It's that sad time of the year again - Giants offseason. We've been so fortunate to be watching them in the postseason two out of the last three years, so that softens the blow a bit for 2013. But it turns out that we'll have some things to watch even though the Giants aren't playing. The offseason moves are going to be crucial if the black-and-orange hope to re-take the NL West crown in 2014.
One of the biggest areas of concern from 2013 was second base. It was a no-brainer to re-sign Marco Scutaro after his contributions in the second half of 2013. The reigning NLCS MVP hit .362 with 44 RBIs after being traded from the Colorado Rockies, including .328 during the playoffs. But the soon-to-be 38 year old struggled in 2014, mostly due to injury. After playing the World Baseball Classic until mid-March, maybe Scutaro was just tired. Back spasms sidelined him at the beginning of the season and returned to bother him in August and September. He also was hit by a pitch on June 11, smashing his left pinkie finger. After only missing a few games initially, the injury refused to go away, and his season ended when he was pulled from a game in New York. Just before the season was officially over, Scutaro had surgery to place a pin in his pinkie to straighten it out. The pin will come out in about six weeks and a specific training regimen will hopefully strengthen his back this offseason.
Despite struggling so much this season, Scutaro finished with a .297 batting average and a trip to the All-Star game. However, his stats were inconsistent. His averages for the season were .240 in April, .420 in May, .289 in June, .303 in July, .229 in August, and .300 in his 40 September at-bats. Hopefully, he'll return healthy and rested and ready for 2014.
But the lack of depth at second proved costly for the Giants this season, and it's something they absolutely have to address this offseason. Nick Noonan could be an option and should be given serious consideration during Spring Training. He hit .333 in April, but finished with a .219 average. His playing time decreased dramatically with only 16 at-bats in the second half, not allowing him time to get comfortable at the plate. Defensively, Noonan committed just one error in San Francisco this season, which is a step up from Scutaro, who's defensive skills are not what they used to be.
Tony Abreu also made a strong case for himself with the September that he had. He hit .268 in the majors this year, including .325 in April and .271 in September. His seven RBIs (in only 16 at-bats) in the final month of the season were the fifth-most on the team. His three errors in 116 chances isn't the best, but he was able to play second, third, and shortstop, providing some flexibility on the bench.
Joaquin Arias also continued to be a solid backup utility infielder. His finished 2013 batting .271 in 225 at-bats. He also played all four infield positions, committing only five errors. He's proved over the last two years that he can play dazzling defense (Cain's perfect game, anyone?) and is probably the best bench player that the Giants have. Both Arias and Abreu are eligible for arbitration, so there's a good chance that at least one of them will return without a high cost to the Giants.
Free agent-wise, left field is more of a priority for San Francisco. There's also not a ton of great second base options out there, but a couple guys are:
1. Kelly Johnson, Tampa Bay. He's struggled in the past few years and will probably be looking for a starting role somewhere, but he'd be a solid guy off the bench for a reasonable price. He'd also bring a little bit of power to a position that normally doesn't provide that much pop.
2. Mike Fontenot, Tampa Bay. The former Giant is a free agent again at the end of this season. He was a solid backup for San Francisco in 2012 hitting .278 in 36 at-bats with a .341 OBP, but struggled in 2013. In 45 at-bats with the Rays, he hit .156 with just a .278 OBP. He also dipped in SLG from .389 in 2012 to .178 in 2013. But, again, he'll come at pretty low price if the Giants are just looking for a quick fix solution to their depth problems.
3. Ramon Santiago, Detroit. The 34-year-old veteran second baseman has spent the last six seasons with the Tigers. In 205 at-bats this year, he finished with .224/.298/.288, which are up from his 2012 numbers of .206/.283/.272. Lifetime, he owns a career .243 average. Because of his age and numbers, Santiago will probably go cheap and be willing to sign as a back-up.
Again, there's not a lot of great back-up options out there, and it's not the biggest area of concern for the Giants, so they may just decide to go with a minor leaguer, Arias, or Abreu. Either way, they'll need to make sure they have a solid guy coming off the bench so that Scutaro can get rest when he needs it without the line-up taking such a big hit.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Moving Day
Right now, the Giants are in 3rd place in the National League West, one game behind the Colorado Rockies and 3.5 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. It's only June 8, not yet time to panic. But like Saturday is "moving day" for players in the PGA tour - the day to either make a move to the top or drop out of contention - June could prove to be "moving month" for the Giants. They can either take over 1st place in the division or fall farther behind. After going 14-13 in May, they're 2-4 so far this month, are currently playing the Diamondbacks, and have 20 games left before July rolls around. Oh yeah, and they play 18 of their 27 games on the road.
In order to really make a move, the Giants will need to start getting back to basics. They won their two World Championships in three years on teams built on pitching and defense. It's not secret that the starting pitching has struggled so far this season, amassing an ERA of 4.77 and a record of 19-21. However, they've seemed to gather some positive momentum lately, recording quality starts in three of their last four games. Last Sunday, Chad Gaudin went six innings, giving up two runs and giving the Giants their first win of the month. Tim Lincecum followed that performance with his own gem, tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays. And last night, despite the loss, Matt Cain threw seven-plus innings, allowing one run.
(And currently, Madison Bumgarner is through four shut-out innings in Arizona. So, there's that.)
