Just a quick post. I put up a poll on the sidebar asking which Giants deserve to make the All-Star game in Anaheim this year. I narrowed it down to eight guys who have a realistic chance of making it:
Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Brian Wilson, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Freddy Sanchez, Pablo Sandoval, and Andres Torres.
I left out Jonathan Sanchez from the list because of his inconsistency and Buster Posey and Pat Burrell because they don't have that many games under the belt.
You can vote for multiple guys on the list. In my opinion: I would think five guys are deserving: Lincecum, Cain, Wilson, Huff, and Torres. Uribe has been good, but I can't see him getting a boost over Troy Tulowitzki (who was an MVP candidate until he got hurt) and Hanley Ramirez (though he certainly is a better candidate than guys like Jimmy Rollins and Orlando Cabrera, as Crazy Crabbers notes). Also, I put Sandoval on this list more out of formality, since his year hasn't been as good as last season. As for Sanchez, he too has been awesome, but I'm not sure if his sample is large enough in comparison to other second baseman in the league.
Would love any input on your all-star picks. You can vote for real on MLB.com. It would be nice to see some Giants position players on the NL roster for once.
Showing posts with label Freddy Sanchez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freddy Sanchez. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Matt Downs Another Wrench in Freddy Sanchez's Impending Return
It will only be a matter of time before Freddy Sanchez returns to the Giants active roster. AZ Giants.com has been covering his rehab games, and for the most part, it seems Sanchez is slowly getting closer to being game ready.
Going into today's game against the Marlins, the Giants are 16-10 and tied with the San Diego Padres for first place in the National League West. However, there is one question lingering on the minds of Giants fans amidst this recent surge of early season success:
What will the Giants do in order to make space for Sanchez?
It's a question Giants fans dread more than Elisabeth Hasselbeck meeting Erin Andrews in person for an interview.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post that looked at the second base situation between Sanchez and Juan Uribe. Basically, I liked Uribe more at the position, and felt that Uribe's power potential is something the Giants need.
However, the second base position is not just between Uribe and Sanchez anymore. You can add another guy to the mix that will make Sanchez's return all the much tougher:
That guy is Matt Downs.
Now, Downs isn't necessarily an unknown name. While he struggled in an early-season callup last year, Downs came on strong this Spring Training, hitting .356 in 45 at-bats. Due to a crowded infield situation, he started the year in Fresno, though he really had nothing to prove in the Pacific Coast League (.300 average, .834 OPS and 14 home runs in 2009).
In Fresno this season, Downs played strong, despite competing for playing time at second base with Brock Bond (who is hitting .310 with a .405 OBP this season with the Grizzlies). In 35 at-bats, Downs hit .286 with a .876 OPS.
After Aaron Rowand went on the 15-Day disabled list, Downs got the callup in what was expected to be a short cup of coffee stint. However, he has made a strong case that he may deserve some more playing time in the Giants infield.
In 29 plate appearances with the Giants, Downs is hitting .417 with four doubles and one home run. He sports an OPS of 1.226 and a wOBA of .523.
Hence, it is easy to see why the Giants were able to part ways with Kevin Frandsen after Spring Training.
That being said, what is Downs' future with the Giants this season? Do the Giants keep him and send down John Bowker (though he has nothing to prove in Fresno) or designate Eugenio Velez for assignment? Do they send down Downs and bring him up later in the year should Edgar Renteria get injured again? (Which is a strong possibility by the way.) Do the Giants finally cut ties with Travis Ishikawa? (Who has been a tremendous disappointment offensively this year, much to my dismay.)
Whatever the Giants do, they certainly have an interesting talent in Downs.
In the minors, Downs pretty much has been a Kevin Frandsen but with power. At four levels in the minors, Downs has posted a BB/K ratio as high as 1.89 (in Rookie League) and as low as 0.40 (his first season in Triple-A). That's pretty solid, and it looks even better when you see that he hasn't had a history of striking out a lot in the minors too (his highest strikeout percentage was 13.7 percent in Fresno last year).
Now, that hasn't been the case for Downs in the Majors. Last year, in 60 plate appearances, Downs had a strikeout percentage of 24.5 percent. The same has rung true this season too, illustrated by his 20.8 percent strikeout rate.
However, while the strikeouts have risen in the Majors, the walks have as well. In 2009, Downs sported a walk percentage of 10 percent (the highest percentage he had was 8.7 percent in rookie ball). This year, Downs has a walk rate of 13.8 percent.
This has produced solid BB/K ratios for Downs (0.46 and 0.80 respectively) in the Majors, which makes him a valuable commodity for this Giants team.
If you compare him to Sanchez and Uribe on plate discipline alone, Downs looks enticing. Sanchez's career BB/K ratio is 0.43 (0.29 last year in a combined stint with Pittsburgh and San Francisco) and Uribe's is 0.30. Down's BB/K ratio at the Major League level so far is 0.56.
Now, in terms of defense, Sanchez has the reputation of being a great defensive second baseman. However, if you look at the numbers from last season, he might not be much better than Uribe or Downs.
While Sanchez posted a UZR of 3.3, his UZR/150 was only 5.0. Uribe posted a 3.3 UZR as well at second base, but his UZR/150 was 16.1.
As for Downs, he had the lowest UZR of the three at 1.1 last year. His UZR/150 though? 10.0.
Sanchez's return to the Giants lineup is a touchy issue. It makes some sense financially why he will be the Giants' starting second baseman when he returns off the DL. General Manager Brian Sabean traded Tim Alderson for him last season, and he signed Sanchez to a two-year $12 million deal this off-season. The Giants have a lot invested in him, and unfortunately, you can't bench guys like that.
That being said, does Sanchez offer much more at the position than what the Giants currently have? He doesn't have the offensive potential of Uribe, and he doesn't have the youth or plate patience of Downs. Sure he has a Gold Glove and a couple of All-Star games on his resume, but when you look at his defensive metrics, Sanchez isn't THAT impressive.
Overall, it's a tough decision for the Giants management. When Sanchez returns, somebody is going to lose badly on this Giants roster, be it Uribe, Downs, Bowker, Velez, Ishikawa, or even Sanchez himself.
Whatever happens, all you can hope as a Giants fan is that the Giants' chemistry isn't messed up when Sanchez returns to the starting lineup. Considering how promising this team looks and the opportunity they have (With the Rockies struggling with injuries and the Dodgers being down), you would hate to see it all screwed up because the Giants needed to play a guy because of his contract.
Going into today's game against the Marlins, the Giants are 16-10 and tied with the San Diego Padres for first place in the National League West. However, there is one question lingering on the minds of Giants fans amidst this recent surge of early season success:
What will the Giants do in order to make space for Sanchez?
It's a question Giants fans dread more than Elisabeth Hasselbeck meeting Erin Andrews in person for an interview.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post that looked at the second base situation between Sanchez and Juan Uribe. Basically, I liked Uribe more at the position, and felt that Uribe's power potential is something the Giants need.
However, the second base position is not just between Uribe and Sanchez anymore. You can add another guy to the mix that will make Sanchez's return all the much tougher:
That guy is Matt Downs.
Now, Downs isn't necessarily an unknown name. While he struggled in an early-season callup last year, Downs came on strong this Spring Training, hitting .356 in 45 at-bats. Due to a crowded infield situation, he started the year in Fresno, though he really had nothing to prove in the Pacific Coast League (.300 average, .834 OPS and 14 home runs in 2009).
In Fresno this season, Downs played strong, despite competing for playing time at second base with Brock Bond (who is hitting .310 with a .405 OBP this season with the Grizzlies). In 35 at-bats, Downs hit .286 with a .876 OPS.
After Aaron Rowand went on the 15-Day disabled list, Downs got the callup in what was expected to be a short cup of coffee stint. However, he has made a strong case that he may deserve some more playing time in the Giants infield.
In 29 plate appearances with the Giants, Downs is hitting .417 with four doubles and one home run. He sports an OPS of 1.226 and a wOBA of .523.
Hence, it is easy to see why the Giants were able to part ways with Kevin Frandsen after Spring Training.
That being said, what is Downs' future with the Giants this season? Do the Giants keep him and send down John Bowker (though he has nothing to prove in Fresno) or designate Eugenio Velez for assignment? Do they send down Downs and bring him up later in the year should Edgar Renteria get injured again? (Which is a strong possibility by the way.) Do the Giants finally cut ties with Travis Ishikawa? (Who has been a tremendous disappointment offensively this year, much to my dismay.)
Whatever the Giants do, they certainly have an interesting talent in Downs.
In the minors, Downs pretty much has been a Kevin Frandsen but with power. At four levels in the minors, Downs has posted a BB/K ratio as high as 1.89 (in Rookie League) and as low as 0.40 (his first season in Triple-A). That's pretty solid, and it looks even better when you see that he hasn't had a history of striking out a lot in the minors too (his highest strikeout percentage was 13.7 percent in Fresno last year).
Now, that hasn't been the case for Downs in the Majors. Last year, in 60 plate appearances, Downs had a strikeout percentage of 24.5 percent. The same has rung true this season too, illustrated by his 20.8 percent strikeout rate.
However, while the strikeouts have risen in the Majors, the walks have as well. In 2009, Downs sported a walk percentage of 10 percent (the highest percentage he had was 8.7 percent in rookie ball). This year, Downs has a walk rate of 13.8 percent.
This has produced solid BB/K ratios for Downs (0.46 and 0.80 respectively) in the Majors, which makes him a valuable commodity for this Giants team.
If you compare him to Sanchez and Uribe on plate discipline alone, Downs looks enticing. Sanchez's career BB/K ratio is 0.43 (0.29 last year in a combined stint with Pittsburgh and San Francisco) and Uribe's is 0.30. Down's BB/K ratio at the Major League level so far is 0.56.
