Giants Can't Really Afford Any Big Names

[Robotech]

With several key players due for a big raise, I've come to accept that we have no shot at adding any big name bats. That said, I'm okay with it because the Giants are doing a good job developing players and I'm hopeful that Panda will be back to 2009 form.

 

[Yoshi]

With several key players due for a big raise, I've come to accept that we have no shot at adding any big name bats. That said, I'm okay with it because the Giants are doing a good job developing players and I'm hopeful that Panda will be back to 2009 form.

As you mentioned the obvious, getting back Huff and Uribe would be great. If the Giants possibly resign Renteria for 1 year at a reasonable deal, it gives the Giants time to develop both Crawford and Belt, similar to the start of this season when Benji was resigned, allowing Buster much needed time to work on his defense in the minors.

I don't see us making any big signings. As someone on the ESPN boards mentioned, Werth and Rowand had eerily similar stats while playing at CBP in Philly. No question, Werth was arguably Philly's best player and displayed opposite field power in game 5 of the NLCS. However, .200 BA with 12 SO's - granted he faced the best pitching staff in the PO's but for not that amount of money. We're getting De Rosa back but I'm just wondering how much does he have left batting wise after wrist surgery?

In regards to Panda, it's pretty much up to him at this point. I was watching reruns of the Giants "Inside the Clubhouse" and saw how this operation panda has started for quite some time, and how Panda has seemed pretty lax in regards to his diet. I wrote in another thread about how he could have been suffering from some depression as a result of events involving his divorce and mother. Whatever it is, I just hope Panda is going to make a serious effort on this because he's essentially on the verge of eating his way out of a career.

 

[filosofy29]

Yeah, I think it's good though in a way. It'll keep the FO on the straight and narrow so no more Rowand contracts are dished out. Keep with what got you to the pinnacle.....building from within. We need to keep this pitching staff together.

If Uribe wants too much, sign Hardy or Renteria (and platoon Rent with Crawford). I love UUU, but not if his contract is going to become an albatross.

Same with Huff, love the guy for all he did, but if he wants a 2 year $20mil contract, then no thank you.

 

[msgkings322]

With several key players due for a big raise, I've come to accept that we have no shot at adding any big name bats. That said, I'm okay with it because the Giants are doing a good job developing players and I'm hopeful that Panda will be back to 2009 form.

I'm not but would love to be wrong. I don't think there's a chance in a million he goes back to 2009 form, many very good players don't have years like that in their entire careers. Fat or no, he's been adjusted to.

Now, the good news is we don't need him back to 2009. If he can play adequate 3B and put up .300/.330/.475 with 20HRs and fewer DPs, that's a very valuable player.

But I fear he's basically a .270/.300/.400 guy now. A fat Pedro Feliz. Hoping to be wrong on this as I am on so much else!

He should also consider just hitting left handed, like JT Snow did later in his career. He can't hit lefties worse hitting lefty than he does righty.

 

[TidrowThePitchingMaster]

I'm not but would love to be wrong. I don't think there's a chance in a million he goes back to 2009 form, many very good players don't have years like that in their entire careers. Fat or no, he's been adjusted to.

Now, the good news is we don't need him back to 2009. If he can play adequate 3B and put up .300/.330/.475 with 20HRs and fewer DPs, that's a very valuable player.

But I fear he's basically a .270/.300/.400 guy now. A fat Pedro Feliz. Hoping to be wrong on this as I am on so much else!

He should also consider just hitting left handed, like JT Snow did later in his career. He can't hit lefties worse hitting lefty than he does righty.

As Sabean has said a bit in some interviews, his baseline is likely between his 09 and 10.

His career line is .305/.356/.484. That's about the type of hitter he is. He had good luck in 09', and a lot of bad luck this year. He is a young 23 year old kid who went through a divorce and had a lot of pressure put on him by the fans and Media this year.

Take a look at Aramis Ramirez.

