medders, who may as well change his title from "middle reliever" to "property of the Los Angeles Dodgers").

Did I want the Giants to get more than a split in New York against a Mets team that looks more like their Triple-A counterpart, the Buffalo Bisons? Yeah, but I'll take it. Today's win was big, and with Lincecum going on the hill tomorrow, I think the Giants made a good statement as they hit the road to avenge their embarrassing performance at home last week against the woeful Reds. All I can say is this: with a small ballpark and Lincecum on the hill, the Giants should do well during these next three days.

Like I said...SHOULD. I think Giants fans know what I'm implying.


Postgame box notes:

Winning pitcher: Joe Martinez (3-1) 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.
Losing pitcher: Livan Hernandez (7-8) 5.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

Giants standouts: Eugenio Velez, 2-for-5, 3B (1). Freddy Sanchez, 2-for-4. Pablo Sandoval, 2B (34). Randy Winn, 3-for-5, 2B (28). Aaron Rowand, 4-for-5, HR (10). Edgar Renteria, 2-for-4. Nate Schierholtz, 2B (13).
Mets standouts: Corey Sullivan, 2-for-4. Daniel Murphy, 2-for-4, 2B (20).

Giants probable starters for next game against Cincinnati: Lincecum (12-3) vs. Bailey (2-4).
Mets probable starters for next game against Atlanta: Lowe (12-7) vs. Perez (2-3).

Rowand or Winn? Who is the odd man out in the Giants' outfield?

Either Aaron Rowand (center) or Randy Winn (left) is going to be the centerfielder during the last couple of months. Who it will be though is to be determined.

From Bleacher Report

With Nate Schierholtz back in the lineup healthy, Giants manager Bruce Bochy is put in an intriguing situation when it comes to his outfield.

Who will be the odd man out?

Already, one guy has been eliminated from consideration.

John Bowker, who has been lighting it up at Triple-A Fresno this year, doesn't seem to have a place on this Giants roster this season.

Until the July acquisition of Ryan Garko from Cleveland, Bowker's best shot at playing for the Giants would have been at first base. Now with Travis Ishikawa and Garko platooning the first base position, a crowded outfield, and Bowker not putting up eye-popping stats at the Major League level this year, he seems to be destined to spend the rest of the season at Triple-A.

Other than Bowker, things get tricky.

When Andres Torres gets back to the lineup after healing from a hamstring injury, the Giants will be suited with six outfielders who can certainly merit consideration for regular playing time.

Torres, Aaron Rowand, Randy Winn, Schierholtz, Eugenio Velez and Fred Lewis are all players who can play regularly in the Giants outfield.

So far, two guys have earned starting outfield positions for the rest of the season:

Velez and Schierholtz.

Velez deserves regular playing time simply because he is the best option for the Giants at leadoff currently. While he does not have a lot of stolen bases, Velez's combination of ability to make contact and speed on the basepaths make him a player that the Giants simply can't afford to bench.

As for Schierholtz, he has the best arm in the Giants outfield by leaps and bounds. After spending time on the DL, Giants fans were reminded how much they missed his cannon arm with constant ducks by Winn who replaced Schierholtz in right field.

Schierholtz makes baserunners and basecoaches think twice about sending a guy home when the ball is hit to right field. Even in this series against the Mets, speedster Luis Castillo has nearly been caught twice by Schierholtz throws.

I guarantee you with Winn or even Velez patrolling the right field position, those throws would not have been close as they were.

In addition to his gun, Schierholtz is a left-handed bat that the Giants need on a consistent basis.

With a .294 batting average, .323 OBP and four home runs and 20 RBI, he is the kind of player that has the kind of pop that the Giants need for the stretch run in August and September.

So, with Velez and Schierholtz mainstays in left and right field, who patrols the centerfield position?

Basically, it will come down to two veterans that have underachieved this season:

Rowand and Winn.

Lewis is eliminated simply because he is a defensive liability, but that isn't to say he should be buried on the bench Kevin Frandsen-style. His approach at the plate has been refreshing as evidenced by his batting average rising 23 points since July 23. Furthermore, he currently has a .471 batting average, .571 OBP and a 1.218 OPS in August.

Unlike some critics, Lewis getting starts every now and then shouldn't be out of the question. His high OBP in comparison to other Giants outfielders, and sudden resurgence in the batters box is valuable to this Giants team.

That being said, he simply can't make plays defensively in the outfield. He bobbles too many off the wall, has iron hands and takes bad angles. It is an adventure for him out there, and because of that, he just can't be trusted to be the regular outfielder he once was.

So with Lewis out, and Torres also suited more to being a spark off the bench ala Dave Roberts circa 2004, should the Giants go with Rowand or Winn?

Whoever Bochy decides upon, it isn't going to be pretty.

Despite signing with the Giants prior to the 2008 season with the expectations of being one of the centerpieces of the Giants offense, Rowand has been a bit of a letdown, especially this season.

Rowand has struggled mightily at the plate, and while his .266 average, .321 OBP and nine homers and 45 RBI might suggest otherwise, you have to see what he's done lately to see how badly Rowand is playing.

In the month of July, Rowand hit only .190 with a .235 OBP and struck out 18 times in 63 at-bats (a high number considering he struck out 28 times in 97 at-bats in June and 22 times in 106 at-bats in May).

August has been even worse for Rowand. This month he has a .186 batting average, a .205 OBP and has struck out 12 times in 43 at-bats (his strikeout number boosted by a hat trick on August 13 against the Mets).

Sure, Rowand is a great defensive player and certainly a leader in the clubhouse. Yet his woes at the plate are simply killing the Giants offense.

As for Winn, while his July numbers were respectable (He hit .276 with a .330 OBP in July), his August numbers are even more atrocious than Rowand's.

After today's game against the Mets, Winn has hit .184 with a .262 OBP and sports a woeful .184 slugging percentage this month.

Winn is less susceptible to the strikeout than Rowand (he has only six this month and had only 13 in July in the same amount of at-bats as Rowand). However, he simply can't hit the ball out of the infield, as Giants fans have been accustomed to the sight of Winn grounding to the second baseman or shortstop on a regular basis.

In order for the Giants to continue to stay in contention for the Wild Card spot, either Rowand or Winn is going to have to improve upon their late meager performances, and perhaps claim the centerfield position during this road trip.

The Giants need stability in centerfield, and considering both Rowand and Winn's histories, either player is more than capable of being a solid producer at the position in terms of at the plate and defensively.

Whoever the odd man out is though, it undoubtedly will be a blow to that player's ego. I'm sure it won't be easy for one of them to be regulated to situational status after going into the year with expectations of being a regular starter.

Yet with a playoff berth on the line, I guarantee you both these guys will make the necessary sacrifices in order to have a chance at a World Series ring.

At this point, it is tough to say who will be the centerfielder for the rest of the year. Both guys are playing too poorly for Bochy to make a definitive decision. The first guy who steps up and starts showing signs of life and production most likely will be the player Bochy will lean on in September.

Whether it is Rowand or Winn or whoever, Bochy and company better make a decision quickly.

After losing two of three so far in this road trip to the Mets, the Giants need to get things settled in the lineup to stop the bleeding.