The New Sports Page

Giants Add Reliever

2008-02-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

After deciding not to splurge on more expensive relief pitchers, the Giants signed veteran Scott Williamson to a minor-league contract. Williamson was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1999, when he saved 19 games with a 2.41 ERA for Cincinnati. Since leaving the Reds in 2003, he's bounced around a little, playing for the Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, and Orioles. He had a 4.40 ERA in 16 games in Baltimore last year. Seems like a pretty low-risk move. Williamson joins an already crowded bullpen, consisting of right-handers Brian Wilson, TylerWalker, Brad Hennessey, Vinnie Chulk, and Randy Messenger. He can still strike guys out (16 Ks in 14.1 IP last year), so he could turn into a decent set-up option.

Lessons Learned From Fanfest 2008

2008-02-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful summer's day in San Francisco (in February) - perfect to attend KNBR's annual San Francisco Giants ~~Geek~~Fanfest ... whixh is how I decided to spend my yesterday. After getting my haircut, I headed over to AT&T Park in hopes of meeting my hero Barry Zito, as well as to get a feel for the Bonds-less 2008 Giants.

I started by just wandering through the stadium. There were players signing autographs, but the prospect of waiting upwards of an hour to meet Jack Taschner and Nate Schierholtz wasn't all that enticing.

The field is all tore up - as you can see - from a recent motorcross tournament, but the stadium still felt like home. Mostly I found myself stationed behind home plate, listening to the live KNBR broadcast that included interviews with Tim Lincecum, Rich Aurilla, Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper and Randy Winn.

What I learned is that everyone is really excited about this new pitch Lincecum will be adding to his repertoire. Also, Miller has been learning about the OPS stat and informed the crowd that Aaron Rowand's was exceptionally high last year. In more frivolous news, Gary Radnich considers Aurilla to be the best looking guy on the team this year.

Hitting up the concession stands, I realized that as much as I miss baseball in the off-season, I really miss garlic fries. It would appear I was not the only one.

Even though the Giants have said goodbye to the "Barry Bonds Era," they have not said goodbye to the "Barry Bonds 756 Merchandise Era." They're still milking the hell out of those t-shirts and pennants. While I shopped around for merch, I found myself tempted by the $20 mystery grab which seemed to include a DVD and bobblehead amongst other paraphernalia. I actually had my wallet out and was ready to ask for one when I heard a recent purchaser say, "Look, a Matt Morris bobblehead." A Matt Morris bobblehead! This is how you treat loyal fans who are sticking through the steroid saga, the lack of exciting offseason deals, and this recent cockfighting controversy. You repay us with Matt Morris bobbleheads concealed in paper bags that sell for $20. I love you, Giants, but you are starting to make it very hard to.

So, no Zito sightings in my time there, though it appears he was there. The closest I came was this dude in a Zito shirt.

Time to get excited again, Giants fans!

Fake Tales of San Francisco

2008-02-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Judging from these photos from FanFest, Tim Lincecum is not only going to show up at Spring Training with a new pitch, but with a little more hair as well.

Maybe it's just me, but with his new look, the much-hyped Giants pitcher seems to bear a striking resemblance to Alex Turner, the singer of the much-hyped British band Arctic Monkeys.
Expect the Tim Lincecum backlash to start very soon.

Another Lefty On the Move

2008-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Ending weeks of speculation, the Mariners and Orioles today finalized a deal sending lefty Erik Bedard to Seattle for five prospects, most notably outfielder Adam Jones. Bedard was probably the best pitcher in the American League for the first five months of last season, until an injury sidelined him for September. He went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts in just 182 innings. The deal gives the Mariners a very solid 1-2 punch with Bedard and Felix Hernandez. Expect them to challenge the Angels for the division title. The Orioles are clearly in rebuilding mode. They may be the worst team in baseball next year, but they got a very good young outfielder in Jones to go along with Nick Markakis.

Will Cain's Luck Change?

2008-02-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Buster Olney's blog today features several scouting reports about none other than Matt Cain. There is near universal praise for Cain's stuff, but as I read, I noticed another common theme.

- "He could be a No. 1-No. 2 type of starter, but it'll be interesting to see what that environment in San Francisco does to him, with all that losing."

- "Even though he benefits from the friendly confines of San Fran's park, his lack of run support may be a problem this season."

- "He's been a hard-luck pitcher."

