GDT 6/1 - Huddy @ Lynn

[Stokes1931]

Points taken, but I think to set us up for a deep playoff run, one could/should look at:

1) Another reliever - we can improve on Gutierrez or Kontos, or whoever we consider to be our last guy in July.

2) A quality OF - we can improve on Colvin. He started great but he is regressing to the mean. I love Pagan when he is healthy, but he can be a bit fragile. Blanco is coming around nicely and he is obviously a very trustworthy defensive replacement.

3) A quality 2B - Hicks has been a huge upside surprise, but has tailed off as well, and his early success is a complete outlier compared to the rest of his career. This assumes Scutaro is done, but I have nothing concrete to support that statement. I like Panik's future, but he is completely MLB-unproven, and it would be a mistake to have to rely on him with a deep playoff run on the line.

I think Huff, though a lefty, may be the one to improve on.

 

[Mays-Fan]

I think Huff, though a lefty, may be the one to improve on.

I was assuming that Huff would be gone when Cain comes back. When Casilla comes back, I'm assuming Kontos or Gutierrez is gone. One will be left after that, assuming they remove a position player (JCP or Colvin?) when Belt returns.

 

[msgkings322]

This team is playing so well I'm almost scared...another shoe has to drop, right? Don't we have to have a slump of some kind? Maybe not, and if we do this team is good it won't last. The Dodgers lurk, they will make a run at some point. I never thought we had a shot at the division, boy was I wrong!

 

[SFGRTB]

Just looking at the standings...

Giants have the second best road record in the Bigs (18-11; Oakland has the best at 18-10).

Giants have the best home record in the Bigs (19-9; Miami is second at 18-11).

Giants have the biggest lead of all division leaders (7.0 games; Detroit and Oakland each have 4.5 game leads).

Giants have the best record in baseball (37-20 .649; Oakland has the second best at 35-22 .614).

Giants are 4th in HRs (63; Toronto 82; Colorado 73; Oakland 66).

Giants are 3rd in ERA (3.02; Oakland 2.93; Atlanta 2.97).

Bay Area represent. I think I see the winning formula. Hit a lot of homers, don't give up a lot of runs.

 

[SFGRTB]

I don't know. I keep looking a this team, and I don't see any holes that need filling. 2B? We have Panik if Hicks stops being effective. Another SP? Maybe, but we have 2 Aces right now, with 2 former Aces and a guy who is throwing like an Ace. Bench? Sure, but what spot does he take? Arias isn't going anywhere. Colvin has solidified the OF picture. Maybe EA? The team likes him, but he just isn't showing up. But how important is Util2 really?

Barring injury, I think the team can afford to stay pretty quiet.

It's still a little too soon to proclaim anything for Scoots, and it's too early to say the Ray's season is over, but a name I would look out for is Ben Zobrist. He's a perfect number 2 hitter (although Pence has done a GREAT job there so far), and he's an excellent, versatile defender.

The fit might not be there though. In acquiring Zobrist, it would essentially say that the Giants are throwing the towel in on Scutaro. Zobrist is not a rental, he has another year left on his deal. The Giants also love continuity, and Brandon Hicks has done a very decent job at filling in at second with no expectations coming in. It would be nice to see him hit above the mendoza line, but the Giants are winning with him in there and have no reason to switch it up now. Booting him to the bench via a trade could ruin some of that continuity.

I don't think the Giants have to make a trade right now, this team is pretty solid the way it is as of now and help is on the way (Cain, Belt, Casilla). But if there is a move to be made, Zobrist could be a target.

 

[Mays-Fan]

It's still a little too soon to proclaim anything for Scoots, and it's too early to say the Ray's season is over, but a name I would look out for is Ben Zobrist. He's a perfect number 2 hitter (although Pence has done a GREAT job there so far), and he's an excellent, versatile defender.

The fit might not be there though. In acquiring Zobrist, it would essentially say that the Giants are throwing the towel in on Scutaro. Zobrist is not a rental, he has another year left on his deal. The Giants also love continuity, and Brandon Hicks has done a very decent job at filling in at second with no expectations coming in. It would be nice to see him hit above the mendoza line, but the Giants are winning with him in there and have no reason to switch it up now. Booting him to the bench via a trade could ruin some of that continuity.

I don't think the Giants have to make a trade right now, this team is pretty solid the way it is as of now and help is on the way (Cain, Belt, Casilla). But if there is a move to be made, Zobrist could be a target.

Good find. Tampa is fading here (10.5 out, 23-34), and Zobrist is old enough (33) that they may want to dump him, but still has some game for us. Plays OF, too, and has a solid glove. Switch hitter as well.

Ben Zobrist Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

Makes $7mm, with a $7.5mm club option for 2015, and a $500k buyout. I think he'd be a great get.

 

[Mays-Fan]

Good find. Tampa is fading here (10.5 out, 23-34), and Zobrist is old enough (33) that they may want to dump him, but still has some game for us. Plays OF, too, and has a solid glove. Switch hitter as well.

Ben Zobrist Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

Makes $7mm, with a $7.5mm club option for 2015, and a $500k buyout. I think he'd be a great get.

I would do A-Ray for Zobrist in a heartbeat.

 

[SFGRTB]

I would do A-Ray for Zobrist in a heartbeat.