Assuming the starting pitching is returning to it's old ways, the next big area of concern is the defense. The Giants have committed 40 errors so far this season. They finished 2012 fourth in baseball with 115 errors. However, if their starting pitchers are allowing more base-runners through the hit or the walk, the defense has got to buckle down and play tighter behind them. While in the field, this team needs to get to doing the little things to eliminate base-runners.
(As I was writing that, Gregor Blanco made a great throw to Joaquin Arias, who made a great tag to get Cody Ross out at third base. They also haven't made an error in their last seven games. So, there's that, too.)
And lastly, if the Giants hope to survive this tough month, their offense has got to come alive. So far this month, they've scored just eight runs in six games. They've been outscored 25-8 during that stretch and have a team batting average of just .216. They've hit just one homerun (a 2-run shot by Andres Torres to give them the win over Toronto on Tuesday) and have worked only six walks while striking out 38 times. Not pretty. They need their big guys - Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Belt - to start finding their swings. Now that Belt is getting consistent playing time, his .242 average should be significantly higher. He looks brilliant at times, and is tied for second on the team with 19 walks, but he needs to be much more consistent. Belt does have two RBIs this month, while Pence has one, but neither Posey nor Sandoval have any. Sandoval has been battling a foot injury and isn't running well, but now is the time for these bats to get going and start driving in runs. Without them, this offense will continue to struggle.
(And now, tonight, the Giants have scored ten runs so far in this game. Posey is 2-for-3 with a homerun and three RBIs, Pence is 1-for-3 with his team-leading 10th HR, Sandoval went 1-for-2 before leaving the game with a foot injury, and Belt has gone 3-for-5. He's raised his average almost ten points to .251. Also, Brandon Crawford is 4-for-5. Unbelievable.)
Bumgarner eventually ended up going five innings and giving up three runs (although, Torres should've made a catch to prevent at least one of those...). Not a quality start, but a solid start none-the-less, and it was enough to give him the win.
Tonight was a game that showed what the Giants are capable of if they do the things that they should be doing. The starting pitching was solid, the defense was (near) perfect, and the offense poured on the runs using their 3-4-5-6 hitters. If they can play this type of baseball, especially for the next month, first place should be easily attained.
In order to really make a move, the Giants will need to start getting back to basics. They won their two World Championships in three years on teams built on pitching and defense. It's not secret that the starting pitching has struggled so far this season, amassing an ERA of 4.77 and a record of 19-21. However, they've seemed to gather some positive momentum lately, recording quality starts in three of their last four games. Last Sunday, Chad Gaudin went six innings, giving up two runs and giving the Giants their first win of the month. Tim Lincecum followed that performance with his own gem, tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays. And last night, despite the loss, Matt Cain threw seven-plus innings, allowing one run.
(And currently, Madison Bumgarner is through four shut-out innings in Arizona. So, there's that.)
Assuming the starting pitching is returning to it's old ways, the next big area of concern is the defense. The Giants have committed 40 errors so far this season. They finished 2012 fourth in baseball with 115 errors. However, if their starting pitchers are allowing more base-runners through the hit or the walk, the defense has got to buckle down and play tighter behind them. While in the field, this team needs to get to doing the little things to eliminate base-runners.
(As I was writing that, Gregor Blanco made a great throw to Joaquin Arias, who made a great tag to get Cody Ross out at third base. They also haven't made an error in their last seven games. So, there's that, too.)
And lastly, if the Giants hope to survive this tough month, their offense has got to come alive. So far this month, they've scored just eight runs in six games. They've been outscored 25-8 during that stretch and have a team batting average of just .216. They've hit just one homerun (a 2-run shot by Andres Torres to give them the win over Toronto on Tuesday) and have worked only six walks while striking out 38 times. Not pretty. They need their big guys - Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Belt - to start finding their swings. Now that Belt is getting consistent playing time, his .242 average should be significantly higher. He looks brilliant at times, and is tied for second on the team with 19 walks, but he needs to be much more consistent. Belt does have two RBIs this month, while Pence has one, but neither Posey nor Sandoval have any. Sandoval has been battling a foot injury and isn't running well, but now is the time for these bats to get going and start driving in runs. Without them, this offense will continue to struggle.
(And now, tonight, the Giants have scored ten runs so far in this game. Posey is 2-for-3 with a homerun and three RBIs, Pence is 1-for-3 with his team-leading 10th HR, Sandoval went 1-for-2 before leaving the game with a foot injury, and Belt has gone 3-for-5. He's raised his average almost ten points to .251. Also, Brandon Crawford is 4-for-5. Unbelievable.)
Bumgarner eventually ended up going five innings and giving up three runs (although, Torres should've made a catch to prevent at least one of those...). Not a quality start, but a solid start none-the-less, and it was enough to give him the win.
Tonight was a game that showed what the Giants are capable of if they do the things that they should be doing. The starting pitching was solid, the defense was (near) perfect, and the offense poured on the runs using their 3-4-5-6 hitters. If they can play this type of baseball, especially for the next month, first place should be easily attained.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Vogey Vogey Vogey
Ah, the mystery of the Vogey.
He's currently nine games into the worst season of his career. Coming into tonight's game, he's 1-4 with an astounding 8.06 ERA. His worst year before this (as a starter) was in 2004 with Pittsburgh where he went 6-13 with a 6.50 ERA.
In his one win this season, he still gave up four runs in six innings. He hasn't had a single shutout all year, compared to five games without allowing an earned run last year (although, he didn't have his first shutout game until May 19 last season, so maybe tonight, May 20, will give him his first of this season).