Now, in terms of defense, Sanchez has the reputation of being a great defensive second baseman. However, if you look at the numbers from last season, he might not be much better than Uribe or Downs.
While Sanchez posted a UZR of 3.3, his UZR/150 was only 5.0. Uribe posted a 3.3 UZR as well at second base, but his UZR/150 was 16.1.
As for Downs, he had the lowest UZR of the three at 1.1 last year. His UZR/150 though? 10.0.
Sanchez's return to the Giants lineup is a touchy issue. It makes some sense financially why he will be the Giants' starting second baseman when he returns off the DL. General Manager Brian Sabean traded Tim Alderson for him last season, and he signed Sanchez to a two-year $12 million deal this off-season. The Giants have a lot invested in him, and unfortunately, you can't bench guys like that.
That being said, does Sanchez offer much more at the position than what the Giants currently have? He doesn't have the offensive potential of Uribe, and he doesn't have the youth or plate patience of Downs. Sure he has a Gold Glove and a couple of All-Star games on his resume, but when you look at his defensive metrics, Sanchez isn't THAT impressive.
Overall, it's a tough decision for the Giants management. When Sanchez returns, somebody is going to lose badly on this Giants roster, be it Uribe, Downs, Bowker, Velez, Ishikawa, or even Sanchez himself.
Whatever happens, all you can hope as a Giants fan is that the Giants' chemistry isn't messed up when Sanchez returns to the starting lineup. Considering how promising this team looks and the opportunity they have (With the Rockies struggling with injuries and the Dodgers being down), you would hate to see it all screwed up because the Giants needed to play a guy because of his contract.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Uribe or Sanchez: The Giants' Dilemma at Second Base
Thirteen games into the regular season, and Juan Uribe is proving that he is worth the one-year, $3.25 million dollar contract he signed this off-season. He is batting .348 with two home runs so far this year, and is sporting a OBP of .407, an OPS of .951, and a wOBA (weighted on-base average) of .397.
The most startling number however has to be Uribe's BB/K ratio, a sign of his improved plate approach so far this season. He has a 0.75 BB/K ratio through 13 games (11.1 walk percentage; 17.4 strikeout percentage). To put it in perspective, Uribe has only sported a BB/K ratio over 0.40 once in his career (2005 with the White Sox, when it was 0.44). Is Uribe going to keep this number by the end of the season? Probably not, but his plate patience and approach during the first couple of weeks during the 2010 season has been a nice, comforting surprise.
However, despite Uribe's hot start, one question is lingering on the minds of Giants fans and management in the coming week: what will happen to Uribe once Freddy Sanchez returns to the Giants active roster?
Sanchez has spent the entire Spring and first 13 games of the season on the disabled list. Yet, Sanchez, who was acquired last July for pitching prospect Tim Alderson, is almost expected to play second base when he returns to the roster. He was an NL All-Star with the Pirates last year, and he was re-signed this off-season to a two-year $12 million deal by Giants general manager Brian Sabean.
Thus, that puts Uribe's playing situation in limbo.
Thankfully for the Giants, Uribe is a versatile player. He can play third base and shortstop in addition to second base. With Pablo Sandoval proving that third base may not be the best position defensively for him in the future, and with Edgar Renteria showing his age more and more at shortstop, Uribe certainly can provide a spell from time to time throughout the infield. After all, that was why he was re-signed in the off-season for, despite Sabean's decision to bring back Sanchez.
If you look closer at the situation though, it isn't as easy for Uribe as it sounds.
For starters, Sandoval isn't necessarily a guy you can take out of the lineup, and with Aubrey Huff entrenched in the first base position, Sandoval doesn't have that luxury of playing first as often anymore when Travis Ishikawa was the starting first baseman in 2009.
Second, at this point, pulling Renteria out of the lineup (except for a day or two every now and then) may be a challenge in itself. While Renteria has cooled off from that 8-for-10 stretch at the plate April 7th and 9th when he hit the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth against Braves closer Billy Wagner, he has still proved to be solid overall. While he has struck out more than usual these 13 games (11 strikeouts; 22 percent strikeout rate), he still has a solid average (.320), OPS (.815) and wOBA (.360).
And, Renteria defensively has been stellar so far. His RF/G is 4.3 (the last time it was that high over a full season was in 2004 with the Cardinals), and he has only committed one error in 12 games played.
Thus, while a lot of Giants fans were clamoring for Uribe to replace Renteria in 2010, Renteria has done his part to prove that he belongs in the lineup for the time being.
Furthermore, Uribe, defensively may not even be that good of a candidate to replace Renteria.
While traditionally Uribe has been a stellar shortstop defensively (he posted UZR number of 4.5, 7.1 and 6.2 from 2004-2006 with the White Sox at shortstop), he has declined defensively at the position the past couple of years. In 2007, his last year as the White Sox's starting shortstop, Uribe posted a UZR of minus-2.2. In 2009 with the Giants, in 41 games as shortstop, Uribe had a UZR of minus-1.2 (and a UZR/150 of minus-5.5). Renteria in comparison had a UZR of minus-0.2.
So what is Uribe's best position defensively? Last year, it was second base, where he posted a UZR of 3.5 and a UZR/150 of 16.4.
The problem with this? Sanchez is a much better defensive second baseman than Uribe, as evidenced by Sanchez's 7.4 UZR last season between Pittsburgh and San Francisco. Unfortunately, while Sanchez is better defensively, he pales in comparison to the offensive potential Uribe presents. Last year, Sanchez had a .742 OPS and a .322 wOBA in between Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and hit 39 extra-base hits (including seven home runs) in 489 plate appearances in 2009.
Uribe posted an OPS of .824 and a wOBA of .351 in 2009 with the Giants, and hit 46 extra-base hits (including 16 home runs) in 432 plate appearances in 2009.
As you can see, for a team that needs offense, Uribe seems to be the more enticing option.
At this point, who knows what manager Bruce Bochy and Sabean will do with Uribe when Sanchez comes back. Like I said before, with Huff at first, moving around Uribe won't be as easy in 2010 as it was in 2009.
If Sanchez gets off to a slow start, or is showing that he isn't fully recovered from surgery this off-season, then the Giants will look bad for playing Sanchez (because of his contract and "All-Star" status) and keeping Uribe (a player with more offensive potential) on the bench.
The most startling number however has to be Uribe's BB/K ratio, a sign of his improved plate approach so far this season. He has a 0.75 BB/K ratio through 13 games (11.1 walk percentage; 17.4 strikeout percentage). To put it in perspective, Uribe has only sported a BB/K ratio over 0.40 once in his career (2005 with the White Sox, when it was 0.44). Is Uribe going to keep this number by the end of the season? Probably not, but his plate patience and approach during the first couple of weeks during the 2010 season has been a nice, comforting surprise.
However, despite Uribe's hot start, one question is lingering on the minds of Giants fans and management in the coming week: what will happen to Uribe once Freddy Sanchez returns to the Giants active roster?
Sanchez has spent the entire Spring and first 13 games of the season on the disabled list. Yet, Sanchez, who was acquired last July for pitching prospect Tim Alderson, is almost expected to play second base when he returns to the roster. He was an NL All-Star with the Pirates last year, and he was re-signed this off-season to a two-year $12 million deal by Giants general manager Brian Sabean.
Thus, that puts Uribe's playing situation in limbo.
Thankfully for the Giants, Uribe is a versatile player. He can play third base and shortstop in addition to second base. With Pablo Sandoval proving that third base may not be the best position defensively for him in the future, and with Edgar Renteria showing his age more and more at shortstop, Uribe certainly can provide a spell from time to time throughout the infield. After all, that was why he was re-signed in the off-season for, despite Sabean's decision to bring back Sanchez.
If you look closer at the situation though, it isn't as easy for Uribe as it sounds.
For starters, Sandoval isn't necessarily a guy you can take out of the lineup, and with Aubrey Huff entrenched in the first base position, Sandoval doesn't have that luxury of playing first as often anymore when Travis Ishikawa was the starting first baseman in 2009.
Second, at this point, pulling Renteria out of the lineup (except for a day or two every now and then) may be a challenge in itself. While Renteria has cooled off from that 8-for-10 stretch at the plate April 7th and 9th when he hit the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth against Braves closer Billy Wagner, he has still proved to be solid overall. While he has struck out more than usual these 13 games (11 strikeouts; 22 percent strikeout rate), he still has a solid average (.320), OPS (.815) and wOBA (.360).
And, Renteria defensively has been stellar so far. His RF/G is 4.3 (the last time it was that high over a full season was in 2004 with the Cardinals), and he has only committed one error in 12 games played.
Thus, while a lot of Giants fans were clamoring for Uribe to replace Renteria in 2010, Renteria has done his part to prove that he belongs in the lineup for the time being.
Furthermore, Uribe, defensively may not even be that good of a candidate to replace Renteria.
While traditionally Uribe has been a stellar shortstop defensively (he posted UZR number of 4.5, 7.1 and 6.2 from 2004-2006 with the White Sox at shortstop), he has declined defensively at the position the past couple of years. In 2007, his last year as the White Sox's starting shortstop, Uribe posted a UZR of minus-2.2. In 2009 with the Giants, in 41 games as shortstop, Uribe had a UZR of minus-1.2 (and a UZR/150 of minus-5.5). Renteria in comparison had a UZR of minus-0.2.
So what is Uribe's best position defensively? Last year, it was second base, where he posted a UZR of 3.5 and a UZR/150 of 16.4.
