Off Season Moves/News/Rumors/Discussion Thread

[Stokes1931]

He want to Cal. What's not to like?

The only other pro athlete I can think of whose first initial is X is Xavier McDaniel.

I was going to post that he is a Cal man, and Cam beat me to it.

Again.

 

[tzill]

PTMFB makes it official...

Pat Burrell Retires: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

 

[filosofy29]

Thanks for the memories PTMFB. You had a great career.....now join the Giants FO or become the hitting coach!

2010 will be your legacy in the Bay Area. Not a bad legacy to leave.

 

[tzill]

Grant picks his 25 man roster:

McCovey Chronicles - For San Francisco Giants Fans

SP - Tim, Cain, Bum, Song, Zeets
RP - Weez, Romo, Lopez, Affeldt, Casilla
C - Buster, one of (Stewy, Eli, Chez3)
IF - Huff, Franchez, Stamos, Panda, Fonty
OF - Melky, Pagan, Nate

Leaving 5 open spots, which he predicts to be Riot, Pill, Christian, Mota, Hensley

My thoughts: I agree on almost all of this. Mota is a near lock, and Hensley will beat out Runzler due to his ability to be a swingman. So me and Grant agree on the pitchers. I predict Chez3 as the backup catcher, and also had Riot beating out Burriss. I had Pill as my 25th guy. Where we differ is Christian vs. Belt. His reasoning is late inning RH hitter -- as he says, when Jonny Venters comes in the game our best PH would be Riot with Belt on the bench. I can see it, but I can't see Brandon not making the final squad.

Food for thought, and 18 muthafuckin' days, yo!

 

[calsnowskier]

I see Blanco, X or Belt making the squad before Christian. I do not really see anything that Christian brings to the table.

Speed? If you want this, go with Burris or Graham.

Bat? Belt or X.

Defense? Graham or X.

Upside? Graham or Belt.

I just do not see any reason to go with Christian.

 

[tzill]

I see Blanco, X or Belt making the squad before Christian. I do not really see anything that Christian brings to the table.

Speed? If you want this, go with Burris or Graham.

Bat? Belt or X.

Defense? Graham or X.

Upside? Graham or Belt.

I just do not see any reason to go with Christian.

He's right handed, and a pure OF. Good defender. I can see why Grant is leaning toward him. Still and all, I take Belt.

Forgot about Nady...that's a possibility. I get the feeling that ST injuries will make the decision for the Giants.

 

[calsnowskier]

He's right handed, and a pure OF. Good defender. I can see why Grant is leaning toward him. Still and all, I take Belt.

Forgot about Nady...that's a possibility. I get the feeling that ST injuries will make the decision for the Giants.

I listed X as a stretch. Dude needs to get in the fold before he can really be thrown into the mix.

Good point about him being a RHH. I tend to forget that aspect of the roster and look in more abstract terms...

 

[SFGRTB]

Of the final 5, my guess is Theriot, Mota, Hensley, Pill, Belt.

My reason is that there are 5 guys who can play the OF on that roster (Pagan, Cabrera, Schierholtz, Huff, Belt) and 5 guys who can play 1st (Huff, Belt, Pill, Posey, Sandoval). There is plenty of versatility there where you can mix and match who's playing or not, have late game defense and balanced options on the bench.

For example, say the starting OF is Melky/Pagan/Nate and Huff at 1st. If a tough righty comes up, you can still take Nate out and either put Belt in LF or Huff and Belt/Pill to first.

Or, if Belt/Melky/Nate and Huff start, Pagan can come in late and play any OF position and Pill can cover first.

In my honest opinion, I think that Belt will win the RF job out of spring, regulating Nate back to the 4th OF role, which he still has plenty of value in. Nate/Pill off the bench is pretty dang good.

 

[SFGRTB]

Also, I am pulling for Chez3 to make it out of spring as the backup. If Posey really is going to play more at 1st, Chez3 provides the biggest upside on offense and has a cannon of an arm. He really just needs to improve game-calling, but that will improve with time (whether it's a short stint in Fresno or with the big boys).

 

[tzill]

Of the final 5, my guess is Theriot, Mota, Hensley, Pill, Belt.

My reason is that there are 5 guys who can play the OF on that roster (Pagan, Cabrera, Schierholtz, Huff, Belt) and 5 guys who can play 1st (Huff, Belt, Pill, Posey, Sandoval). There is plenty of versatility there where you can mix and match who's playing or not, have late game defense and balanced options on the bench.

For example, say the starting OF is Melky/Pagan/Nate and Huff at 1st. If a tough righty comes up, you can still take Nate out and either put Belt in LF or Huff and Belt/Pill to first.

Or, if Belt/Melky/Nate and Huff start, Pagan can come in late and play any OF position and Pill can cover first.

In my honest opinion, I think that Belt will win the RF job out of spring, regulating Nate back to the 4th OF role, which he still has plenty of value in. Nate/Pill off the bench is pretty dang good.

You could be right about Belt winning the RF battle. However, the bolded above I'm not quite following. If it's late and the pitcher is RH, why would you take Nate out (LHH)? If you meant a tough LEFTY comes in, then taking Nate out makes some sense, but why would you replace him with Belt (LHH)?

I could see pulling Nate and replacing with Pill (to get a RHH up), and shifting Huff to RF to allow Pill to play at 1b.

Bigger picture: Chez3 has the inside track on backing up Posey because a) it looks like he can actually hit ML pitching and b) he's a switch hitter (Eli and Stewy both hit R). So Chez3 actually gives you another LH bat on the bench if you need it.

Looking at the roster from a R/L/B hitting standpoint:

Starters: Posey R, Huff L, Panda B, Franchez R, Stamos L, Melky B, Pagan B, Nate L. That's pretty good balance with 3L, 2R, and 3B

Bench: Chez3 B, Fonty L, Riot R, Pill R, Belt L. Again, good balance with 2L, 2R, 1B.