So, what's going on for a guy who's had a solid last two years with the Giants with a 27-16 record and a 3.05 ERA in the regular season, and who went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in last year's postseason run?
Well, it's not his age. At 35, his 8.06 ERA is well above-average for 35-year-old pitchers, which is 4.17.
It's not his walks per nine innings, which is only slightly above average (Vogelsong's is 3.70, the MLB average is 3.11).
He's still striking out an average of 8.27 per nine innings pitched, which is the highest it's been since 2000, where he averaged 9 Ks/nine innings.
The biggest difference in Voegy's 2013 vs. Vogey's 2012 or 2011 numbers (or other pitchers in the game this year) is the homerun. Vogelsong's HR/9 innings is a whooping 2.40, more than double the MLB average of 1.04. In 2011, he gave up 15 homeruns all season, and he allowed just 17 in all of 2012. So far this season, he's given up 11 long balls, and we're only nine starts into the year. He's on pace to give up 40 homers this season. Obviously, that cannot continue if he hopes to help the Giants win.
The problem doesn't seem to be his velocity. It's actually up on his off-speed pitches. His curveball last year averaged 76.3 and so far this season has averaged 76.6. However, opponents are hitting .381 off of the curve (they hit just .210 last year). His change-up is also up to 83.6 from 83.1 in 2012, but once again, it's getting hit a lot more, with batters hitting an astounding .433 this season, double what they hit last year (.216).
His fastball is down slightly to 89.9 from 90.7, but he has hit 92.5 on the radar gun this year, so he's still throwing in the same range. And considering he's had less starts so far on the season, it's definitely possible that by the time mid-season rolls around, he'll be throwing as fast as he did last season. And because he had a short spring training this season since he was pitching in the World Baseball Classic, he didn't have as much time to get up to speed (pun very much intended).
As I was writing this, Vogelsong was busy pitching five shutout innings - his first shutout start of the year. He allowed three hits and one walk, while striking out two. He lowered his season ERA to 7.19, almost a full point lower than what is was coming into tonight's game. Hopefully, these are good signs of a Vogelsong turn-around.
(The Giants just announced that Vogelsong fractured his pitching hand during an at-bat earlier in the game and will be out at least 6 weeks. Prayers and good thoughts for a speedy recovery for the poor guy, who seemed to finally be finding his groove on the mound.)
P.S. - Brandon Belt went 4-for-5 tonight with a HR and four runs. He now has six homers on the year, tied for second-most on the team (Buster Posey also has 6, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval each have 7). He's also tied with Brandon Crawford with 22 RBIs, fourth on the Giants. He's batting .302 in May with 4 HR and a .521 SLG %, after a dismal start to the season (.235 AVG, 2 HR, .353 SLG in April). Just sayin'.
He's currently nine games into the worst season of his career. Coming into tonight's game, he's 1-4 with an astounding 8.06 ERA. His worst year before this (as a starter) was in 2004 with Pittsburgh where he went 6-13 with a 6.50 ERA.
In his one win this season, he still gave up four runs in six innings. He hasn't had a single shutout all year, compared to five games without allowing an earned run last year (although, he didn't have his first shutout game until May 19 last season, so maybe tonight, May 20, will give him his first of this season).
So, what's going on for a guy who's had a solid last two years with the Giants with a 27-16 record and a 3.05 ERA in the regular season, and who went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in last year's postseason run?
Well, it's not his age. At 35, his 8.06 ERA is well above-average for 35-year-old pitchers, which is 4.17.
It's not his walks per nine innings, which is only slightly above average (Vogelsong's is 3.70, the MLB average is 3.11).
He's still striking out an average of 8.27 per nine innings pitched, which is the highest it's been since 2000, where he averaged 9 Ks/nine innings.
The biggest difference in Voegy's 2013 vs. Vogey's 2012 or 2011 numbers (or other pitchers in the game this year) is the homerun. Vogelsong's HR/9 innings is a whooping 2.40, more than double the MLB average of 1.04. In 2011, he gave up 15 homeruns all season, and he allowed just 17 in all of 2012. So far this season, he's given up 11 long balls, and we're only nine starts into the year. He's on pace to give up 40 homers this season. Obviously, that cannot continue if he hopes to help the Giants win.
The problem doesn't seem to be his velocity. It's actually up on his off-speed pitches. His curveball last year averaged 76.3 and so far this season has averaged 76.6. However, opponents are hitting .381 off of the curve (they hit just .210 last year). His change-up is also up to 83.6 from 83.1 in 2012, but once again, it's getting hit a lot more, with batters hitting an astounding .433 this season, double what they hit last year (.216).
His fastball is down slightly to 89.9 from 90.7, but he has hit 92.5 on the radar gun this year, so he's still throwing in the same range. And considering he's had less starts so far on the season, it's definitely possible that by the time mid-season rolls around, he'll be throwing as fast as he did last season. And because he had a short spring training this season since he was pitching in the World Baseball Classic, he didn't have as much time to get up to speed (pun very much intended).
As I was writing this, Vogelsong was busy pitching five shutout innings - his first shutout start of the year. He allowed three hits and one walk, while striking out two. He lowered his season ERA to 7.19, almost a full point lower than what is was coming into tonight's game. Hopefully, these are good signs of a Vogelsong turn-around.
(The Giants just announced that Vogelsong fractured his pitching hand during an at-bat earlier in the game and will be out at least 6 weeks. Prayers and good thoughts for a speedy recovery for the poor guy, who seemed to finally be finding his groove on the mound.)