The problem with this? Sanchez is a much better defensive second baseman than Uribe, as evidenced by Sanchez's 7.4 UZR last season between Pittsburgh and San Francisco. Unfortunately, while Sanchez is better defensively, he pales in comparison to the offensive potential Uribe presents. Last year, Sanchez had a .742 OPS and a .322 wOBA in between Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and hit 39 extra-base hits (including seven home runs) in 489 plate appearances in 2009.
Uribe posted an OPS of .824 and a wOBA of .351 in 2009 with the Giants, and hit 46 extra-base hits (including 16 home runs) in 432 plate appearances in 2009.
As you can see, for a team that needs offense, Uribe seems to be the more enticing option.
At this point, who knows what manager Bruce Bochy and Sabean will do with Uribe when Sanchez comes back. Like I said before, with Huff at first, moving around Uribe won't be as easy in 2010 as it was in 2009.
If Sanchez gets off to a slow start, or is showing that he isn't fully recovered from surgery this off-season, then the Giants will look bad for playing Sanchez (because of his contract and "All-Star" status) and keeping Uribe (a player with more offensive potential) on the bench.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries...And It's Only Spring Training!
The Giants are only three games into Spring Training and yet injuries are already an issues. Here's a rundown of guys who are going through some injury issues at this time:
Ishikawa I'm also concerned about, but from what it sounds like, it could be serious but it could also be minor as well. We'll need more time to determine whether or not it will truly have an effect on him in 2010 (and if it does, then...well...we might have some problems defensively at first base without our best defensive infielder in Ishikawa).
As for Derosa and Sanchez? Well...it's frustrating. $24 million for damaged goods (in the grand scheme of things it certainly could be worse). Oh well, let's hope that they can get healthy soon so they can make those contracts worth it. After all, it's only Spring Training and the Giants are 3-0 going into today (but like I said...it's only Spring Training).
- Freddy Sanchez is recovering from surgery on his knee and is expected to miss Opening Day and perhaps begin the year on the Disabled List. (Sanchez signed a two-year, $12-million dollar contract this off-season).
- Mark Derosa still hasn't played a game yet as he continues to recover from wrist surgery last October. He expects to take batting practice sometime this weekend. (Derosa signed a two-year, $12-million dollar this off-season as well).
- Travis Ishikawa is recovering from a torn ligament in his foot that has put him in a boot all week. He suffered the foot injury while slipping down some stairs, apparently. However, Ishikawa has taken grounders and hit some soft toss, but he is still day-to-day in terms of being game-ready.
- After a solid Spring Training debut where he hit two doubles, Emmanuel Burriss re-injured his foot against the Seattle Mariners. Burriss fractured his foot last season, but thankfully, there were no fractures this time around. How this affects his 2010 season and his speed (his most valuable asset) is yet to be determined. Let's hope it doesn't affect him like Fred Lewis' foot problems sapped his speed in 2009. (Update: Andrew Baggarly reports via Twitter that Burriss actually re-fractured his foot and will be in a boot for four weeks. Seriously, what is with Giants second baseman and injuries? First Frandsen in 2008, now Burriss? I would be asking for a trade if I were Matt Downs. Some bad Karma going on. Ghost of Robby Thompson, perhaps?)
Ishikawa I'm also concerned about, but from what it sounds like, it could be serious but it could also be minor as well. We'll need more time to determine whether or not it will truly have an effect on him in 2010 (and if it does, then...well...we might have some problems defensively at first base without our best defensive infielder in Ishikawa).
As for Derosa and Sanchez? Well...it's frustrating. $24 million for damaged goods (in the grand scheme of things it certainly could be worse). Oh well, let's hope that they can get healthy soon so they can make those contracts worth it. After all, it's only Spring Training and the Giants are 3-0 going into today (but like I said...it's only Spring Training).
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Giants Prospectus Profile: Freddy Sanchez, Second Baseman
This is the first post of a series of posts looking at the players on the Giants roster analytically and through sabermetrics. I don't know if I'll have time to finish all the players before the season starts, but I'll try to be consistent with the updates.
Also, these stats on Sanchez don't include his Pittsburgh first-half numbers, just his numbers with the Giants.
Standard statistics:
2009: 25 (games played), 102 (AB), 107 (PA), 29 (hits), 27 (singles), 1 (doubles), 0 (triples), 1 (home runs), 11 (runs scored), 7 (RBI), 2 (BB), 0 (IBB), 16 (strikeouts), 1 (HBP), 2 (sac flies), 3 (sac hits), 3 (grounded into double plays), 0 (stolen bases), 0 (caught stealing), .284 (batting average).
Advanced statistics:
2009: 1.9 % (BB %), 15. 7 % (K %), 0.13 (K/BB), .284 (batting average), .295 (OBP), .324 (slugging), .619 (OPS), -0.39 (ISO), 1.6 (SPD), .329 (BABIP), 8.0 (wRC), -4.8 (wRAA), .274 (wOBA).
Batted Ball statistics:
2009: .329 (BABIP), 2.37 (GB/FB), 26.4 % (LD %), 51.7 % (GB %), 21.8 (FB %), 5.3 %(IFFB %), 5.3 (HR/FB), 1 (IFH), 2.2 % (IFH %), 0 (BUH), 0 % (BUH %).
Value:
2009: -4.9 (batting), 3.5 (fielding), 3.6 (replacement), 0.4 (positional), 2.6 (RAR), 0.3 (WAR), $1.2 million (WAR in Dollars).
Win Probability:
2009: -0.26 (WPA), -1.63 (-WPA), 1.37 (+WPA), -2.34 (RE24), -0.25 (REW), 0.82 (pLI), 0 (PH), -0.42 (WPA/LI), 0.1 (Clutch).
Plate patience:
2009: 35 % (O-swing %), 64.1 (Z-swing %), 50.4 % (swing %), 72.6 % (O-contact %), 88.2 % (Z-contact), 83.1 % (contact %), 52.8 % (zone %), 64.5 % (F-strike %).
Fielding:
2009: 210 (innings), 44 (PO), 65 (assists), 3 (Errors), 9 (double plays turned), 0.973 (fielding percentage), 4.4 (RF/G), 4.7 (RF/9), 24 (DG), 56 (exO), -0.5 (DPR), 3 (RngR), 1 (ErrR), 3.5 (UZR), 21.9 (UZR/150).
Bill James Projections:
2010: 138 (games), 539 (AB), 155 (hits), 35 (doubles), 2 (triples), 8 (home runs), 67 (runs), 56 (RBI), 71 (runs created), 4.78 (RC/27), 29 (walks), 76 (strikeouts), 4 (stolen bases), 2 (caught stealing), .670 (stolen base %), .288 (batting average), .329 (OBP), .404 (slugging), .733 (OPS).
Remember '51 Analysis
Offensively:
Sanchez is a contact hitter, but not necessarily a "smart" contact hitter. While Sanchez most likely will hover around the .275-.315 range in terms of batting average, his low walk rates (1.5 percent last season) and OBP (.295 in 2009) make him a risky hitter to have. Furthermore, Sanchez doesn't seem to understand the strike zone very well as evidenced by him swinging at 35 percent of pitches outside the strike zone (third highest on the team, behind Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina). And, to make his situation offensively worse, Sanchez has no power. He had only one home run last year as a Giant, and his sub .300 slugging wasn't good.
Sanchez's strength seems to be groundball singles. He has a high GB rate (51. 7 percent) and a high BABIP (.329). Therefore, he is gong to be a guy that will put the ball in play. However, his BABIP will determine whether or not he has a breakout or mediocre season. If the groundballs aren't getting through, he looks like a pretty pedestrian player rather than a two-time All-Star.
Sanchez isn't a terrible offensive player by any means. His strikeout rate is respectable (15.7 percent) -- though it doesn't help his K/BB ratio (0.13), which suffers greatly from his lousy walk rate. Furthermore, he will be a tough out at the plate because he makes contact well (83.1 contact rate). That being said, his offensive value doesn't look good on paper (-4.9) because he lacks power (-0.39 ISO, rare for an All-Star player not named Walt Weiss) and just doesn't seem to draw walks or show much patience at the plate.
Defensively:
Sanchez is solid defensively on paper. He had a high UZR (3.5), UZR/150 (21.9) RF (4.4) and RF/9 (4.7). Those were the highest numbers of any Giants second baseman in those categories. Thus, it is easy to see why he won a Gold Glove in his tenure with Pittsburgh, and sports a respectable value defensively (3.5).
There are some concerns though with Sanchez going into 2010. His double play rate leaves a little to be desired at -0.5. It especially looks bad when Kevin Frandsen and Matt Downs have better double play rates (0.4 and 0, respectively). Also, his RngR in 2009 didn't look hot at 3, and in 2010 may look worse considering the two surgeries Sanchez had this off-season.
Contract:
The Giants re-signed Sanchez for two years at six million per year this off-season. Though it is not a bad as the $8.1 million the Giants would have had to pay had he reached 500 PA last season, the Giants certainly got a bit swindled. His WAR converted to dollars last season was only $1.2 million. Thus, the Giants overpaid Sanchez by at least $3-4 million. With Orlando Hudson still on the market, chances are the Giants could have signed him at a much better deal (one year, $3-5 million) and probably get similar to better success at the second base position with Hudson.
Outlook for 2010:
Pre-injuries, Bill James' projections weren't all that great. His sub .300 OBP and sub .740 OPS didn't bode well for a team that ranked last in those categories in 2009. If Sanchez is going to be an All-Star for a second straight year, he's going to need a lot of help from his BABIP, which needs to be high in order to counteract Sanchez's lack of plate patience.
Defensively, I wouldn't expect a Gold Glove-caliber season out of Sanchez, especially after two major surgeries in less than six months. Giants fans should expect Sanchez to regress defensively from a season ago.
