Monday, November 02, 2009
Where Have You Gone, Tim Alderson?
As expected, the Giants brought back second baseman Freddy Sanchez, though instead of exercising his $8 million 2010 option, they're going to give him two years for $6 million per. It provides a little more payroll flexibility for 2010 as well as the knowledge that second base is going to be manned by someone reasonably competent for the forseeable future. As nice as it would be to bring in a bunch of mashers, just filling the major suck holes at most positions with league-average guys would go a long way toward improving the lineup. Sanchez theoretically fills one of those voids, although you could have said the same about Edgar Renteria last season, I guess.
Regardless of how you feel about this signing, this is a move the Giants had to make, and it was cemented the second the Giants coughed up prospect Tim Alderson in order to bring Sanchez over. You don't give up one of your better prospects for 100 largely irrelevant Freddy Sanchez at-bats down the stretch drive and get nothing else to show for it. The Giants were essentially trading for the last two months of Sanchez and the exclusive negotiating window they had with him this offseason. Trading for Sanchez was questionable in the first place (it hasn't helped that he's been an injured mess for the majority of his tenure in the Orange and Black), but re-signing him was really a no-brainer.
Next up on the re-sign docket was Juan Uribe, who decided he'd rather test the free agent waters than settle for the one-year deal the Giants were apparently offering. Look, I love what Uribe did last year, but woe be the team who lavishes him with a multi-year deal. Anyone foolish enough to not be able to see his career year for what it was probably deserves the disappointing disaster they're bound to be stuck with. I would love...love...to have Uribe back on the Giants next year, but if he wants anything more than a very cheap two-year deal, then bah!
Lastly, there are some whispers going around about a Milton Bradley-for-Aaron Rowand bad contract swap. I don't know if these rumors are legitimate or if they're just the extremely optimistic ramblings of Internet chat board dwellers, but hell, I'd be for it. Despite his status as an anger management counselor's worst nightmare, I've always liked Bradley. He can still hit, last year's horror show notwithstanding. It's just a matter of staying healthy and out if the insane asylum.
Most importantly of all, even if he stinks it up and proceeds to bludgeon an entire group of rafters in McCovery Cove with an oar, he's cheaper than Aaron Rowand, his contract runs out before Aaron Rowand's, and he's not as crappy as Aaron Rowand. With Andres Torres probably just as worthy of starting as Rowand is, it doesn't make much sense to keep carrying Rowand around if there's a deal that can be made, even if said deal involves bringing in a maniac. Again, this could be a total non-story, but keep an ear open nonetheless.
--In Giants blogger news, Nick Cannata-Bowman (whom I collaborated with for a time at Giants Cove) has started his own, brand new site called Croix De Candlestick. Add it to your reading list of Giants blogs and go check it out!
--Not for nothing, I thought I'd post a clip of a video I shot from a recent U2 concert I went to in Las Vegas, for those interested. For their current tour, the band is romping around on a gigantic stage that is supposed to represent a giant spaceship or something. We were able to get position on the field like four rows from the B stage. It was friggin' amazing. This clip I shot is the very end of a song from Achtung, Baby! called "Until the End of the World", with Bono and The Edge hopping around on these rotating catwalks that connected the main stage to the B stage. Awesome stuff. Enjoy!
Regardless of how you feel about this signing, this is a move the Giants had to make, and it was cemented the second the Giants coughed up prospect Tim Alderson in order to bring Sanchez over. You don't give up one of your better prospects for 100 largely irrelevant Freddy Sanchez at-bats down the stretch drive and get nothing else to show for it. The Giants were essentially trading for the last two months of Sanchez and the exclusive negotiating window they had with him this offseason. Trading for Sanchez was questionable in the first place (it hasn't helped that he's been an injured mess for the majority of his tenure in the Orange and Black), but re-signing him was really a no-brainer.
Next up on the re-sign docket was Juan Uribe, who decided he'd rather test the free agent waters than settle for the one-year deal the Giants were apparently offering. Look, I love what Uribe did last year, but woe be the team who lavishes him with a multi-year deal. Anyone foolish enough to not be able to see his career year for what it was probably deserves the disappointing disaster they're bound to be stuck with. I would love...love...to have Uribe back on the Giants next year, but if he wants anything more than a very cheap two-year deal, then bah!
Lastly, there are some whispers going around about a Milton Bradley-for-Aaron Rowand bad contract swap. I don't know if these rumors are legitimate or if they're just the extremely optimistic ramblings of Internet chat board dwellers, but hell, I'd be for it. Despite his status as an anger management counselor's worst nightmare, I've always liked Bradley. He can still hit, last year's horror show notwithstanding. It's just a matter of staying healthy and out if the insane asylum.
Most importantly of all, even if he stinks it up and proceeds to bludgeon an entire group of rafters in McCovery Cove with an oar, he's cheaper than Aaron Rowand, his contract runs out before Aaron Rowand's, and he's not as crappy as Aaron Rowand. With Andres Torres probably just as worthy of starting as Rowand is, it doesn't make much sense to keep carrying Rowand around if there's a deal that can be made, even if said deal involves bringing in a maniac. Again, this could be a total non-story, but keep an ear open nonetheless.
--In Giants blogger news, Nick Cannata-Bowman (whom I collaborated with for a time at Giants Cove) has started his own, brand new site called Croix De Candlestick. Add it to your reading list of Giants blogs and go check it out!
--Not for nothing, I thought I'd post a clip of a video I shot from a recent U2 concert I went to in Las Vegas, for those interested. For their current tour, the band is romping around on a gigantic stage that is supposed to represent a giant spaceship or something. We were able to get position on the field like four rows from the B stage. It was friggin' amazing. This clip I shot is the very end of a song from Achtung, Baby! called "Until the End of the World", with Bono and The Edge hopping around on these rotating catwalks that connected the main stage to the B stage. Awesome stuff. Enjoy!