I think your final three hitters (Riot, Pill, Belt) are exactly correct, but for different reasons.

 

[SFGRTB]

You could be right about Belt winning the RF battle. However, the bolded above I'm not quite following. If it's late and the pitcher is RH, why would you take Nate out (LHH)? If you meant a tough LEFTY comes in, then taking Nate out makes some sense, but why would you replace him with Belt (LHH)?

I could see pulling Nate and replacing with Pill (to get a RHH up), and shifting Huff to RF to allow Pill to play at 1b.

Bigger picture: Chez3 has the inside track on backing up Posey because a) it looks like he can actually hit ML pitching and b) he's a switch hitter (Eli and Stewy both hit R). So Chez3 actually gives you another LH bat on the bench if you need it.

Looking at the roster from a R/L/B hitting standpoint:

Starters: Posey R, Huff L, Panda B, Franchez R, Stamos L, Melky B, Pagan B, Nate L. That's pretty good balance with 3L, 2R, and 3B

Bench: Chez3 B, Fonty L, Riot R, Pill R, Belt L. Again, good balance with 2L, 2R, 1B.

I think your final three hitters (Riot, Pill, Belt) are exactly correct, but for different reasons.

I was thinking: "lefty and pinch Pill and either keep him or put in Belt" but typed nonsense lol.

 

[Stokes1931]

(Eli and Stewy both hit R).

Eli can hit?!?!

 

[sfsportsfan]

is Hector still Chez3?

I vote he replaces Jonathan as Dirty

 

[sfsportsfan]

anyone see the Top 10 Right Now on MLB Network for CF's? Andres Torres was #10

 

[SFGRTB]

anyone see the Top 10 Right Now on MLB Network for CF's? Andres Torres was #10

Off the top of my head:

Kemp, Ellsbury, Granderson, Victorino, Mccutchen, Jones, Bourn, C.Young, Maybin, BJ Upton.


And that's assuming Gonzalez/Hamilton aren't CF's anymore.

And it isn't like Torres is 11 either, I have Bourjes, Jackson, Fowler, Jay and maybe a few more ahead too.

 

[calsnowskier]

Wouldn't Pagan be rated ahead of Torres?

Oh yea, Torres plays for a major market. I forgot.

 

[msgkings322]

Wouldn't Pagan be rated ahead of Torres?

Oh yea, Torres plays for a major market. I forgot.

Between this tidbit and the one about Sabean's valuing of Wheeler, I had to chuckle. Classic fandom (I do this too).

Wheeler's ours? Future Pedro Martinez. Now he's a Met? Overrated. Crick is better.

Torres is ours? Oh he'll bounce back in 2012, he just has to. He's better than that Pagan scrub. Torres is a Met? He sucks, total fluke in 2010.

Not trolling, I do this too to some degree. It's being a fan!

 

[calsnowskier]

Between this tidbit and the one about Sabean's valuing of Wheeler, I had to chuckle. Classic fandom (I do this too).

Wheeler's ours? Future Pedro Martinez. Now he's a Met? Overrated. Crick is better.

Torres is ours? Oh he'll bounce back in 2012, he just has to. He's better than that Pagan scrub. Torres is a Met? He sucks, total fluke in 2010.

Not trolling, I do this too to some degree. It's being a fan!

I understand what you are saying, BUT...

We traded Torres PLUS a solid BP arm for Pagan. Pagan has a better track record. Pagan is younger. Torres gets ZERO respect until he plays for a major market.

My comment was not pure homerism.

 

[msgkings322]

I understand what you are saying, BUT...

We traded Torres PLUS a solid BP arm for Pagan. Pagan has a better track record. Pagan is younger. Torres gets ZERO respect until he plays for a major market.

My comment was not pure homerism.

I know it wasn't it just made me chuckle. I agree with you, and I too think Pagan > Torres.

Still, if you can't laugh at the silliness of paying so much attention to a bunch of dudes in tights playing a game...

 

[CameronFrye]

Grant picks his 25 man roster:

McCovey Chronicles - For San Francisco Giants Fans

SP - Tim, Cain, Bum, Song, Zeets
RP - Weez, Romo, Lopez, Affeldt, Casilla
C - Buster, one of (Stewy, Eli, Chez3)
IF - Huff, Franchez, Stamos, Panda, Fonty
OF - Melky, Pagan, Nate

Leaving 5 open spots, which he predicts to be Riot, Pill, Christian, Mota, Hensley

My thoughts: I agree on almost all of this. Mota is a near lock, and Hensley will beat out Runzler due to his ability to be a swingman. So me and Grant agree on the pitchers. I predict Chez3 as the backup catcher, and also had Riot beating out Burriss. I had Pill as my 25th guy. Where we differ is Christian vs. Belt. His reasoning is late inning RH hitter -- as he says, when Jonny Venters comes in the game our best PH would be Riot with Belt on the bench. I can see it, but I can't see Brandon not making the final squad.

Food for thought, and 18 muthafuckin' days, yo!

I hope to hell that Christian does not make the team. Pagan and Cabrera are both switch hitters. If Pagan is in the lineup, I want to see Melky on the bench and vice versa. Nate in right, Belt in left, Huff at first and either Melky or Pagan in center. If one is playing center and the other left or right field, Bochy is doing it wrong.

Plus, with Nady practically in the fold, I want to see him come up to bat when Venters enters in the eighth. If Venters came in to start the eighth and Bochy sent up Christian to pinch-hit, I would hope that Sabean would have fired him before the at-bat was concluded and replaced him with some drunk guy in the second row of the box seats because the drunk guy would be a better evaluator of talent than Bochy in that case.