I would too, but doubt Tampa would. They'd probably ask for a pitcher in any deal. EA+anyone but Crick. Unfortunately, many of our pitchers in the minors aren't preforming up to expectations at all. Maybe none of them want to be traded away from the team with the best record in baseball :hehe:

I do think he will become a trade candidate. His age and contract situation aren't ideal for Tampa, and they could get pretty good value in return for him at this point. I would hope the Giants are interested if he comes up.

 

[calsnowskier]

I would too, but doubt Tampa would. They'd probably ask for a pitcher in any deal. EA+anyone but Crick. Unfortunately, many of our pitchers in the minors aren't preforming up to expectations at all. Maybe none of them want to be traded away from the team with the best record in baseball :hehe:

I do think he will become a trade candidate. His age and contract situation aren't ideal for Tampa, and they could get pretty good value in return for him at this point. I would hope the Giants are interested if he comes up.

An aging 2B would likely LOVE to come to the Giants in a trade. He is practically guaranteed a 3/18 after the season, and he wont even have to show up for the last two years of that contract...

 

[tzill]

I would too, but doubt Tampa would. They'd probably ask for a pitcher in any deal. EA+anyone but Crick. Unfortunately, many of our pitchers in the minors aren't preforming up to expectations at all. Maybe none of them want to be traded away from the team with the best record in baseball :hehe:

I do think he will become a trade candidate. His age and contract situation aren't ideal for Tampa, and they could get pretty good value in return for him at this point. I would hope the Giants are interested if he comes up.

EZ + Hacktor?

I wouldn't give up Crick/Eskie/Stratton/Mejia/Hembree/Blackburn nor Susac/Williamson/Arroyo/Panik. Zobrist would be a solid 3.0-4.0 WAR guy (fringe all star) but we do have Panik coming and Arroyo a couple years away too. Scoots aside, I don't think Zobrist would be a fit, unless you're going to trade away Panik.

 

[Mays-Fan]

EZ + Hacktor?

I wouldn't give up Crick/Eskie/Stratton/Mejia/Hembree/Blackburn nor Susac/Williamson/Arroyo/Panik. Zobrist would be a solid 3.0-4.0 WAR guy (fringe all star) but we do have Panik coming and Arroyo a couple years away too. Scoots aside, I don't think Zobrist would be a fit, unless you're going to trade away Panik.

Respectfully disagree. Primarily, we would get Zobrist for this year only so as to improve our biggest weaknesses (2B and 4th OF) in the hopes of a Series run. I don't see him as blocking Panik at all, who is not ready this year. Zobrist can also play OF, and even SS if Craw can't go. Zobrist can play 2b until (and if) Panik is ready.

And for cal, Zobrist is 33, not 37 like Scoots was. BIG difference. How's that "Pence's mechanics will catch up to him" thingy working out?

 

[calsnowskier]

Respectfully disagree. Primarily, we would get Zobrist for this year only so as to improve our biggest weaknesses (2B and 4th OF) in the hopes of a Series run. I don't see him as blocking Panik at all, who is not ready this year. Zobrist can also play OF, and even SS if Craw can't go. Zobrist can play 2b until (and if) Panik is ready.

And for cal, Zobrist is 33, not 37 like Scoots was. BIG difference. How's that "Pence's mechanics will catch up to him" thingy working out?

Really? I never said it would happen "tomorrow". I said eventually. And I still stand by that. NOTHING he does makes sense, mechanically.

Every time he swings the bat, it looks like his back is broken. When he runs, it looks like his elbows are glued to his sides. He throw like a girl.

He is an amazing athlete. There is no arguing that. I have never claimed otherwise.

He is a gym-rat. There is no arguing that. I have never claimed otherwise.

Once his body begins wearing down, I still say he will go bad FAST. He will not age gracefully.

 

[Stokes1931]

An aging 2B would likely LOVE to come to the Giants in a trade. He is practically guaranteed a 3/18 after the season, and he wont even have to show up for the last two years of that contract...

Beat me to that one.

 

[MarcoPolo]

We just can't lose our old habits, can we? The ones from not winning a WS in over 50 years, I mean.

The Giants have the best record in baseball, and at the beginning of JUNE y'all are talking about how to upgrade the team?

I would not mess with *anything* on a team that is winning pretty darn close to 7 out of every 10 games they play.

 

[msgkings322]

We just can't lose our old habits, can we? The ones from not winning a WS in over 50 years, I mean.

The Giants have the best record in baseball, and at the beginning of JUNE y'all are talking about how to upgrade the team?

I would not mess with *anything* on a team that is winning pretty darn close to 7 out of every 10 games they play.

THIS

 

[Stokes1931]

We just can't lose our old habits, can we? The ones from not winning a WS in over 50 years, I mean.

The Giants have the best record in baseball, and at the beginning of JUNE y'all are talking about how to upgrade the team?

I would not mess with *anything* on a team that is winning pretty darn close to 7 out of every 10 games they play.

"A player (team) on streak has to respect the streak...and you should know that!"- Crash

[youtube]Y-FrR-f4ig4[/youtube]

 

[Mays-Fan]

We just can't lose our old habits, can we? The ones from not winning a WS in over 50 years, I mean.

The Giants have the best record in baseball, and at the beginning of JUNE y'all are talking about how to upgrade the team?

I would not mess with *anything* on a team that is winning pretty darn close to 7 out of every 10 games they play.

This sounds good on paper, but when you turn the testosterone down, you can't just sit still when your competition makes deals to get better. The clock on the July 31 deadline is ticking. If you can upgrade your team at the right price, OF COURSE you do it. This is not even a question nor is it even open for debate.