Remember '51 Grade: C+
Sanchez is a solid contact hitter and fielder, but lackluster plate patience, lack of power and injury problems severely downgrade his value as a Major League player. Sanchez will be lucky to touch his first half numbers from Pittsburgh a year ago, especially after his latest surgery, which will keep him out of Spring Training and perhaps Opening Day.
Also, these stats on Sanchez don't include his Pittsburgh first-half numbers, just his numbers with the Giants.
Standard statistics:
2009: 25 (games played), 102 (AB), 107 (PA), 29 (hits), 27 (singles), 1 (doubles), 0 (triples), 1 (home runs), 11 (runs scored), 7 (RBI), 2 (BB), 0 (IBB), 16 (strikeouts), 1 (HBP), 2 (sac flies), 3 (sac hits), 3 (grounded into double plays), 0 (stolen bases), 0 (caught stealing), .284 (batting average).
Advanced statistics:
2009: 1.9 % (BB %), 15. 7 % (K %), 0.13 (K/BB), .284 (batting average), .295 (OBP), .324 (slugging), .619 (OPS), -0.39 (ISO), 1.6 (SPD), .329 (BABIP), 8.0 (wRC), -4.8 (wRAA), .274 (wOBA).
Batted Ball statistics:
2009: .329 (BABIP), 2.37 (GB/FB), 26.4 % (LD %), 51.7 % (GB %), 21.8 (FB %), 5.3 %(IFFB %), 5.3 (HR/FB), 1 (IFH), 2.2 % (IFH %), 0 (BUH), 0 % (BUH %).
Value:
2009: -4.9 (batting), 3.5 (fielding), 3.6 (replacement), 0.4 (positional), 2.6 (RAR), 0.3 (WAR), $1.2 million (WAR in Dollars).
Win Probability:
2009: -0.26 (WPA), -1.63 (-WPA), 1.37 (+WPA), -2.34 (RE24), -0.25 (REW), 0.82 (pLI), 0 (PH), -0.42 (WPA/LI), 0.1 (Clutch).
Plate patience:
2009: 35 % (O-swing %), 64.1 (Z-swing %), 50.4 % (swing %), 72.6 % (O-contact %), 88.2 % (Z-contact), 83.1 % (contact %), 52.8 % (zone %), 64.5 % (F-strike %).
Fielding:
2009: 210 (innings), 44 (PO), 65 (assists), 3 (Errors), 9 (double plays turned), 0.973 (fielding percentage), 4.4 (RF/G), 4.7 (RF/9), 24 (DG), 56 (exO), -0.5 (DPR), 3 (RngR), 1 (ErrR), 3.5 (UZR), 21.9 (UZR/150).
Bill James Projections:
2010: 138 (games), 539 (AB), 155 (hits), 35 (doubles), 2 (triples), 8 (home runs), 67 (runs), 56 (RBI), 71 (runs created), 4.78 (RC/27), 29 (walks), 76 (strikeouts), 4 (stolen bases), 2 (caught stealing), .670 (stolen base %), .288 (batting average), .329 (OBP), .404 (slugging), .733 (OPS).
Remember '51 Analysis
Offensively:
Sanchez is a contact hitter, but not necessarily a "smart" contact hitter. While Sanchez most likely will hover around the .275-.315 range in terms of batting average, his low walk rates (1.5 percent last season) and OBP (.295 in 2009) make him a risky hitter to have. Furthermore, Sanchez doesn't seem to understand the strike zone very well as evidenced by him swinging at 35 percent of pitches outside the strike zone (third highest on the team, behind Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina). And, to make his situation offensively worse, Sanchez has no power. He had only one home run last year as a Giant, and his sub .300 slugging wasn't good.
Sanchez's strength seems to be groundball singles. He has a high GB rate (51. 7 percent) and a high BABIP (.329). Therefore, he is gong to be a guy that will put the ball in play. However, his BABIP will determine whether or not he has a breakout or mediocre season. If the groundballs aren't getting through, he looks like a pretty pedestrian player rather than a two-time All-Star.
Sanchez isn't a terrible offensive player by any means. His strikeout rate is respectable (15.7 percent) -- though it doesn't help his K/BB ratio (0.13), which suffers greatly from his lousy walk rate. Furthermore, he will be a tough out at the plate because he makes contact well (83.1 contact rate). That being said, his offensive value doesn't look good on paper (-4.9) because he lacks power (-0.39 ISO, rare for an All-Star player not named Walt Weiss) and just doesn't seem to draw walks or show much patience at the plate.
Defensively:
Sanchez is solid defensively on paper. He had a high UZR (3.5), UZR/150 (21.9) RF (4.4) and RF/9 (4.7). Those were the highest numbers of any Giants second baseman in those categories. Thus, it is easy to see why he won a Gold Glove in his tenure with Pittsburgh, and sports a respectable value defensively (3.5).
There are some concerns though with Sanchez going into 2010. His double play rate leaves a little to be desired at -0.5. It especially looks bad when Kevin Frandsen and Matt Downs have better double play rates (0.4 and 0, respectively). Also, his RngR in 2009 didn't look hot at 3, and in 2010 may look worse considering the two surgeries Sanchez had this off-season.
Contract:
The Giants re-signed Sanchez for two years at six million per year this off-season. Though it is not a bad as the $8.1 million the Giants would have had to pay had he reached 500 PA last season, the Giants certainly got a bit swindled. His WAR converted to dollars last season was only $1.2 million. Thus, the Giants overpaid Sanchez by at least $3-4 million. With Orlando Hudson still on the market, chances are the Giants could have signed him at a much better deal (one year, $3-5 million) and probably get similar to better success at the second base position with Hudson.
Outlook for 2010:
Pre-injuries, Bill James' projections weren't all that great. His sub .300 OBP and sub .740 OPS didn't bode well for a team that ranked last in those categories in 2009. If Sanchez is going to be an All-Star for a second straight year, he's going to need a lot of help from his BABIP, which needs to be high in order to counteract Sanchez's lack of plate patience.
Defensively, I wouldn't expect a Gold Glove-caliber season out of Sanchez, especially after two major surgeries in less than six months. Giants fans should expect Sanchez to regress defensively from a season ago.
Remember '51 Grade: C+
Sanchez is a solid contact hitter and fielder, but lackluster plate patience, lack of power and injury problems severely downgrade his value as a Major League player. Sanchez will be lucky to touch his first half numbers from Pittsburgh a year ago, especially after his latest surgery, which will keep him out of Spring Training and perhaps Opening Day.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Uggla and Damon Are NOT The Answers to the Giants Playoff Hopes
Dan Uggla and Johnny Damon.
They do not make sense in Black and Orange, right?
After all, currently, the Giants have Freddy Sanchez at second base. In fact, he's implanted there, without compromise. The Giants traded their second-best pitching prospect for him last Trade Deadline, and they signed him to a two-year, six-million per year deal early this off-season, the first real deal GM Brian Sabean did after he was re-signed as general manager for the Giants.
Uggla is a second baseman. I can't see him as a type that can move anywhere else. He's doesn't have the range or fielding ability to play shortstop (though anyone at this point seems better than Edgar Renteria), and I can't seem him being an upgrade at third base over Pablo Sandoval (though everybody--except me of course--thinks moving him to first is the answer).
Sure, there is a lot to like about Uggla. He hits home runs (and in a pitcher's park like Dolphins Stadium mind you) and he does have a decent on-base percentage (.354 last year) despite his high strikeout numbers (150 whiffs last year). Those two positives of Uggla, though, are two things that nobody else in the Giants lineup can do except Pablo Sandoval, so it is easy to see why some Giants fans would be tempted by Sabean acquiring the Marlin.
But he doesn't fit on this Giants squad. He would be a guy without a position, and that is never good to have, especially when you have somebody who has played second base so regularly as Uggla has.
And yet, according to Jayson Stark, the Giants seem to have interest in acquiring the Marlins big-swinger.
Yikes.
And if that isn't enough, there seems to be some increasing opinion on the Web (on Giants blog El Lefty Malo) that Johnny Damon wouldn't be such a bad idea as the Giants left fielder.
I know Eugenio Velez probably isn't the answer for the Giants in left field (he was a product of a hot two weeks and that's it). I know that Andres Torres isn't a very attractive option either. I know Fred Lewis has burned so many bridges with his high strikeout numbers and bad fielding that Giants fans would riot and start the next San Francisco Fire if he started on Opening Day.
However, the fact of the matter is this: AT&T is NOT a home run hitter's park, and Yankees Stadium IS.
That should be enough for Sabean to steer away from Damon despite his gaudy run production numbers (24 home runs, 82 RBI).
If Damon is signed by the Giants for 2010, Giants faithful should be prepared to experience an "Edgar Renteria-esque" season from the former Yankees outfielder.
The Giants shouldn't stay completely pat this offseason. I agree that Nick Johnson would not be that bad of a signing, and I think the case is aptly made in this article.
However, Sabean should not be swinging for the fences with these two guys. They just reek of Renteria, Dave Roberts, Steve Finley and Ryan Klesko. I want the Giants to win next year, and I think with the right player(s), they are more than capable of doing so.
But anyone thinking that Damon or Uggla is going to be that missing piece for this San Francisco Giants squad has to be out of their minds.
(Unless of course, getting Uggla requires getting rid of Conor Gillaspie, which the McCovey Chronicles doesn't think is such a bad idea. You know what? I'm agreeing with them! Just by looking at his stats, maybe an Uggla for Gillaspie swap wouldn't be such a bad thing. Only that though. Nothing else. Like I said before, neither guy alone will take the Giants to the playoffs.)