P.S. - Brandon Belt went 4-for-5 tonight with a HR and four runs. He now has six homers on the year, tied for second-most on the team (Buster Posey also has 6, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval each have 7). He's also tied with Brandon Crawford with 22 RBIs, fourth on the Giants. He's batting .302 in May with 4 HR and a .521 SLG %, after a dismal start to the season (.235 AVG, 2 HR, .353 SLG in April). Just sayin'.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Week 1
We're now a full week into the 2013 Giants season. While it's difficult to be too concerned/too elated with anything this early in the season, there are some things of note to take away from the last seven games:
1. Hitting with Runners In Scoring Position.
Coming into tonight's game, the Giants were just 5-30 with RISP (.167 avg.). They scored a total of 15 runs in their first six games of the season, while grounding into a Major League-leading nine double plays. For those of you keeping score at home, that's averaging just 2.5 runs per game. Not great. The Giants overall team-average coming into tonight's game was .224, good enough for 23rd in the league. And while San Francisco hasn't been known for it's hitting abilities in the last few years, this same starting line-up (Pagan, Scutaro, Sandoval, Posey, Pence, Belt, Blanco, Crawford) was a decently hitting team in 2012. Last year they hit .269 as a team, which was good enough for 5th in baseball. If this team wants to win those close ballgames that they're known for, they've got to get back to playing the small-ball that won them a championship last year - and that includes the big hit with runners in scoring position.
(As I was writing that, Hunter Pence crushed his 3rd homerun of the season deep - and I mean deep - into the left-field bleachers. Oh, and Scutaro and Sandoval were on-base. So, what do I know?)
2. Speaking of ol' crazy eyes, something to be excited about so far this season is the Reverend himself, Hunter Pence.
After a tough 2012 with San Francisco (.219 avg, .287 OBP, 7 HRs in 59 games), Pence had a solid Spring Training (.333 avg., .392 OBP, 3 HRs in 25 games). And he looks to have carried that momentum with him into the regular season. After his 3-run homerun tonight, Pence is batting .304 on the season with three HRs (leading the team) and five RBIs (tied with Sandoval for the team lead). And despite his slump in the rest of his numbers last season, Pence still managed to have 45 RBIs in 59 games with the Giants - and 13 this spring. Hunter will be an RBI machine for the Giants this season, even if he doesn't hit 30-35 homeruns (which I'm pretty sure that he will).
3. Something else to be positive about is the defense...at least so far. In the first week of this new season, the Giants have committed only three errors (Posey, Pagan, Sandoval). In the first week of the 2012 season, they committed 108. (ok, maybe they really only had ten, including three in the first game - but still, didn't it feel like 108? at least?). Despite having one of the team's errors so far this season, Sandoval has played an incredible 3rd base. The Kung Fu Panda is definitely living up to his nickname of a large-but-agile man down the line, consistently making diving stops and strong throws. Joaquin Arias has shown that he's incredibly versatile (and therefore, valuable) as a back-up infielder while filling in for Brandon Belt at 1B. And lastly, my boy Crawford is holding it down at shortstop, (seemingly) grabbing everything that comes his way.
(Again, as I was typing that, Andres Torres made an error in left field allowing Michael Cuddyer to score for the Rockies. Seriously, what do I know?)
4. That brings us to probably the biggest concern/thing we really shouldn't worry about yet but we are anyway: Buster Posey.
The reigning National League MVP is off to a slow start this season. At this moment, he's batting .174. He's tied for the team-lead in strikeouts with six (Pence, Crawford). He's got no homeruns, no walks, and no RBIs. However, he also started out slowly in spring training, only to finish the spring hitting .294 (although, still without any HRs). And before we all freak out, in 2012 Posey also got off to a slower start, hitting .289 with ten HRs before the All-Star game and a blistering .385 post-All-Star game to go to become the National League batting champion. Plus, in case we all forgot, the Giants had kind of a short off-season this past year. Posey is a pure, natural athlete and a great hitter. He'll get there.
(Ok, SERIOUSLY, Posey just got his first RBI of the season, a solidly hit single to right field scoring Angel Pagan. Maybe I do know some stuff.)
More tomorrow.
1. Hitting with Runners In Scoring Position.
Coming into tonight's game, the Giants were just 5-30 with RISP (.167 avg.). They scored a total of 15 runs in their first six games of the season, while grounding into a Major League-leading nine double plays. For those of you keeping score at home, that's averaging just 2.5 runs per game. Not great. The Giants overall team-average coming into tonight's game was .224, good enough for 23rd in the league. And while San Francisco hasn't been known for it's hitting abilities in the last few years, this same starting line-up (Pagan, Scutaro, Sandoval, Posey, Pence, Belt, Blanco, Crawford) was a decently hitting team in 2012. Last year they hit .269 as a team, which was good enough for 5th in baseball. If this team wants to win those close ballgames that they're known for, they've got to get back to playing the small-ball that won them a championship last year - and that includes the big hit with runners in scoring position.
(As I was writing that, Hunter Pence crushed his 3rd homerun of the season deep - and I mean deep - into the left-field bleachers. Oh, and Scutaro and Sandoval were on-base. So, what do I know?)