- "He's an absolute workhorse, and the problem is, he seems to always be pitching in games when the score is 0-0 or 1-1."

The Giants offense was bad last year, and will likely be worse this year, but what happened to Cain was a total fluke. I did a little research and found that all other Giants starters had a combined record of 44-42. The four pitchers who will likely join Cain in the rotation in 2008 - Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum, Noah Lowry, and Kevin Correia - were 35-27. Cain's problems last year went beyond poor run support. He was far superior to both Lowry and Zito, who had 14 and 11 wins, respectively. Cain may not be a 20-game winner, but I find it hard to believe he will suffer the same kind of shitty luck. This possibility combined with the hope of a better bullpen gives me some reason to believe the Giants will not be 100-game losers in 2008.

Is This Really Necessary?

2008-02-04T14:23:00.001-08:00

Fox Sports' Dayn Perry runs down the worst players at every position, including three Giants in Ray Durham, Omar Vizquel, and Rich Aurilia. I'm not that familiar with Perry, but word on the street seems to be that he is a notorious Giants hater. First off, maybe he would be right about Aurilia, if he actually were the starting third baseman. That job currently belongs to Kevin Frandsen, and within the next few weeks, likely Joe Crede. Second base is a tough call, and Durham certainly had a terrible year last year. But it's hard to justify calling him the worst second baseman in baseball after just one year, especially when he had a career year in 2006. There's also no guarantee Durham will be the opening day second baseman, especially if the Giants acquire Crede. Lastly, while Omar Vizquel may not be the gold glover he used to be, he still plays well above average defense. I can understand making a list of the best players by position, but this just seems like a dumb idea.

Santana Traded to Mets

2008-01-29T14:18:00.001-08:00

After months of back-and-forth negotiations, the Twins traded two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana to the Mets for four prospects, most notably outfielder Carlos Gomez. At one point it seemed certain Santana would be traded to the Yankees. At another point, the Red Sox seemed to have a deal ready. It seems to me the Twins should have taken one of those deals when it was on the table, instead of pushing for more. The Yankees were prepared to part with Phil Hughes, while the Red Sox were willing to give up Jon Lester or Jacoby Ellsbury.

This deal makes the Mets clear frontrunners in the National League East. New York has been seeking an ace starting pitcher for the last couple years. Santana now leads a solid staff including Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Orlando Hernandez. The prospect of Santana pitching against weak NL lineups is a scary one. The bullpen remains a big question mark, but the Mets have finally done something to make fans forget about their historic season-ending collapse. They could be very good in 2008.

Rest Easy, Giants Fans

2008-01-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Pedro Feliz is a Philly.

Some More Ideas

2008-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more thoughts on what the Giants should do before Opening Day.

- Attempt to trade Dave Roberts, Rich Aurilia, and Steve Kline. Even if all we get is A-ball prospects, this should happen. If the Giants are serious about getting younger, they need to dump some deadweight. I'll live with Roberts as a bench player because he's too expensive to release, but if we can't trade the other two, I think we should just cut them loose. I know I've advocated signing Tony Clark, but he plays a position of need, and he is still productive at his age. Roberts, Aurilia, and Kline are all taking up space which could be filled by a young player.

- Trade Pat Misch and Rajai Davis/Fred Lewis. I already mentioned trading Misch in a potential Joe Crede deal, and if we threw in one of those outfielders, maybe we could get a little more. The White Sox recently designated reliever (and former Giant) David Aardsma for assignment. Could be worth the risk. Both Davis and Lewis are out of minor league options, and most experts believe Nate Schierholtz has a higher upside.

If the Giants make the aforementioned moves, here is a potential opening day lineup.

Randy Winn, rf
Omar Vizquel, ss
Aaron Rowand, cf
Tony Clark, 1b
Joe Crede, 3b
Bengie Molina, c
Nate Schierholtz, lf
Kevin Frandsen, 2b

That leaves Eliezer Alfonzo, Dan Ortmeier, Ray Durham, Eugenio Velez, and either Lewis or Davis on the bench. Both Frandsen and Velez work as utility players. Ortmeier can platoon with Clark at first.

Assuming a starting rotation of Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum, Noah Lowry, and Kevin Correia, the bullpen (with Aardsma) could look something like this.