They do not make sense in Black and Orange, right?
After all, currently, the Giants have Freddy Sanchez at second base. In fact, he's implanted there, without compromise. The Giants traded their second-best pitching prospect for him last Trade Deadline, and they signed him to a two-year, six-million per year deal early this off-season, the first real deal GM Brian Sabean did after he was re-signed as general manager for the Giants.
Uggla is a second baseman. I can't see him as a type that can move anywhere else. He's doesn't have the range or fielding ability to play shortstop (though anyone at this point seems better than Edgar Renteria), and I can't seem him being an upgrade at third base over Pablo Sandoval (though everybody--except me of course--thinks moving him to first is the answer).
Sure, there is a lot to like about Uggla. He hits home runs (and in a pitcher's park like Dolphins Stadium mind you) and he does have a decent on-base percentage (.354 last year) despite his high strikeout numbers (150 whiffs last year). Those two positives of Uggla, though, are two things that nobody else in the Giants lineup can do except Pablo Sandoval, so it is easy to see why some Giants fans would be tempted by Sabean acquiring the Marlin.
But he doesn't fit on this Giants squad. He would be a guy without a position, and that is never good to have, especially when you have somebody who has played second base so regularly as Uggla has.
And yet, according to Jayson Stark, the Giants seem to have interest in acquiring the Marlins big-swinger.
Yikes.
And if that isn't enough, there seems to be some increasing opinion on the Web (on Giants blog El Lefty Malo) that Johnny Damon wouldn't be such a bad idea as the Giants left fielder.
I know Eugenio Velez probably isn't the answer for the Giants in left field (he was a product of a hot two weeks and that's it). I know that Andres Torres isn't a very attractive option either. I know Fred Lewis has burned so many bridges with his high strikeout numbers and bad fielding that Giants fans would riot and start the next San Francisco Fire if he started on Opening Day.
However, the fact of the matter is this: AT&T is NOT a home run hitter's park, and Yankees Stadium IS.
That should be enough for Sabean to steer away from Damon despite his gaudy run production numbers (24 home runs, 82 RBI).
If Damon is signed by the Giants for 2010, Giants faithful should be prepared to experience an "Edgar Renteria-esque" season from the former Yankees outfielder.
The Giants shouldn't stay completely pat this offseason. I agree that Nick Johnson would not be that bad of a signing, and I think the case is aptly made in this article.
However, Sabean should not be swinging for the fences with these two guys. They just reek of Renteria, Dave Roberts, Steve Finley and Ryan Klesko. I want the Giants to win next year, and I think with the right player(s), they are more than capable of doing so.
But anyone thinking that Damon or Uggla is going to be that missing piece for this San Francisco Giants squad has to be out of their minds.
(Unless of course, getting Uggla requires getting rid of Conor Gillaspie, which the McCovey Chronicles doesn't think is such a bad idea. You know what? I'm agreeing with them! Just by looking at his stats, maybe an Uggla for Gillaspie swap wouldn't be such a bad thing. Only that though. Nothing else. Like I said before, neither guy alone will take the Giants to the playoffs.)
Monday, November 2, 2009
Silence in November...But Quick Thoughts
Okay, so due to some circumstance beyond my control, Remember 51 won't have any more posts in November beyond this one. I will be without Internet, TV, newspapers etc. for a month, but don't worry, the Blog will be up and posting new pieces come December.
However, there are some quick bits I want to do before I hibernate for 30 days.
-The Freddy Sanchez Signing: To be honest, I like it. I was deftly afraid the Giants were going to sign Sanchez at eight million per year because he would have satisfied the clauses in his contract had he not been hurt. Problem was though, he was hurt and he didn't deserve the eight million. That being said, even in his short, injury-plagued second-half last year, Sanchez still looked good, and I honestly believe if healthy, he could have helped us get into the playoffs. He was hitting well, was a great fit defensively and really seemed to mesh on this Giants roster. If he's fully healthy next Spring Training, I certainly believe he can have a big impact next year, and will be worth the six million per year for the next two years (and will help Giants fans forget all about Tim Alderson).
-Juan Uribe's status as a Giant: For all those Uribe fans, it looks like Uribe is most likely going to be gone next year. GM Brian Sabean in the Giants' Sanchez signing news release claimed that with the Sanchez signing, Uribe is most likely going to test the free agent waters, and with that being the case, he will probably get paid much more than he deserves. I like Uribe as much as the next guy, and wish he could start at shortstop for this team, but he's typically a low OBP guy and with a roster full of those kinds of guys, I think the Giants can afford to cut Uribe loose. Thanks Juan. You gave us some great memories in 2009! Best of luck. (And for the record, I'm not being sarcastic here).
-49ers, Sharks and Warriors: I know this is a Giants blog, but I want to make some quick notes one the other Bay Area Sports teams sans the Raiders:
However, there are some quick bits I want to do before I hibernate for 30 days.
-The Freddy Sanchez Signing: To be honest, I like it. I was deftly afraid the Giants were going to sign Sanchez at eight million per year because he would have satisfied the clauses in his contract had he not been hurt. Problem was though, he was hurt and he didn't deserve the eight million. That being said, even in his short, injury-plagued second-half last year, Sanchez still looked good, and I honestly believe if healthy, he could have helped us get into the playoffs. He was hitting well, was a great fit defensively and really seemed to mesh on this Giants roster. If he's fully healthy next Spring Training, I certainly believe he can have a big impact next year, and will be worth the six million per year for the next two years (and will help Giants fans forget all about Tim Alderson).
-Juan Uribe's status as a Giant: For all those Uribe fans, it looks like Uribe is most likely going to be gone next year. GM Brian Sabean in the Giants' Sanchez signing news release claimed that with the Sanchez signing, Uribe is most likely going to test the free agent waters, and with that being the case, he will probably get paid much more than he deserves. I like Uribe as much as the next guy, and wish he could start at shortstop for this team, but he's typically a low OBP guy and with a roster full of those kinds of guys, I think the Giants can afford to cut Uribe loose. Thanks Juan. You gave us some great memories in 2009! Best of luck. (And for the record, I'm not being sarcastic here).
-49ers, Sharks and Warriors: I know this is a Giants blog, but I want to make some quick notes one the other Bay Area Sports teams sans the Raiders:
- As improved as the 49ers look, they won't make the playoffs. The offense still isn't complete, and while their defense is good, when you're opponent consistently has an advantage over you in time of possession by 10 minutes or more, than chances are, you're going to lose, despite how good your defense is. I think Singletary is the right man for the job. I do think they are the best team in the NFC West. However, the tough schedule, and the inconsistency on the offensive end is going to doom this team down the stretch.
- The Sharks on the other hand look to be declining. After years of coming so close to the cup, I seriously think the Sharks are in for a slow descent down a slippery slope the next few years. I think they will make the playoffs this year (simply because of the talent of Thornton and Marleau alone), but they won't go beyond the second round and I wouldn't be surprised if they actually miss the playoffs next season.
- The Warriors are a wreck. Don Nelson doesn't know what he's doing. Stephen Jackson's greatly on the decline and he's being a team cancer, and the team still doesn't have a point guard who can effectively distribute. Neither Stephan Curry or Monta Ellis is the answer at point. I think the Warriors have a talented team, and I think if they get a new coach, and get rid fo Jackson they will be greatly improved, but they are a tough team to watch next year. As sad as this is to say, I wouldn't be surprised if the Sacramento Kings finish better than the Warriors this year. They're this year's Washington Wizards.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sanchez's Surgery Should Be Final Straw For SF Giants GM Brian Sabean
From Bleacher Report
With this being the last year of GM Brian Sabean's contract, owner Bill Neukom is put in a very tough decision.
Does he stick with the GM who has been at the helm of the Giants' front office since 1997? Or does he go in a different route with somebody else calling the shots when it comes to personnel decisions?
As far as I'm concerned, everything Sabean has done (or has occurred as a result of his decisions in the past) after the All-Star break has showed why Neukom should go in a different direction next year when it comes on taking or declining Sabean's option.
First off, Sabean pulled the trigger on trading for Cleveland's Ryan Garko, who has done relatively nothing in his tenure in San Francisco as evidenced by his .233 batting average and only two home runs in 113 plate appearances as a Giant (It also should be noted that both his home runs came in the same game and at Coors Field).
Secondly, Edgar Renteria has been a tremendous, and classic Sabean-bust, which is only magnified by Juan Uribe's season, which may be his best offensive year since 2004 when he helped the Chicago White Sox to a World Series title.
Not only has Uribe been better than Renteria this year in almost every offensive category despite 98 less at-bats, but he also came seven million dollars cheaper.
Just imagine what the Giants could have done with an extra seven million dollars to spend had they not wasted it on Renteria.
Next, Angel Villalona, a highly prized prospect a couple of years ago that Sabean sold Giants fans on being the future of the Post-Bonds era, not only has tanked on the field (he had only a .267 average, .303 OBP, nine home runs and 42 RBI in 310 PA in Single-A San Jose this year), but now he is a suspect in a murder case in the Dominican Republic.
Villalona's future seems closer to Ugueth Urbina than Miguel Cabrera, and even then, at least Urbina had SOME time in the Major Leagues.
And lastly, Freddy Sanchez, who was traded for No. 2 pitching prospect Tim Alderson, may be shut down for the year after reports, via the Giants Web site, revealed his knee will need surgery.
If anything, Sanchez's impending knee surgery should be enough for Neukom to send Sabean packing. Everybody knew there were some questions with Sanchez's health before the trade deadline, but Sabean "examined" Sanchez and assured Giants fans he was healthy enough to make an impact during the August-September run.