2. Speaking of ol' crazy eyes, something to be excited about so far this season is the Reverend himself, Hunter Pence.
After a tough 2012 with San Francisco (.219 avg, .287 OBP, 7 HRs in 59 games), Pence had a solid Spring Training (.333 avg., .392 OBP, 3 HRs in 25 games). And he looks to have carried that momentum with him into the regular season. After his 3-run homerun tonight, Pence is batting .304 on the season with three HRs (leading the team) and five RBIs (tied with Sandoval for the team lead). And despite his slump in the rest of his numbers last season, Pence still managed to have 45 RBIs in 59 games with the Giants - and 13 this spring. Hunter will be an RBI machine for the Giants this season, even if he doesn't hit 30-35 homeruns (which I'm pretty sure that he will).
3. Something else to be positive about is the defense...at least so far. In the first week of this new season, the Giants have committed only three errors (Posey, Pagan, Sandoval). In the first week of the 2012 season, they committed 108. (ok, maybe they really only had ten, including three in the first game - but still, didn't it feel like 108? at least?). Despite having one of the team's errors so far this season, Sandoval has played an incredible 3rd base. The Kung Fu Panda is definitely living up to his nickname of a large-but-agile man down the line, consistently making diving stops and strong throws. Joaquin Arias has shown that he's incredibly versatile (and therefore, valuable) as a back-up infielder while filling in for Brandon Belt at 1B. And lastly, my boy Crawford is holding it down at shortstop, (seemingly) grabbing everything that comes his way.
(Again, as I was typing that, Andres Torres made an error in left field allowing Michael Cuddyer to score for the Rockies. Seriously, what do I know?)
4. That brings us to probably the biggest concern/thing we really shouldn't worry about yet but we are anyway: Buster Posey.
The reigning National League MVP is off to a slow start this season. At this moment, he's batting .174. He's tied for the team-lead in strikeouts with six (Pence, Crawford). He's got no homeruns, no walks, and no RBIs. However, he also started out slowly in spring training, only to finish the spring hitting .294 (although, still without any HRs). And before we all freak out, in 2012 Posey also got off to a slower start, hitting .289 with ten HRs before the All-Star game and a blistering .385 post-All-Star game to go to become the National League batting champion. Plus, in case we all forgot, the Giants had kind of a short off-season this past year. Posey is a pure, natural athlete and a great hitter. He'll get there.
(Ok, SERIOUSLY, Posey just got his first RBI of the season, a solidly hit single to right field scoring Angel Pagan. Maybe I do know some stuff.)
More tomorrow.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Infield Update
Yes, another one.
The Giants made a huge cut this past week that brought them a step closer to the finalized 25-man roster.
Nick Noonan, sadly, was assigned to AAA Fresno. It's good for him, because he'll get a lot of at-bats and lots of playing time. As disappointed as I was, it's the best thing for him. He's only 23, so he's got time to perfect his swing and see lots of pitches. Despite his fantastic defense at multiple positions during the spring, he hit only .194 (although he went six for his last 19). I guess it's safe to say that his chance of making the Opening Day roster (barring some major injury to Pablo Sandoval) has been reduced to 0%. Although, if Sandoval goes down during the regular season, Noonan has a good chance of being called up as a back-up utility infielder. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for this one.
Brock Bond was reassigned to Minor League camp, where he awaits his assignment for the regular season. We only know for sure that it won't be in San Francisco. The 27-year-old had a great offensive spring but struggled a bit defensively (and as if he's trying to confirm his own talent at the plate, as I'm typing this, he hit a run-scoring triple to tie the current game in the 9th). He'll probably start the season in Fresno but could end up in Single A San Jose. Wherever he ends up, this is a big season for Bond. This will be his seventh year in the Giants minor league system, so if he's going to make a statement for himself, he'd better do it quick. But if he can improve his arm strength, or continues to hit like he did in the spring, he also has a shot at joining the Giants should an infielder need a break.
Brett Pill is also officially out of the running to make the 25-man roster. Pill had knee surgery this past week on his right meniscus. He's been spending some time playing left field and had a decent shot to begin the season with the Giants. Now, however, he's expected to begin the season on the disabled list. He's only expected to spend three to six weeks there, and then he'll most likely start in Fresno. Should Brandon Belt, Andres Torres, or Gregor Blanco get injured, Pill would probably be the Giants first choice to join the team in San Francisco.
Kensuke Tanaka still has an outside shot to claim the 6th infield spot, but it's looking more and more unlikely as the preseason goes on. He made a questionable, off-line throw to home plate today, during an inning where the Reds scored four runs. He was also 0-for-2, bringing his spring average to .220.
That leaves the likely candidate for taking over the sixth infield spot Wilson Valdez. The 34-year-old is currently hitting .231 with one double, two RBIs, and a .333 OBP. He's listed as a shortstop, but he's played six games at third base, six games at short, and two games at second, while committing zero errors. Valdez has played for five Major League teams since 2006: the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies, and, last year, the Cincinnatti Reds. He owns a .236 career batting average, with 107 RBIs in 439 games. He may not be the most promising future infielder for the Giants, but with the injury to Pill, Tanaka's sloppy play, and Tony Abreu's lack of play, Valdez could provide a need for a back-up infielder who can play a variety of positions.
The Giants made a huge cut this past week that brought them a step closer to the finalized 25-man roster.
