Alex Rios

[allenreed]

The Giants are said to be interested. I'm baffled. Anybody?

[rxmeister]

Sabean almost traded pre Cy Young Lincecum for him many years ago, so we know he likes him. If it's a salary dump that costs a minor prospect you would have to think it's an upgrade over Juan Perez, wouldn't you? Although I would prefer a look see of Gary Brown before a Rios move myself. I still think Brown is going for a pitcher though.

[allenreed]

I just don't see Rios as being worth the price in players, or the salary. To me, he's just another player. Nothing special. I don't see him as hitting as well here as he has in Chicago. Is he a rental? He's another guy that doesn't play left. What do you do with him when Pagan comes back?

[sharksrog]

I sweated bullets over the weekend after the 2007 season during which Brian Sabean was said to be considering trading Lincecum for Rios and change. Clearly that would have been a disaster.

Now I see him as a viable trade option, although with the Diamondbacks and Rangers also said to be scouting him, I suspect the cost will be too high.

Monetarily, he's owed about $20 million through the end of next season, incuding a $1 million option buyout for 2015. The option can be exercixed for $14.5 million. Rios is under team control for one more year, as was the case last year with Hunter Pence, so the move wouldn't be a one-season rental.

As for what the Giants would do with Rios once Pagan returned, they quite possibly would play him -- through at least 2014. He's a good base stealer and decent outfielder who has some pop. Primarily a right and center fielder, he at least has played 11 innings in left, so there is no reason to think he couldn't play there. He's 32 years old, so age shouldn't be an issue. He seems to be retaining his speed well.

The Giants have three potential needs to fill. Two -- starting pitching and the bullpen -- are related because of the versatility of some of the Giants' starters. The outfield may not be a need once Angel Pagan returns, but that could be VERY late in the season. And let's not forget that entering the season the outfield was considered the most likely spot for a deadline deal.

Since the Giants paid both Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro after the trade deadline last season, I suspect they have the money to make one or more deals. The issue is finding assets to trade without altering the future.

It's still nearly a full month to the deadline, which will give the Giants another month to see how their outfield holds up and what difference the return of Santiago Casilla and Ryan Vogelsong makes.

The Giants see the situation as fluid, and that appears to be a very reasonable assessment. They have a very good record at the deadline, often going right down to the wire.

We're probably a little ahead of ourselves here, although I like the idea we are looking ahead and discussing it.

[allenreed]

In the long run,maybe not. Another Timmy loss tonight, although he not only got no run support he didn't even get hit support.You could see why the Giants were baffled, what with the steady diet of fastballs. Just a pathetic effort.

[sharksrog]

Allen -- In the long run,maybe not. Another Timmy loss tonight, although he not only got no run support he didn't even get hit support.You could see why the Giants were baffled, what with the steady diet of fastballs. Just a pathetic effort.

Rog -- The Giants are in a huge slump. Over the weekend they had a game in which aside from Buster Posey, the Giants had one hit. Monday, aside from Mike Kickham, they had one hit.

The team is in a universal slump. They'll break out. And if it takes a long time to do so, it will likely up the urgency to trade for a guy like Rios.

Of course this is horrible. Over the past month and a half, the Giants have been the worst team in baseball. But they're almost through with the worst part of the schedule, so they should turn things around soon.

Unfortunately they have the misfortune of hosting the red-hot Dodgers this weekend, but what is it we almost always say? When things are going very poorly, the team isn't often as bad as they seem, and when the team is playing particularly well, they're not as good as they seem.

For as horribly as they have played for a long time now, the Giants have only three fewer wins than the Diamondbacks. This season does appear to be one though where only the division winner will advance to the playoffs.

But during this horrible spell, the Giants have missed Ryan Vogelsong, Chad Gaudin, Santiago Casilla, Marco Scutaro, Brandon Crawford, Joaquin Arias, Pablo Sandoval and Angel Pagan, most of them for long spells. That's more than a quarter of the team.

Let's see what happens when most of these guys are healthy again.

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[allenreed]

Ok. Here's a couple of questions. What do you think we'd have to give up to get Rios? What do you think we could get for Pablo? I know this would be a bad time to trade him, but I think if he doesn't do something about his weight his days as a useful player are numbered if not over.

[sharksrog]

Allen -- Ok. Here's a couple of questions. What do you think we'd have to give up to get Rios?

Rog -- That's always a tough one, since it depends in part on what the other team with the top offer is willing to give. I'd have to look at the White Sox's needs and see how they matched up with what the Giants have to trade. Wish I could give you an answer, but it would take a pretty fair amount of research to give what would still be just an educated guess.

Allen -- What do you think we could get for Pablo? I know this would be a bad time to trade him, but I think if he doesn't do something about his weight his days as a useful player are numbered if not over.

Rog -- You cited one problem with trading Pablo; the Giants would be trading him when he's down. The other is that they don't have a replacement for him.

Read more: sfgiantsmessageboard.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=1868&page=1#12271#ixzz2Y0zOVEpY

[allenreed]

Conor Gillaspie?