Well...Sanchez, despite a solid debut, has barely made a dent on this Giants team. He has only played in 25 games, not exactly what Giants fans expected when Sabean traded him for Alderson.
To make matters worse, with Sanchez most likely not reaching the amount of plate appearances he needs to activate his 2010 option, the Giants will need to renegotiate with him on a contract next year.
Therefore, there is a possibility that Sanchez could be gone next season, and if that happens, the Giants basically lost their second-best pitcher in their minor league system for an injury-riddle player who barely played a half-a season.
That's the kind of thing Giants fans wanted to avoid this Trade Deadline. The San Francisco faithful didn't want another Ricky Ledee or Sidney Ponson half-season disaster.
And yet, here we are, with that situation a possibility again.
Overall, there has been a lot Sabean should be credited for in his tenure in San Francisco, especially recently. He has set down a solid foundation around pitchers like Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, and position players like Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey (even though Posey can't seem to find the field since being called up).
However, the mistakes of Sabean have added up too much in the recent past, and this year is no exception. Some new energy is needed in the Giants front office to keep this team going in the right direction, and unfortunately, after almost 13 years at the helm, the Giants aren't going to get that if Sabean is still calling the shots.
Neukom. The decision is up to you. Do the right thing.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Potent Preview: San Francisco Giants (67-55) at Colorado Rockies (68-54)
Probable starters:
SFO: Joe Martinez (3-1) 4.76 ERA. COL: Jorge De La Rosa (11-8) 4.58 ERA.
The Giants got a big win last night against the Rockies. Granted, there were some odd events that swayed in the Giants' favor. Troy Tulowitzki was sick from an illness and missed yesterday's game and could possibly miss today game as well (killer for my fantasy team though). Aaron Cook was taken out of the game after three innings due to some problems with his arm. And lastly, Aaron Rowand, of all people, hit a three-run home run to make the game 6-1 and out of reach for the Rockies.
That being said, the game felt close the whole game mainly due to two factors: the Giants couldn't come through time and time again with RISP, and the Giants bullpen had problems with walks. We all know the problems with the former, but the latter in my mind is a more disturbing trend. This Giants bullpen doesn't seem to get overmatched very often. However, they seem to get into trouble very offten when they lose their command and aren't able to locate the strike zone. Affeldt, Wilson, Romo and Medders have all had innings where they have shut down the opposition. But they also have had outings where they walk the house and give up a big, run-producing hit which could have been avoided had they kept their pitches under control. Granted, I can't complain too much. Compared to last year when the Giants were going with Jack Taschner, Tyler Walker and Keiichi Yabu in the big moments, this Giants bullpen actually looks phenomenal.
De La Rosa has been a very solid pitcher this second half and pitched incredibly well against San Francisco, especially in the last outing against former No. 5 starter Ryan Sadowski. That being said, the Giants have a much better starter this go-around in Joe Martinez, a guy who does all the right things to succeed in a park like Colorado. He's a sinker ball pitcher, he's going to induce groundouts, and those are two things you need to do in Colorado. When you throw straight, and allow a lot of fly balls, things are going to get rough for you as a pitcher. Thankfully, Martinez really doesn't embody those qualities too much.
On one last note, I hope to god Freddy Sanchez is in the lineup. I know he's beat up, but the one thing we can't have is him sitting the bench. This is one of the biggest series of the years and if he misses more than one game, then the Giants' chances aren't going to look so good. Furthermore, him sitting the bench starts to get me skeptical about the Sanchez-for-Alderson trade, which at the deadline I accepted as a good trade...as long as he was healthy.
If this issues continues to be a trend (With Sanchez taking three to four games off every couple of weeks), then I'm afraid that GM Neal Huntington and the Bucs may have swindled us.
For game updates check out the SJ Mercury's Andrew Baggarly's Giants blog at Extra Baggs. For live game thread and chat, check out the McCovey Chronicles.
SFO: Joe Martinez (3-1) 4.76 ERA. COL: Jorge De La Rosa (11-8) 4.58 ERA.
The Giants got a big win last night against the Rockies. Granted, there were some odd events that swayed in the Giants' favor. Troy Tulowitzki was sick from an illness and missed yesterday's game and could possibly miss today game as well (killer for my fantasy team though). Aaron Cook was taken out of the game after three innings due to some problems with his arm. And lastly, Aaron Rowand, of all people, hit a three-run home run to make the game 6-1 and out of reach for the Rockies.
That being said, the game felt close the whole game mainly due to two factors: the Giants couldn't come through time and time again with RISP, and the Giants bullpen had problems with walks. We all know the problems with the former, but the latter in my mind is a more disturbing trend. This Giants bullpen doesn't seem to get overmatched very often. However, they seem to get into trouble very offten when they lose their command and aren't able to locate the strike zone. Affeldt, Wilson, Romo and Medders have all had innings where they have shut down the opposition. But they also have had outings where they walk the house and give up a big, run-producing hit which could have been avoided had they kept their pitches under control. Granted, I can't complain too much. Compared to last year when the Giants were going with Jack Taschner, Tyler Walker and Keiichi Yabu in the big moments, this Giants bullpen actually looks phenomenal.
De La Rosa has been a very solid pitcher this second half and pitched incredibly well against San Francisco, especially in the last outing against former No. 5 starter Ryan Sadowski. That being said, the Giants have a much better starter this go-around in Joe Martinez, a guy who does all the right things to succeed in a park like Colorado. He's a sinker ball pitcher, he's going to induce groundouts, and those are two things you need to do in Colorado. When you throw straight, and allow a lot of fly balls, things are going to get rough for you as a pitcher. Thankfully, Martinez really doesn't embody those qualities too much.
On one last note, I hope to god Freddy Sanchez is in the lineup. I know he's beat up, but the one thing we can't have is him sitting the bench. This is one of the biggest series of the years and if he misses more than one game, then the Giants' chances aren't going to look so good. Furthermore, him sitting the bench starts to get me skeptical about the Sanchez-for-Alderson trade, which at the deadline I accepted as a good trade...as long as he was healthy.
If this issues continues to be a trend (With Sanchez taking three to four games off every couple of weeks), then I'm afraid that GM Neal Huntington and the Bucs may have swindled us.
For game updates check out the SJ Mercury's Andrew Baggarly's Giants blog at Extra Baggs. For live game thread and chat, check out the McCovey Chronicles.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Freddy Sanchez is going to be the spark that gets the Giants into the postseason
Say what you want about the Freddy Sanchez-for-Tim Alderson trade that happened shortly before the trade deadline: A classic example of Brian Sabean mortgaging the future on one player at the deadline, a grade-A exhibition of a GM overvaluing veteran over young talent, whatever.
At the end of the day though, getting Sanchez will be worth it to Giants fans.
Never mind he's 31-years-old, or has suspect knees. Sanchez is going to be a key cog in the Giants' playoff push these next couple of months.
I understand it is still early. Sanchez has only played in four games, hardly a big enough sample to make a realistic assumption of how Sanchez is going to affect this team during these last couple of months.
That being said, I don't need any more confirmation after today's 10-6 win against Houston. What Sanchez has shown these past four games is a prime illustration of why Sanchez is the missing link this team has missed all season. He is a spark at the plate (exhibited by his seven hits, three RBI and home run in his first four games as a Giant), and he is a dependable anchor at the second base position that has seen more suitors than Madonna in her heyday.
And if that is not good enough, Sanchez has made his Giants teammates better. Pablo Sandoval has been on a tear since Sanchez's acquisition. Is it a coincidence? Perhaps, but I also feel that the "Panda" is more confident at the plate, because he knows he has a solid guy hitting in front of him a the two-spot.
It is obvious that he feels more comfortable in a spot where he can help continue big-hitting innings rather than start them. Just look at what Sandoval has done statistically with Sanchez batting ahead of him: eight hits, two doubles, four RBI and a home run.
There's a reason why Jeff Kent was such a great hitter when he was in San Francisco: he had an excellent hitter in front of him in Barry Bonds. Thus, it isn't a shock to see Sandoval excelling with a great hitter like Sanchez hitting in front of him rather than an average one like Randy Winn or Edgar Renteria.
Now, I know a lot of pundits will point to last season's drop-off and Sanchez's poor July at the plate during his waning days as a Pirate. Yet I believe a variety of factors affected him in Pittsburgh that resulted in his sub-par July.
For starters, the Pirates were losers, plain and simple. GM Neal Huntington was getting rid of everybody, and basically packed in the season by the end of June. Sanchez, like any other baseball player, is a competitor, and knowing that he is playing for a losing cause I'm sure took its toll on him at the plate.
In addition, Sanchez had been in the middle of trade rumors since the beginning of July (along with longtime teammate Jack Wilson, who ended up getting shipped to Seattle). Add that with contract negotiations that fell through shortly after the All-Star break, and I'm sure Sanchez was feeling the heat and pressure of not knowing his place on the Pirates team, or where his future was heading.
A lot of fans don't think those factors matter, but they do. Look at Jason Bay this season. After a hot couple of months to start the season for the Red Sox, his season stats took a dip when reports came out that his agent brought up the idea of asking for "Mark Teixiera Money" (e.g. an insane, unthinkable amount of cash) when he became a free agent at the end of the season. Thus, it isn't impossible to think that Bay felt the pressure from those high standards, and it took a toll on his play.
Now that he is officially a Giant though, Sanchez doesn't have to deal with anymore drama in Pittsburgh. He's free of all the trade rumors, andhe knows his place in San Francisco: as the starting second baseman.
You can see the rejuvenation out there when Sanchez takes the field or digs into the batter's box. Sure, his bum knee shows now and then when he is running, but the guy not only grits it out, but he excels despite this nagging presence in his body. He hasn't had a bad at-bat in a Giants uniform so, and you can feel that him just being out there gives everyone on this Giants team confidence.