Nick Noonan, sadly, was assigned to AAA Fresno. It's good for him, because he'll get a lot of at-bats and lots of playing time. As disappointed as I was, it's the best thing for him. He's only 23, so he's got time to perfect his swing and see lots of pitches. Despite his fantastic defense at multiple positions during the spring, he hit only .194 (although he went six for his last 19). I guess it's safe to say that his chance of making the Opening Day roster (barring some major injury to Pablo Sandoval) has been reduced to 0%. Although, if Sandoval goes down during the regular season, Noonan has a good chance of being called up as a back-up utility infielder. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for this one.
Brock Bond was reassigned to Minor League camp, where he awaits his assignment for the regular season. We only know for sure that it won't be in San Francisco. The 27-year-old had a great offensive spring but struggled a bit defensively (and as if he's trying to confirm his own talent at the plate, as I'm typing this, he hit a run-scoring triple to tie the current game in the 9th). He'll probably start the season in Fresno but could end up in Single A San Jose. Wherever he ends up, this is a big season for Bond. This will be his seventh year in the Giants minor league system, so if he's going to make a statement for himself, he'd better do it quick. But if he can improve his arm strength, or continues to hit like he did in the spring, he also has a shot at joining the Giants should an infielder need a break.
Brett Pill is also officially out of the running to make the 25-man roster. Pill had knee surgery this past week on his right meniscus. He's been spending some time playing left field and had a decent shot to begin the season with the Giants. Now, however, he's expected to begin the season on the disabled list. He's only expected to spend three to six weeks there, and then he'll most likely start in Fresno. Should Brandon Belt, Andres Torres, or Gregor Blanco get injured, Pill would probably be the Giants first choice to join the team in San Francisco.
Kensuke Tanaka still has an outside shot to claim the 6th infield spot, but it's looking more and more unlikely as the preseason goes on. He made a questionable, off-line throw to home plate today, during an inning where the Reds scored four runs. He was also 0-for-2, bringing his spring average to .220.
That leaves the likely candidate for taking over the sixth infield spot Wilson Valdez. The 34-year-old is currently hitting .231 with one double, two RBIs, and a .333 OBP. He's listed as a shortstop, but he's played six games at third base, six games at short, and two games at second, while committing zero errors. Valdez has played for five Major League teams since 2006: the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies, and, last year, the Cincinnatti Reds. He owns a .236 career batting average, with 107 RBIs in 439 games. He may not be the most promising future infielder for the Giants, but with the injury to Pill, Tanaka's sloppy play, and Tony Abreu's lack of play, Valdez could provide a need for a back-up infielder who can play a variety of positions.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Tanaka and Bond
I told you we'd come back to these two utility infielders. They're both currently listed as non-roster invitees, so they're unlikely to make the Opening Day roster (although, I wouldn't rule out Kensuke Tanaka completely). They are, however, likely to start the season in the AAA Fresno and join San Francisco at some point during the season if anyone is injured.
1. Kensuke Tanaka. The 31-year-old second basmen, who was invited to the Giants spring training this year after 13 years with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan has definitely struggled so far. In 16 games, he's hitting just .231 with an OBP of .286. He has no homeruns, one double, just one RBI. He also has only three walks and five strikeouts. The best thing that Tanaka has going for him so far is that he has played every infield position for the Giants, beside 1B. The bad part of Tanaka is the caliber of the defense. He's committed seven errors at the various positions (three at SS, three at 2B, and one at 3B). And today he bounced a throw to 1B from shortstop, showing that his arm is a little weak from the left side of the infield. For a team that focuses so much on pitching and defense, having a late-inning replacement that provides questionable defense doesn't make much sense. He did win three Gold Gloves in Japan and is trying to transition from playing on mostly turf (in Japan) to dirt and grass (in US), which could provide a reasoning for why he's struggled so much this spring. Even after a tough day today, Bochy reiterated the team's support for Tanaka.
"We've thrown alot at him. We thought, with as much as we're moving him around, that we'd probably see some errors that would come with the chance in position."
Even so, seven errors in 16 games is frightening for a team that's built on pitching, defense, and playing small ball. A back-up utility infielder that doesn't have great range doesn't make much sense, so unless his defense rapidly improves, look for Tanaka to begun the season in Fresno.
(although, he is the player who Sabean brought to camp, so even if he continues to struggle, he's Sabean's guy, so he's still got a 50/50 shot at making the 25-man roster)
2. Brock Bond. Maybe I just really like Bond because of his whole "being accidentally picked by the Giants in the draft" thing, but I'm rooting for him to make an appearance in the Big Leagues this season. He does have some impressive numbers to back up my admiration. He's batting .412 in 17 at-bats this spring with two HRs and four RBIs. He also has an impressive .412 OBP. He's only got one double, which isn't proof of much speed, but I did get to see him attempt to beat out an infield single this past weekend. In my humble opinion, he beat it out, and his hustle was admirable. So far defensively, he's shown an apitude for perfection, committing zero errors in 34 chances. The biggest concern about the 28-year-old is the same as Tanaka - the strength of his arm. He's played mostly 2B, with only one game at 3B, so we're not exactly sure of how strong his arm is from the left side of the infield, but he's had a couple of weak throws from just second, which doesn't bode well for third. But the Giants roving Minor League hitter instructor Steve Decker believes that Bond has an indefinable quality that could help his case.
"The one word that comes up with Brock is 'gamer.' He's not a guy who wows the scouts by running 4.1 down the line or with extra power or a plus arm. He's just a guy who basically does everything in his will to beat the other team. Those are the guys you root for."
Both Tanaka and Bond have been praised for their great attitudes and their willingness to play wherever they're need.