In 2001, his first full year starting, Ramirez put up a line of .300/.350/.536. Not far from Panda's .330/387/556 line in his first full year starting.

The next year, in 02' Ramirez was terrible in a sophomore slump, putting up a .234/279/.387, similar to Panda's regression except worse.

03', Ramirez slowly started turning it around, with a .272/.324/.465 after he started adjusting to pitchers, and then in 04' he took off and became one of the best hitters in the league with a .318/.373/.578 line, and had similar production for the next 5 years.

Long story short, a sophomore slump is no reason to write this kid off and declare him an average player for the rest of his career. He can flat out hit and when his hitting mechanics are sound he absolutely smokes the ball to all fields.

 

[calsnowskier]

As Sabean has said a bit in some interviews, his baseline is likely between his 09 and 10.

His career line is .305/.356/.484. That's about the type of hitter he is. He had good luck in 09', and a lot of bad luck this year. He is a young 23 year old kid who went through a divorce and had a lot of pressure put on him by the fans and Media this year.

Take a look at Aramis Ramirez.

In 2001, his first full year starting, Ramirez put up a line of .300/.350/.536. Not far from Panda's .330/387/556 line in his first full year starting.

The next year, in 02' Ramirez was terrible in a sophomore slump, putting up a .234/279/.387, similar to Panda's regression except worse.

03', Ramirez slowly started turning it around, with a .272/.324/.465 after he started adjusting to pitchers, and then in 04' he took off and became one of the best hitters in the league with a .318/.373/.578 line, and had similar production for the next 5 years.

Long story short, a sophomore slump is no reason to write this kid off and declare him an average player for the rest of his career. He can flat out hit and when his hitting mechanics are sound he absolutely smokes the ball to all fields.

Nice comparison.

A few differences exist, of course, but it does offer some glimmer of hope. I keep holding on to the fact that he is only 23. If he had never been in the bigs, he would still be rated as one of our top prospects, so let's not dump the guy yet (as frustrating as he has been this year).

 

[nateistheshi]

As Sabean has said a bit in some interviews, his baseline is likely between his 09 and 10.

His career line is .305/.356/.484. That's about the type of hitter he is. He had good luck in 09', and a lot of bad luck this year. He is a young 23 year old kid who went through a divorce and had a lot of pressure put on him by the fans and Media this year.

Take a look at Aramis Ramirez.

In 2001, his first full year starting, Ramirez put up a line of .300/.350/.536. Not far from Panda's .330/387/556 line in his first full year starting.

The next year, in 02' Ramirez was terrible in a sophomore slump, putting up a .234/279/.387, similar to Panda's regression except worse.

03', Ramirez slowly started turning it around, with a .272/.324/.465 after he started adjusting to pitchers, and then in 04' he took off and became one of the best hitters in the league with a .318/.373/.578 line, and had similar production for the next 5 years.

Long story short, a sophomore slump is no reason to write this kid off and declare him an average player for the rest of his career. He can flat out hit and when his hitting mechanics are sound he absolutely smokes the ball to all fields.

All excellent points Tidrow. I think the biggest issue that people have with Pablo is that he has been a complete choker this year. He was decent when nobody was on base, but how many times have we all seen him hit a first pitch GIDP this year? How many times has he struck out on 3 straight pitches out of the zone with a runner on 3rd? I'm too lazy to look up the stats right now, but everyone is acting like Panda was worse this year than he was, because he was at his worst when we needed him the most.

 

[msgkings322]

All excellent points Tidrow. I think the biggest issue that people have with Pablo is that he has been a complete choker this year. He was decent when nobody was on base, but how many times have we all seen him hit a first pitch GIDP this year? How many times has he struck out on 3 straight pitches out of the zone with a runner on 3rd? I'm too lazy to look up the stats right now, but everyone is acting like Panda was worse this year than he was, because he was at his worst when we needed him the most.

Agreed. He did come through with that huge 2 run double in I think the Phillies series, game 4?. But in general he seemed anti-clutch. The opposite of Uribe.