The hitters feel confident with Sanchez in the lineup. The pitchers feel confident with Sanchez in the field. Manager Bruce Bochy is more at ease knowing that he doesn't have to got through the Ferris wheel-lineup of Juan Uribe, Matt Downs and Kevin Frandsen anymore.
When a team has that kind of force on a team, it bodes good things. The Giants offense hasn't really broken out for good this season. They have showed flashes, but even as you watched them play, you just had a feeling they were just that: only flashes, nothing concrete.
This recent stretch with Sanchez is far from that. You don't feel it's just a flash, but rather a sign of what this team is going to be, not only for the rest of the regular season, but perhaps even in the postseason and next year.
Postseason? Should I be so bold to say that?
I will make that prediction though, because I am confident that's what Sanchez can help the Giants do if he continues to be healthy and in the lineup. He changes this team from "fringe" playoff team to "legitimate" playoff team. The Giants have the pitching, both starting and relief, and the right guys that can get hot at the plate at the right time (just watch out for Aaron Rowand, he'll prove a lot of his doubters wrong sooner than you think).
Maybe we will regret losing Tim Alderson. Maybe we will regret losing out on that dream rotation of Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, Alderson and the other Sanchez, Jonathan.
That being said, I have a feeling we won't regret getting Freddy Sanchez.
Believe me, you will have the same inkling I do when we're starting postseason play in October.
At the end of the day though, getting Sanchez will be worth it to Giants fans.
Never mind he's 31-years-old, or has suspect knees. Sanchez is going to be a key cog in the Giants' playoff push these next couple of months.
I understand it is still early. Sanchez has only played in four games, hardly a big enough sample to make a realistic assumption of how Sanchez is going to affect this team during these last couple of months.
That being said, I don't need any more confirmation after today's 10-6 win against Houston. What Sanchez has shown these past four games is a prime illustration of why Sanchez is the missing link this team has missed all season. He is a spark at the plate (exhibited by his seven hits, three RBI and home run in his first four games as a Giant), and he is a dependable anchor at the second base position that has seen more suitors than Madonna in her heyday.
And if that is not good enough, Sanchez has made his Giants teammates better. Pablo Sandoval has been on a tear since Sanchez's acquisition. Is it a coincidence? Perhaps, but I also feel that the "Panda" is more confident at the plate, because he knows he has a solid guy hitting in front of him a the two-spot.
It is obvious that he feels more comfortable in a spot where he can help continue big-hitting innings rather than start them. Just look at what Sandoval has done statistically with Sanchez batting ahead of him: eight hits, two doubles, four RBI and a home run.
There's a reason why Jeff Kent was such a great hitter when he was in San Francisco: he had an excellent hitter in front of him in Barry Bonds. Thus, it isn't a shock to see Sandoval excelling with a great hitter like Sanchez hitting in front of him rather than an average one like Randy Winn or Edgar Renteria.
Now, I know a lot of pundits will point to last season's drop-off and Sanchez's poor July at the plate during his waning days as a Pirate. Yet I believe a variety of factors affected him in Pittsburgh that resulted in his sub-par July.
For starters, the Pirates were losers, plain and simple. GM Neal Huntington was getting rid of everybody, and basically packed in the season by the end of June. Sanchez, like any other baseball player, is a competitor, and knowing that he is playing for a losing cause I'm sure took its toll on him at the plate.
In addition, Sanchez had been in the middle of trade rumors since the beginning of July (along with longtime teammate Jack Wilson, who ended up getting shipped to Seattle). Add that with contract negotiations that fell through shortly after the All-Star break, and I'm sure Sanchez was feeling the heat and pressure of not knowing his place on the Pirates team, or where his future was heading.
A lot of fans don't think those factors matter, but they do. Look at Jason Bay this season. After a hot couple of months to start the season for the Red Sox, his season stats took a dip when reports came out that his agent brought up the idea of asking for "Mark Teixiera Money" (e.g. an insane, unthinkable amount of cash) when he became a free agent at the end of the season. Thus, it isn't impossible to think that Bay felt the pressure from those high standards, and it took a toll on his play.
Now that he is officially a Giant though, Sanchez doesn't have to deal with anymore drama in Pittsburgh. He's free of all the trade rumors, andhe knows his place in San Francisco: as the starting second baseman.
You can see the rejuvenation out there when Sanchez takes the field or digs into the batter's box. Sure, his bum knee shows now and then when he is running, but the guy not only grits it out, but he excels despite this nagging presence in his body. He hasn't had a bad at-bat in a Giants uniform so, and you can feel that him just being out there gives everyone on this Giants team confidence.
The hitters feel confident with Sanchez in the lineup. The pitchers feel confident with Sanchez in the field. Manager Bruce Bochy is more at ease knowing that he doesn't have to got through the Ferris wheel-lineup of Juan Uribe, Matt Downs and Kevin Frandsen anymore.
When a team has that kind of force on a team, it bodes good things. The Giants offense hasn't really broken out for good this season. They have showed flashes, but even as you watched them play, you just had a feeling they were just that: only flashes, nothing concrete.
This recent stretch with Sanchez is far from that. You don't feel it's just a flash, but rather a sign of what this team is going to be, not only for the rest of the regular season, but perhaps even in the postseason and next year.
Postseason? Should I be so bold to say that?
I will make that prediction though, because I am confident that's what Sanchez can help the Giants do if he continues to be healthy and in the lineup. He changes this team from "fringe" playoff team to "legitimate" playoff team. The Giants have the pitching, both starting and relief, and the right guys that can get hot at the plate at the right time (just watch out for Aaron Rowand, he'll prove a lot of his doubters wrong sooner than you think).
Maybe we will regret losing Tim Alderson. Maybe we will regret losing out on that dream rotation of Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, Alderson and the other Sanchez, Jonathan.
That being said, I have a feeling we won't regret getting Freddy Sanchez.
Believe me, you will have the same inkling I do when we're starting postseason play in October.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The PG Beat: 8 Runs, 16 Hits, and No...Matt Morris was not pitching for the Giants
The new Dynamic Duo in the Bay Area: Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval. Get used to this image a lot the next year-and-a-half in San Francisco.Well...guess what? It kind of worked! The Giants killed the Astros 8-1 in the second game of this series and, in the words of Harry from Dumb and Dumber, "Totally reedemed themselves!"
Seriously, I have forgotten all about the pain of yesterday's agonizing loss. The offense did what they were supposed to do against a lousy pitcher like Felipe Paulino: they worked the count, they looked for pitches to hit and they cashed in with runners on base. Furthermore, Jonathan Sanchez learned how to pitch with runners in scoring position, and looks like he could be a major factor in the Giants' rotation during this stretch run in August and September. And the Freddy Sanchez-Pablo Sandoval back to back home runs? Let's just say I felt like I did when I was reaching puberty and I saw Carmen Electra in a red dress in the movie "Good Burger" (I actually Tweeted this after the game).
Overall, this is the kind of offensive showing that exhibits what the Giants are capable of. Sure, on paper they don't look great, but any time they can get Bengie Molina and Sandoval going, this offense is certainly dangerous. I think the one player that can really push this team over the top is Freddy Sanchez. He really is swinging a good bat since coming over to San Francisco. He is hitting everything hard, and he could have easily gone three-for-four instead of just one-for-four today (though his one-for-four day certainly spoke volumes as he crushed that home run). I think the Sanchez trade in the end will not only be worth it (even though I liked Tim Alderson) because of what he will be able to do this year, but next season as well. Sure, Sanchez isn't exactly young, but he's not some old geezer either. He's only 31. I think he could have a very big impact next year, and his impact can be even greater once his knee gets fully healthy (though he's not showing much slowdown so far this year, but the knee will always be an issue for the rest of the season).
Another great development that Giants fans need to take quick note of is Eugenio Velez at the plate. This guy is just tearing it up. Seriously, once Schierholtz comes back healthy, the Giants are going to have serious issues...not in terms of what they are going to do with Velez, but rather in terms of what they are going to do with Randy Winn. In my mind, Winn is the weak part of this team right now. Velez is hitting the ball better than him, Velez has better speed and Velez is getting on base more (and he's been our best leadoff option in quite some time). The only advantage Winn has over Velez is defense, but as Velez gets more comfortable playing outfield, I think that advantage will be less noticeable. Then again, with Rowand and Schierholtz in the outfield, how good do we need Velez to be? It's not like he's Adam Dunn or Carlos Lee out there. He can cover decent ground.
Just a great overall effort from the Giants tonight. Both Sanchezes look great. Jonathan is earning his keep in the rotation not only this year, but next year as well (even though we lost the opportunity to see him go hit less for an entire season. Now that would have been a record: the first National League pitcher to throw a no-hitter, and get no-hit for an entire season). As for Freddy? He looks like he can be a Giants fan favorite in the future. Granted, we still can lose this series, but we avoided the sweep at the very least and we're going against a very vulnerable pitcher in Brian Moehler tomorrow (by the way, how the hell is he still in the league? I remember pitching with him when he was on the Tigers in MLB '99 on the Playstation).
Then again, we went against a vulnerable pitcher in Mike Hampton a night ago, and during that game we had a solid pitcher in Matt Cain pitching, not a rookie in Joe Martinez who is coming off the 60-day DL, and is making his first career start.
Postgame box notes:
Winning pitcher: Jonathan Sanchez (5-9) 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO.
Losing pitcher: Felipe Paulino (2-6) 4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.
Giants standouts: Eugenio Velez, 3-for-6, 2B (4). Freddy Sanchez, HR (7). Pablo Sandoval, 2-for-3, HR (17). Bengie Molina, 3-for-5, 2B (20). Randy Winn, 2-for-4. Aaron Rowand, 2-for-5, 2B (27).