Decker is right. Those are the guys you root for. And I hope I get the chance to root for them in a San Francisco uniform this season.
1. Kensuke Tanaka. The 31-year-old second basmen, who was invited to the Giants spring training this year after 13 years with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan has definitely struggled so far. In 16 games, he's hitting just .231 with an OBP of .286. He has no homeruns, one double, just one RBI. He also has only three walks and five strikeouts. The best thing that Tanaka has going for him so far is that he has played every infield position for the Giants, beside 1B. The bad part of Tanaka is the caliber of the defense. He's committed seven errors at the various positions (three at SS, three at 2B, and one at 3B). And today he bounced a throw to 1B from shortstop, showing that his arm is a little weak from the left side of the infield. For a team that focuses so much on pitching and defense, having a late-inning replacement that provides questionable defense doesn't make much sense. He did win three Gold Gloves in Japan and is trying to transition from playing on mostly turf (in Japan) to dirt and grass (in US), which could provide a reasoning for why he's struggled so much this spring. Even after a tough day today, Bochy reiterated the team's support for Tanaka.
"We've thrown alot at him. We thought, with as much as we're moving him around, that we'd probably see some errors that would come with the chance in position."
Even so, seven errors in 16 games is frightening for a team that's built on pitching, defense, and playing small ball. A back-up utility infielder that doesn't have great range doesn't make much sense, so unless his defense rapidly improves, look for Tanaka to begun the season in Fresno.
(although, he is the player who Sabean brought to camp, so even if he continues to struggle, he's Sabean's guy, so he's still got a 50/50 shot at making the 25-man roster)
2. Brock Bond. Maybe I just really like Bond because of his whole "being accidentally picked by the Giants in the draft" thing, but I'm rooting for him to make an appearance in the Big Leagues this season. He does have some impressive numbers to back up my admiration. He's batting .412 in 17 at-bats this spring with two HRs and four RBIs. He also has an impressive .412 OBP. He's only got one double, which isn't proof of much speed, but I did get to see him attempt to beat out an infield single this past weekend. In my humble opinion, he beat it out, and his hustle was admirable. So far defensively, he's shown an apitude for perfection, committing zero errors in 34 chances. The biggest concern about the 28-year-old is the same as Tanaka - the strength of his arm. He's played mostly 2B, with only one game at 3B, so we're not exactly sure of how strong his arm is from the left side of the infield, but he's had a couple of weak throws from just second, which doesn't bode well for third. But the Giants roving Minor League hitter instructor Steve Decker believes that Bond has an indefinable quality that could help his case.
"The one word that comes up with Brock is 'gamer.' He's not a guy who wows the scouts by running 4.1 down the line or with extra power or a plus arm. He's just a guy who basically does everything in his will to beat the other team. Those are the guys you root for."
Both Tanaka and Bond have been praised for their great attitudes and their willingness to play wherever they're need.
Decker is right. Those are the guys you root for. And I hope I get the chance to root for them in a San Francisco uniform this season.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Race for the infield
Even though there are still a couple weeks left of Spring Training, you can be that Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean have already started to think about who they will bring with them to San Francisco as a member of the 25-man roster.
So far the biggest area of competition is the infield, and it just continues to heat up as March continues on.
The Giants currently have nine infielders listed on their active roster, and that will dwindle down to either six or seven (depending on whether or not the Giants take 11 or 12 pitchers to Opening Day). We know five of the players that'll be on the 25-man roster:
1. Brandon Belt
2. Marco Scutaro
3. Brandon Crawford
4. Pablo Sandoval
5. Joaquin Arias
The big question is: who would get that final spot? (or possibly the final two spots)
The four remaining guys on the current roster are Ehire Adrianza, Brett Pill, Tony Abreu, and Nick Noonan. Let's break each one down with the odds of them starting the season in the big leagues, shall we?
1. Ehire Adrianza. He's played in just six games this spring, had only eight at-bats, and, oh yeah, no hits so far. He also doesn't have any walks. On the bright side, he only has one strikeout....ok, yes, I'm reaching. Just trying to give the guy a break. He's listed as a shortstop and has played only SS this spring, not showing much range. But he is error-free in five chances, so that's something. All in all, I'd say the odds of him making the Opening Day roster are....well, you know, slim (don't make me say an exact number).
2. Brett Pill. Pill is no stranger to the 25-man roster, as he began the 2012 season there. In 105 at-bats, he hit .210 with two homeruns and 11 RBIs. His OBP was a mere .265. He played most of his games at 1B, but started a few games in the outfield and played once at 3B, so he brings a bit of flexibilty to the bench. So far this spring, though, he's only played 1B and has been designated hitter. Offensively, he's batting .273 with two homeruns and seven RBIs. He hasn't made any errors in 35 chances, so he'd be a solid back-up for Brandon Belt. I'd say he's got a 65-70% chance of making the Opening Day roster. The Giants don't really have anyone to back up Belt (besides Posey) so they'd most likely take a back-up infielder who could play at 1B.