Brian Wilson
Tyler Walker
Brad Hennessey
David Aardsma
Jonathan Sanchez
Randy Messenger/Vinnie Chulk
Jack Taschner/Jose Capellan

It may not be perfect, but it at least gives the pitching staff a chance to win some more games, and it keeps us from being the worst team in the National League.

What's Next?

2008-01-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago, I recommended the Giants make a play for White Sox third baseman Joe Crede, and at the moment, that appears to be a possibility. Crede doesn't seem to be too popular with the Giants blogosphere, which I don't totally understand. Injury problems limited him to just 47 games in 2007, but just two years ago he hit 30 homers and won a silver slugger award, and he hit four postseason homers for the World Series champions in 2005. The people warning against trading for Crede because of his injury problems and poor recent performance are the same ones clamoring to sign Dallas McPherson or Morgan Ensberg. Noah Lowry and Jonathan Sanchez seems like too much to give for Crede alone, but if the Giants can build a deal around someone like Pat Misch, I think they should do it. Another name being discussed is Tony Clark. This one isn't too popular either. But I think Clark could be a could fallback if Dan Ortmeier doesn't work out at first, and he provides good power off the bench. There's nothing wrong with wanting to play the young players, but right now the Giants really don't have any strong young players to fill the corner infield spots. Right now the Giants simply need people to hold down those spots until players like Angel Villalona are ready to take over.

I Knew It!

2008-01-14T12:03:00.001-08:00

Cut Bud Selig a break - professional baseball players aren't the only ones juicing. MTV reports,

The ongoing investigation into steroid trafficking that has already sent shockwaves through professional baseball is now reportedly looking at members of the music industry as well. According to a report in Albany, New York's Times Union, citing confidential sources, the names of Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean have turned up in an Albany-based probe.

Giants Introduce Rowand

2008-01-10T16:12:00.001-08:00

The newest Giant, Aaron Rowand, donned the orange-and-black for the first time yesterday as the team introduced their new center fielder to the media. Not a whole lot more to report in terms of Giants news, hence the infrequent posts. Brian Sabean appears to still be looking for help at the corner infield spots, with names like Scott Rolen, Joe Crede, and Eric Chavez being thrown around. Gwenn Knapp has an article in the Chronicle today suggesting that a .500 finish isn't outside the realm of possibility. I'll withhold judgment until I see the opening day lineup. But as of now, the Giants just don't have the bats to compete the pitching-heavy National League West.

Yes, I Did That Stuff - But It Was Only Once and I Didn't Like It

2007-12-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

By now you've all seen the report and heard the rumors, and I just wanted to set the record straight on a few things. Yes, I did do that stuff - not the really bad stuff they said I was using, just the other stuff. I didn't do it to bulk up my blogging skills. I did it because I was going through a period of recovery and felt a lot of pressure to get my blog in top physical condition again. I only did it the one time, in the spring of 2006, and after that one time I decided that I really didn't like it. When I did do it, however, it was under the observation of a well-qualified and well-respected doctor. I regret the hurt that I have caused my fellow bloggers, but the time has come to move on with the future, and keep this fraternity together.

In All Fairness

2007-12-13T19:37:00.001-08:00

I so called this one years ago.

If you believe that Barry Bonds' home run record should be taken away and that he should be excluded from the Hall of Fame based on the evidence against him, I assume you also want these achievements taken away:

Roger Clemens' 7 Cy Youngs and 2 20-strikeout games
Miguel Tejada's MVP
Eric Gagne's Cy Young and consecutive saves record
Kevin Brown's no-hitter
John Rocker's comments (which can be attributed to roid rage)

Also, how about the obscure former Giants in the report: Mark Carreon, F.P. Santangelo, Jason Christiansen. Who knew? If I were these guys, though, I'd want my money back.

Let the Names Begin

2007-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

The release of the Mitchell Report has been one of the most highly anticipated events 'round the New Sports Page offices. There's not a whole lot yet, but a few big names are starting to emerge.

ESPN.com reported Brian McNamee, a former trainer for the Yankees and Clemens, told investigators he supplied Clemens and Pettitte with steroids and that information is in the report. The Web site cited an unidentified source close to the trainer. (SF Gate)

Giants Sign Rowand

2007-12-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

After losing out on Andruw Jones and Kosuke Fukodome, the Giants today signed Aaron Rowand to a five-year deal. No word yet on how much money he will get, but I have a feeling this will not be seen as one of the better moves of the offseason. I'm going to withhold judgment for now. The Giants needed outfield help, and Rowand was the best guy left on the market after the Cubs signed Fukodome. The offense is by no means complete, and I would like to see a deal get done for Hideki Matsui. There is also still the matter of who will play third base. So I'm going to wait and see how Brian Sabean fills out the rest of the lineup and then see how each move fits in.