Astros standouts: Jeff Keppinger, 2-for-4. Carlos Lee, 2B (21).
Probable starters for next game: Martinez (first start) vs. Moehler (7-6).
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The PG Beat: F. Sanchez shines in Giants debut, Zito gets win, strange thought on Hamels
New Giants second baseman, Freddy Sanchez, helped Giants fans forget all about Tim Alderson with a 2-for-4, 2 RBI performance in the Giants' 7-3 win over Philly.Oh yeah! What a win! Way to take three of four from the Phillies! In your face, Philadelphia! In your freaking, Cheesteak-eating, Donovan McNabb-hating face!
Whoa...sorry about that. I'm just a little pumped from that victory. I mean, going into this game, as I mentioned in the preview, I was ready for the worst. Zito on the hill. Phillies coming off an embarrassing offensive performance. Hamels pitching for the Phillies, who is very similar to Cliff Lee, who in turn dominated the Giants on Friday night. As a Giants fan, there just wasn't a lot to look forward to on Sunday afternoon. Furthermore, when the lead was 3-1 in the fifth, all I could say to myself as we went into the bottom of the fifth was "Well...at least we split the series."
And then in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs, Zito gets a base hit and the Giants roll from there. Velez hits a bloop single. New Giant Freddy Sanchez crushes a bases clearing double that ties the game. Sandoval hits a weird infield single that forces Howard to commit an error which scores Sanchez from second. It was absolutely beautiful to behold as a Giants baseball fan. It was the kind of breaks the Giants don't get very often, Zito especially, who seems to be more snake-bit this year in his outings than Thomas Jane and his acting career (In case you haven't read my Tweets, I don't like Hung).
Speaking of Zito, I may go out on a limb here, but I think this was one of his best pitching performances of the year stuff-wise. I mean, his pitches looked great. His fastball was hitting 90, something people thought would be unreachable for Zito a couple of years ago when he was barely topping 85. His curve seemed to resemble his curve of old (e.g. nasty) and he just had great command in general. Other than the Rollins home run, he was just great with his pitching approach and pitch location, and I think this start could bode well for Zito during these last couple months. Anybody who is worried with Johnson injured that we don't have much pitching depth behind Lincecum and Cain can forget about that statement. With Zito doing as well as he is, starting pitching is the least of the Giants' worries, even with there being no No. 5 starter in place with Sadowski getting demoted on Saturday.
After watching the game, I also came to a strange conclusion. Is it just me, or does Cole Hamels seem to be like a young Barry Zito, just with a better fastball? I mean, it's not that much better (it's only like 93, 3 more MPH than what Zito was throwing today) but it's still a livelier fastball nonetheless. Other than that though, the similarities between the two are just very uncanny. They have the same kind of pitching motion, have the same kind of approaches and except for the way they wear their pants, look almost identical on the hill. Maybe I'm just full of it, but I couldn't get that out of my head all day: "Why does Cole Hamels look so much like Barry Zito?"
Anyways, one big shot out goes to Freddy Sanchez, the newest Giant who made a sparkling debut as the Giants second baseman. I'm sorry, but after his 2-for-4 performance that included his 2 RBI double that changed the game in the fifth, I forgot all about who we traded away. Yeah, we may have lost a great pitcher in Tim Alderson, but Sanchez showed today that he is ready to play, and is ready to contribute to this Giants playoff effort. We saw it last year when Jason Bay went Boston and he helped spark their playoff run. For some reason, I have a feeling Sanchez is going to bring the same kind of spark to this Giants team. He's hungry, he gives the Giants what they need (stability at second base) and he was tailor-made to play baseball at AT&T Park. I don't know the exact average, but according to Comcast Sportsnet during the broadcast, going into the game, his average was somewhere around .360 at AT&T Park. We saw why it was so high today.
Really, I just can't explain how awesome this series and homestand was. We swept the Pirates and took three out of four from the defending World Series champs (not to mention shut down one of the most potent offenses in baseball today over a four game stretch). If Giants fans were worried after that ten game road trip to start off the second half, I think they should put those fears behind them. After this series, I think this Giants team has recovered the mojo they had in June.
And that can only bode good things as we enter the August swing.
Postgame box notes:
Winning pitcher: Barry Zito (7-10) 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO.
Losing pitcher: Cole Hamels (7-6) 5 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.
Giants standouts: Freddy Sanchez, 2B (29), 2 RBI. Eugenio Velez, 2-for-5, 2 RBI. Aaron Rowand, 2-for-4, 3B (2). Edgar Renteria, 2B (15).
Phillies standouts: Jimmy Rollins, 2-for-4, HR (11). Ben Francisco, 2-for-4. Eric Bruntlett, 2B (6).
Probable starters for Giants next game against Houston: Cain (12-2) vs. Hampton (6-8).
Probable starters for Phillies next game against Colorado: Hammel (5-6) vs. Moyer (10-7).
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sanchez-Alderson Trade Will Determine Future of SF Giants GM Brian Sabean
By acquiring Freddy Sanchez (middle) from Pittsburgh in exchange for lauded pitching prospect Tim Alderson, GM Brian Sabean (right), in the last year of his contract, has put his job status in the hands of the Pirates' All-Star second baseman.If anything, the San Francisco Giants GM has bought himself at least one more year as GM in the Bay Area.
Giants fans clamored for an offensive upgrade, as the team ranked second to last in the National League in runs scored, and Sabean came through as he was told.
On Monday, Sabean traded away minor league pitching prospect Scott Barnes for first baseman Ryan Garko from Cleveland.
On paper, Garko is what the Giants need in order to spark their inconsistent offense. With the Indians this year, Garko was batting .285 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI.
The deal did not come without some costs though. Barnes, an initially low-valued prospect going into the year, has rose his stock considerably this season in Single-A ball. This season in San Jose, Barnes had a 12-3 record and a 2.85 ERA.
However, Sabean did not stop with Garko in terms of his decision to upgrade immediately.
Today, it was confirmed that the Giants would acquire All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez from Pittsburgh for heralded pitching prospect Tim Alderson.
The deal certainly comes as a surprise to many Giants fans. Considering that the Pirates practically gave Nate McLouth away to the Braves for practically nothing in return, many thought the Giants would acquire Sanchez at a relatively low cost.
Many people thought in order to acquire Sanchez, the Giants would lose either second baseman Kevin Frandsen, outfielder/first baseman John Bowker, first baseman Jesus Guzman or at worst, all three.
Instead, the Giants parted ways with one of their top draft pick in 2007 in Alderson (the other was Madison Bumgarner).
While the Alderson trade does not cripple the Giants' farm system due to the amount of pitching depth the Giants have accumulated through their last few drafts, the move hurts the progress the organization was making with their farm system.
It is also a mixed signal from Sabean.
In many ways, Sabean had convinced Giants fans he was going to take a different route with the Giants' minor league players. He seemed intent on refraining from trading away their top prospects in order to get player who could make immediate, but in the end, brief, contributions.
It seemed that Sabean was sticking with that plan when he passed on making a run for Matt Holliday, and I was fine with it. As long as that was the definite long-term solution, I was up for seeing it being carried all the way through.
However, by trading away their second-best pitching prospect behind Madison Bumgarner, that solution has been dismantled at least a little bit for the time being.
Who knows why Sabean deviated so suddenly.
Perhaps he is convinced that Garko and Sanchez are indeed the missing pieces to this team, and he feels that their worth currently will outweigh Alderson and Barnes' in the future.
Maybe he believes heavily that the minor league pitching depth that they accumulated in the draft the last few years can overcome the loss of these two arms.
Whatever his reasons are, the bottom line is this:
Sabean's job will be determined on how Alderson and Sanchez pan out.
The Garko trade is also crucial to this team, but it is small peanuts compared to the trade that occurred this afternoon.
Despite how ballyhooed a prospect Alderson is, we still don't know how he will turn out at the major league level. He could be the next big thing, the next Matt Cain or the next Tim Lincecum.
Then again though, he could also be the next Kurt Ainsworth, Jason Grili or William Van Landingham.
In order for Sabean to keep his job two years from now, he will need Alderson to be closer to the latter, and he will need Sanchez to have an immediate impact when he becomes the Giants' everyday second baseman.
Sanchez needs to be as good as advertised, and worth the big prospect that was deemed "untouchable" at one point by the Giants organization months ago.
He needs to be closer to the All-Star infielder he was from April-June, and less like the player he has become in July.
Since July 10, Sanchez has suffered a 22-point batting average drop from .318 to .296. Furthermore, in the month of July, he has only batted .193 with only one RBI and scored only four runs.
His stats in San Francisco need to be a lot better than that in order for the Giants to continue to be Wild Card contenders, and for this trade to be worthwhile.
However, despite what Sanchez does during these last two months of the season, Sabean will still have a job next year.
Alderson is still a year away at the earliest in terms of making the jump to the Major League level (though considering how bare the Pirates are at this moment, he could see time at the MLB level midway through next year).
So you have to give Sabean the benefit at the doubt when his contract ends this year and they begin negotiations on his extension.
I can't imagine his extension will be very long-term. If anything, it will probably be very similar in structure to the two-year contract he signed in 2007.
Thus, fans better get used to seeing Sabean for at least the next couple of years in San Francisco.
If Sanchez ends up putting us over the top (very unlikely) and Alderson proves to be more of a bust than a breakout, it is safe to say Sabean will continue to be GM beyond his inevitable next extension.
If this Sanchez trade turns out more like the A.J. Pierzynski trade...well...
Hey, at least it will only be two more years.
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