3. Tony Abreu. Unlike Pill and Adrianza, Abreu didn't come up through the Giants farm system. The Giants picked him up off of waivers from the Kansas City Royals in early February. The issue with Abreu is that he's only played in one game so far this spring due to a strained quad. He finally made his spring training debut with the Giants yesterday against the Texas Rangers. He went 1-2 and committed no errors playing at 2B. Last season in 105 games for the Royals AAA team, he hit .322 with nine HRs, 36 doubles, and 73 RBIs. During 22 games in the majors in 2012, he hit .257 with one HR and 15 RBIs. Only time will tell what Abreu's fate will be on April 1st. If he can prove that his injury is behind him, even if his batting average is mediocre, I believe he'll make the 25-man roster. Just the fact that he was claimed off of waivers gives him a leg up over the minor leaguers. If he's healthy, I'd say he's got a 100% chance (yes, that bold) to make the 25-man roster.
4. Nick Noonan. Yes, maybe I saved my favorite for last. Like I've said before (and I'm sure you're sick of hearing), I was most impressed by Noonan this past weekend. The shortstop looked pretty fantastic playing a mean third base, showing that he just might be a solid utility infielder. Offensively, however, he is struggling this preseason. He's batting just .138, after going 0-1 tonight with a rather unattractive at-bat. He did come in to relieve Crawford at short, showing that he can play a flawless defensive shortstop (you know, in at least one game). He's also shown some speed that the others on this list haven't shown, hustling out a couple triples this past weekend. He's starting to look comfortable at the plate (and he's already looking comfy in the field). I'd say that, if Abreu is injured, his odds of making the Opening Day squad is 90%. If Abreu is healthy, I'd put Noonan at a 70%. I think his potential is that apparent (and by me saying this, his actual probability probably just dropped to 6.7%. However, I'm sticking with it).
A couple guys are playing this spring as non-roster invitees and are looking to make a case for themselves. Brock Bond and Kensuke Tanaka are unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but look for them to make an apperance during the regular season.
More on them later.
So far the biggest area of competition is the infield, and it just continues to heat up as March continues on.
The Giants currently have nine infielders listed on their active roster, and that will dwindle down to either six or seven (depending on whether or not the Giants take 11 or 12 pitchers to Opening Day). We know five of the players that'll be on the 25-man roster:
1. Brandon Belt
2. Marco Scutaro
3. Brandon Crawford
4. Pablo Sandoval
5. Joaquin Arias
The big question is: who would get that final spot? (or possibly the final two spots)
The four remaining guys on the current roster are Ehire Adrianza, Brett Pill, Tony Abreu, and Nick Noonan. Let's break each one down with the odds of them starting the season in the big leagues, shall we?
1. Ehire Adrianza. He's played in just six games this spring, had only eight at-bats, and, oh yeah, no hits so far. He also doesn't have any walks. On the bright side, he only has one strikeout....ok, yes, I'm reaching. Just trying to give the guy a break. He's listed as a shortstop and has played only SS this spring, not showing much range. But he is error-free in five chances, so that's something. All in all, I'd say the odds of him making the Opening Day roster are....well, you know, slim (don't make me say an exact number).
2. Brett Pill. Pill is no stranger to the 25-man roster, as he began the 2012 season there. In 105 at-bats, he hit .210 with two homeruns and 11 RBIs. His OBP was a mere .265. He played most of his games at 1B, but started a few games in the outfield and played once at 3B, so he brings a bit of flexibilty to the bench. So far this spring, though, he's only played 1B and has been designated hitter. Offensively, he's batting .273 with two homeruns and seven RBIs. He hasn't made any errors in 35 chances, so he'd be a solid back-up for Brandon Belt. I'd say he's got a 65-70% chance of making the Opening Day roster. The Giants don't really have anyone to back up Belt (besides Posey) so they'd most likely take a back-up infielder who could play at 1B.
3. Tony Abreu. Unlike Pill and Adrianza, Abreu didn't come up through the Giants farm system. The Giants picked him up off of waivers from the Kansas City Royals in early February. The issue with Abreu is that he's only played in one game so far this spring due to a strained quad. He finally made his spring training debut with the Giants yesterday against the Texas Rangers. He went 1-2 and committed no errors playing at 2B. Last season in 105 games for the Royals AAA team, he hit .322 with nine HRs, 36 doubles, and 73 RBIs. During 22 games in the majors in 2012, he hit .257 with one HR and 15 RBIs. Only time will tell what Abreu's fate will be on April 1st. If he can prove that his injury is behind him, even if his batting average is mediocre, I believe he'll make the 25-man roster. Just the fact that he was claimed off of waivers gives him a leg up over the minor leaguers. If he's healthy, I'd say he's got a 100% chance (yes, that bold) to make the 25-man roster.
4. Nick Noonan. Yes, maybe I saved my favorite for last. Like I've said before (and I'm sure you're sick of hearing), I was most impressed by Noonan this past weekend. The shortstop looked pretty fantastic playing a mean third base, showing that he just might be a solid utility infielder. Offensively, however, he is struggling this preseason. He's batting just .138, after going 0-1 tonight with a rather unattractive at-bat. He did come in to relieve Crawford at short, showing that he can play a flawless defensive shortstop (you know, in at least one game). He's also shown some speed that the others on this list haven't shown, hustling out a couple triples this past weekend. He's starting to look comfortable at the plate (and he's already looking comfy in the field). I'd say that, if Abreu is injured, his odds of making the Opening Day squad is 90%. If Abreu is healthy, I'd put Noonan at a 70%. I think his potential is that apparent (and by me saying this, his actual probability probably just dropped to 6.7%. However, I'm sticking with it).
A couple guys are playing this spring as non-roster invitees and are looking to make a case for themselves. Brock Bond and Kensuke Tanaka are unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but look for them to make an apperance during the regular season.
More on them later.
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