Tigers Come Out of Nowhere

2007-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, this happened quickly. The Tigers had been on the fringe of the Miguel Cabrera rumors, but yesterday they came out of nowhere to snag both Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in the first real blockbuster deal of the winter meetings. Throwing Cabrera into an already-good Tigers lineup, and adding Willis to a solid rotation make the Tigers in my opinion instant favorites in the American League Central. Their lineup may even be better than those of the Yankees and Red Sox. This is a projected lineup.

Curtis Granderson
Placido Polanco
Cabrera
Gary Sheffield
Magglio Ordonez
Carlos Guillen
Edgar Renteria
Ivan Rodriguez
Jacque Jones

I don't see a single hole in that lineup. It looks like the AL will continue to embarrass the NL.

Meanwhile, the juiciest Giants rumor of the week has involved a possible swap of Tim Lincecum for the Blue Jay's Alex Rios. I'm really torn over this one. I think if the Blue Jays throw in a pitcher, I might pull the trigger, as much as it pains me to give up a potential future ace. The Giants need to do something big this offseason, and if it comes down to Lincecum or Matt Cain, I would give up Lincecum.

Mets Trade Milledge to Nats

2007-11-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Lastings Milledge's value seems to have taken a huge hit in the last year or so. It wasn't that long ago that he was rumored to be the centerpiece in a deal for Barry Zito or Jason Schmidt. Now the Mets have traded him to the Nationals for a decent-hitting outfielder in Ryan Church and a backup catcher (at best) in Brian Schneider. Milledge has struggled in limited playing time in the majors and there have been concerns about his attitude, but it seems like he still has a pretty big upside. Not sure what the Mets are doing here.

This Was Totally My Idea

2007-11-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

HBO is reportedly adapting "Game of Shadows" into a movie. So who would play Barry?

Twins, Rays Close to Trade

2007-11-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: The deal is done, with the Twins substituting minor league pitcher Eduardo Morlan for Juan Rincon.

Minnesota and Tampa Bay appear set to pull off the first blockbuster trade of the offseason, with each team giving up one of their most prized young players. The Twins will reportedly send pitcher Matt Garza, along with shortstop Jason Bartlett and reliever Juan Rincon to the Rays for outfielder Delmon Young, as well as shortstop Brendan Harris and minor league outfielder Jason Pridie. I can't remember a trade in recent years that was so centered around young talent. It seems like a smart move for both teams. The Rays could have a very good young rotation with Scott Kazmir, James Shields, and Garza. Tampa Bay is also reportedly close to a deal with Troy Percival, who along with Rincon would bolster the bullpen. The Twins hope Young can replace Torii Hunter's production, and that Pridie is their center fielder of the future. Not sure yet how this effects the Johan Santana trade rumors, although it appears the Twins will still look to move him. There has also been talk of Joe Nathan potentially being traded, with the Giants listed as a possible suitor. Minnesota figures to be a very busy team going into the winter meetings next week.

One Centerfielder Down

2007-11-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

The Angels came out of nowhere late last night to snag the first big fish of the offseason, Torii Hunter. We all knew Los Angeles was looking for a power bat to go along with Vladimir Guerrero, but until now it looked like that bat was Miguel Cabrera. This whole week, all the rumors about Hunter had him going to the White Sox or the Rangers. I thought the Giants would be more of a player, but I'm glad they passed. Hunter's a good player, possibly very good, but not $18 million a year good. The move gives the Angels a surplus of outfielders, which may help them out if they still are going after Cabrera. A middle of the order featuring Guerrero, Cabrera, and Hunter would make Los Angeles definite World Series contenders. With Hunter off the market, a lot of teams will now turn their attention to Aaron Rowand and Andruw Jones, and I expect both of them to sign sooner rather than later.

