Sandoval a possibility to catch?

[ElJimador]

I hate to speculate before the Giants get the MRI on Posey back but preparing for the worst case that he might be out for the year I wonder if the Giants should consider moving Sandoval back behind the dish? They could extend his time on the DL a couple weeks to approximate his own spring training at catcher and get him ready for the position again, and in the meantime Huff could take some grounders at 3B and prepare to move over there and make room for Belt. If the Giants can just hang around for now and take advantage of how weak the rest of the division is, I could see that team gelling by the end of the season and having the opportunity to ride their pitching for another postseason run. I can't really see it with Eli Whiteside as the primary catcher and without adding a bat of Belt's caliber. Just not enough offense there even with that great pitching.

I wouldn't expect Sandoval to be catching as much as Posey either. But even if it was just like a 60/40 split with Whiteside with some starts at 3B still mixed in, making room for an extra bat when Panda does catch could make all the difference.

 

[calsnowskier]

I mentioned this last night, but after sleeping on it, I am against this move. Our best hitter, Posey, gothurt because of catching. Now we will move our next best hitter behind the plate to replace him?

I think it is best to go pure defense at this point behind the plate (especially when we have Nate in right making every play at the plate a close play).

 

[Heathbar012]

I mentioned this last night, but after sleeping on it, I am against this move. Our best hitter, Posey, gothurt because of catching. Now we will move our next best hitter behind the plate to replace him?

I think it is best to go pure defense at this point behind the plate (especially when we have Nate in right making every play at the plate a close play).

+1. Furthermore, I never want to see a left side of the infield that consists of Miguel Tejada and Aubrey Huff. I'll suffer through some more 2-1 ballgames rather than 6-5 with 3 errors (or balls that players used to their positions would make). Boch and Sabes will certainly try everything, so it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility, and the players mentioned are capable of playing those positions. I just wouldn't be able to take how poorly they would play them.

 

[CameronFrye]

Paging Ivan Rodriguez. Mr. Ivan Rodriguez to the white courtesy phone please...

 

[CameronFrye]

The Giants have two options: they can trade for Pudge or they can call Benjie Molina and see if he is interested in coming out of retirement to fill in for the rest of the year.

 

[gp956]

I've long been in favor of moving Panda back to catcher.

 

[CameronFrye]

Panda is NOT a catcher. He was moved out from behind the plate for a reason.

 

[msgkings322]

I mentioned this last night, but after sleeping on it, I am against this move. Our best hitter, Posey, gothurt because of catching. Now we will move our next best hitter behind the plate to replace him?

I think it is best to go pure defense at this point behind the plate (especially when we have Nate in right making every play at the plate a close play).

This.

 

[gp956]

The Giants have two options: they can trade for Pudge or they can call Benjie Molina and see if he is interested in coming out of retirement to fill in for the rest of the year.

Bengie is 400 lbs by now.

 

[msgkings322]

Bengie is 400 lbs by now.

Cousins would've just bounced off him, not even touched the plate.

 

[gp956]

Cousins would've just bounced off him, not even touched the plate.

Bengie would have been no where near the plate too (unless it was a dinner plate).

 

[gp956]

Panda is NOT a catcher. He was moved out from behind the plate for a reason.

He hurt his elbow. Then they knew Posey was on the way. Panda has all the necessary skills to catch, and he would excel at the position.

 

[tzill]

He hurt his elbow. Then they knew Posey was on the way. Panda has all the necessary skills to catch, and he would excel at the position.

+1. Panda would be more than capable of filling in for a month or two.

 

[Heathbar012]

+1. Panda would be more than capable of filling in for a month or two.

I'm fine with that. As long as there is no possibility that Huff plays third. I don't like him left. I might have an aneurysm if I see him at third. I'd rather see Mig-E6 and Stonehands Burriss (who actually made a couple nice plays to try to make up for the lack of a play at the plate earlier in the game) than the lack of range that would exist with Aubrey and The Nada.

I never thought I'd be excited to see a Burriss/Rohly/Crawford platoon at short, but bring it on! If we could get through 2008 (and many other seasons pre-2010 that I'd rather not mention), we can get through this.

 

[tzill]

I'm fine with that. As long as there is no possibility that Huff plays third. I don't like him left. I might have an aneurysm if I see him at third. I'd rather see Mig-E6 and Stonehands Burriss (who actually made a couple nice plays to try to make up for the lack of a play at the plate earlier in the game) than the lack of range that would exist with Aubrey and The Nada.

I never thought I'd be excited to see a Burriss/Rohly/Crawford platoon at short, but bring it on! If we could get through 2008 (and many other seasons pre-2010 that I'd rather not mention), we can get through this.

I think there's a very small chance that Huff plays third, but peep this article:

Fun With Numbers: How Good (or Bad) Would Aubrey Huff be at Third? - McCovey Chronicles

I suspect that Huff stays at 1b, Belt plays 4 days a week in LF and one day at 1b, and the lineup looks like this:

CF Torres
2B Franchez
1B Huff
RF Ross
3B Miggy
LF Belt
C Whitey
SS Crawford

....until Panda and Fonty are healthy, then:

CF Torres
2B Franchez
1B Huff
3B Panda
RF Ross
LF Belt
SS Miggy/Fonty
C Whitey

 

[Heathbar012]

I think there's a very small chance that Huff plays third, but peep this article:

Fun With Numbers: How Good (or Bad) Would Aubrey Huff be at Third? - McCovey Chronicles

I suspect that Huff stays at 1b, Belt plays 4 days a week in LF and one day at 1b, and the lineup looks like this:

CF Torres
2B Franchez
1B Huff
RF Ross
3B Miggy
LF Belt
C Whitey
SS Crawford

....until Panda and Fonty are healthy, then:

CF Torres
2B Franchez
1B Huff
3B Panda
RF Ross
LF Belt
SS Miggy/Fonty
C Whitey

This would make me happy. Well, not completely happy, but happier than I was last night around 11:15 pm. I am absolutely willing to concede that Huff is capable of playing average defensive third base. I'd just rather not see him try.

 

[ElJimador]

I mentioned this last night, but after sleeping on it, I am against this move. Our best hitter, Posey, gothurt because of catching. Now we will move our next best hitter behind the plate to replace him?
I think it is best to go pure defense at this point behind the plate (especially when we have Nate in right making every play at the plate a close play).

Well, I hear ya, but I think we should step back for a little perspective here. What happened to Posey was terrible but how many catchers can you remember who that's happened to since you've been watching baseball? It's not exactly a common occurance. And I just don't like resigning myself to the idea that the Giants can never again have a top hitting because of a risk of injury that's -- higher than other positions, yes -- but objectively still pretty small.

 

[ElJimador]

+1. Panda would be more than capable of filling in for a month or two.

And to do it for longer than that if necessary. I hate to say it but from the medical reports we're hearing it's probably going to be a year before we're going to know if Posey can come back to catching and maybe another year after that before we know if he should stay there. So what's the longer term contingency if he can't?