Where's the Beef? (A Giants Update)

2007-11-21T10:07:00.001-08:00

Can I ever forgive him for 2002?
Quite the off-season this is turning out to be - and not for the right reasons. The biggest news in San Francisco Giants land has been the indictment of Bonds and the fact that they won't be signing A-Rod. We already knew Bonds wouldn't be coming back and the chance of A-Rod taking his place seemed a pipe dream at best. While both stories have been interesting to follow and have made for much commentary from every working sportswriter, it hasn't given us Giants fans any indication of what the team will be doing next year. Sure, Omar Vizquel is coming back - and that is a good thing. The Tyler Walker re-signing was a good one, too. He comes cheap and could be a strong set-up man, even closer. Still, the team's got holes to fill, and hopefully they will take Charlie's advice - all of which was spot on.

For those of us like myself who are too thrifty to sign up for ESPN's Insider, there's the fabulous MLB Trade Rumours, who report today that the Giants are one of ten possible suitors for reliever/great comeback story Troy Percival. First, I'm just excited to hear the Giants are going after somebody, and Percival's numbers last year were pretty astonishing. If the Giants need a veteran arm somewhere, it is the bullpen. Not that Percival would be a savior per se, but with so many young guys competitng for those jobs, he would be a guiding light - like having an extra pitching coach. Considering how many games the Giants lost in the late innings this past season, Percival would be a welcome addition.

But, seriously, it's time for the Giants to become the subject of rumors that have nothing to do with whose coaching first base. Happy Thanksgiving!

Breaking News: Bonds Indicted

2007-11-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Barry Bonds has been indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for his 2002 testimony in the BALCO case. More on this to come.

A Few Ideas

2007-11-15T00:02:00.001-08:00

The biggest baseball story of the day is that the Yankees are reportedly close to bringing back Alex Rodriguez. I never quite bought the claim that A-Rod wasn't wanted back in New York. I knew it would come down to who offered the most money, and who has more money to offer than the Yankees? The Giants were always a bit of a long shot, and this most recent development only makes that more clear. In addition, it appears the Giants don't have enough to trade for Miguel Cabrera (what the Marlins are asking for from the Dodgers is insane). Center fielders Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter will likely end up with lengthy, expensive contracts that will look bad in a few years. With that in mind, I tried to come up with some savvy, realistic moves that may not put the Giants into contention, but will hopefully give the pitching staff some breathing room and buy some more time for the farm system.

First Base: Tony Clark. While he may not fit in with the whole youth movement, he can probably be had fairly cheaply, and he is a definite improvement over Rich Aurilia and Dan Ortmeier. He still has very good power, hitting seventeen home runs for Arizona in limited playing time last year.

Third Base: Joe Crede. He's coming off a year in which he missed a lot of time with injuries, but he can hit for power and play solid defense. He would likely be a slight upgrade over Pedro Feliz. My feeling is a trade for Crede would likely involve Noah Lowry.

Left Field: Jose Guillen. Another option would be to put Guillen in right field and move Randy Winn to left. Guillen has quietly put up several quality seasons, despite often being labeled as "difficult." He had 23 homers and 99 RBIs for Seattle last year, and would come much cheaper than Jones, Hunter, or even Aaron Rowand.

Center Field: Coco Crisp. He will almost certainly be traded, and while I haven't heard the Giants mentioned, his Gold Glove-caliber defense and great speed would be a perfect fit at AT & T Park. He struggled with the bat in Boston, but there's no doubting his talent. Crisp could probably be had for some mid-level prospects, or a pitcher like Pat Misch or Kevin Correia.

Based on the moves I've proposed, here is a potential lineup for next year. It's nothing special, but a definite improvement.

Crisp
Winn
Guillen
Clark
Crede
Bengie Molina
Kevin Frandsen
Omar Vizquel

Vizquel Coming Back

2007-11-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

It's official. Omar Vizquel will be back at shortstop with the Giants in 2008 after he signed a 1-year, $5.5 million deal. Vizquel's contract also includes a vesting option for 2009. I have no problem with this move. Hopefully Vizquel can improve on his 2007 numbers while continuing to play stellar defense. At this point, the Giants have four starters penciled in for next season: Vizquel at short, Bengie Molina catching, Randy Winn in right, and most likely Kevin Frandsen at second. That leaves holes at first, third, left, and center. The Giants will likely make a play for both Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones, and will attempt to trade young pitching as well. It does not seem like they are willing to give the Marlins what they want for Miguel Cabrera, who appears to be heading to either the Angels or the Dodgers.