Back up infielders

[klaiggeb]

Yesterday, for the first time, I was able to see a Giant's preseason game.

Though I was unimpressed with the out come, I WAS impressed with a couple of things, and not happy with others.

Based upon the LACK of range I saw from Arias at 2B, I don't care that he's hit 2 HR's in 3 games. For me, he is NOT the infielder I keep.

My own thoughts are that Freddy will NOT be ready before the All Star game.

With that thought in mind, for my back ups, I keep both Theriot and Burriss, with Arias as the odd man out.

I also keep Blanco on the active roster, along with the catcher, Sanchez. That kid can hit!

I also want Edlefson. I watched him last year and liked what I saw.

In the off season, I would NOT have kept Affeldt. It is my belief that he has gotten worse and worse in each of the last 2 years, and that, based upon this spring, and yesterday, I see nothing to indicate that DEcline will change.

We could have done better.

boly

[sfgdood]

I havent watched much of Arias but the Giants broadcasters and insiders have all said his range and his versatility (being able to play all infield positions) is what gives him a chance to stick. Personally I'd keep him in Fresno in case matters worsen on some front.

I'm curious to know what it is that makes you think Freddy wont be back before the All Star game when prior to last week, even the Giants thought he had a chance of being on the Opening Day roster. I don't think there's anyone outside of the Giants medical team that could give an accurate guess right now at when he might be healthy. It could be late April, it could be June, it could be never. We'll just have to wait and see.

With Freddy on the DL, I have no problem with Arias making the Opening Day roster for insurance purposes, as long as it isn't at the expense of Belt, who I feel has proven he deserves to be here.

Blanco is a lock to make the team...Sanchez should be also but sometimes Bochy puts too much faith in experience. Experience is fine when the talent level is close...but it isnt here. It wasn't with Benjie and Buster either, but the Giants stubbornly stayed with Benjie anyway to the tune of 4 million wasted dollars.

Edlefson is a ground ball machine. Just be sure to be ok with runners on base because he wont strike a lot of guys out and those ground balls find holes sometimes.

I don't know if you could have found a better lefty than Affeldt at his role this offseason. Think about it...Wilson is the closer, Romo and Lopez are the primary setup men. Casilla is the secondary setup guy with Affeldt the lefty version. By September, Heath Hembree will be up on the totem pole as well. Tell me a lefty that could have been acquired this offseason that is better than Affeldt. The guy's stuff is still very good. He has periods of inconsistency but he also has a way of coming through in the clutch...see 2010 NLCS, Game 6

~Dood

[Islandboagie]

Boly, Affeldt had a 2.63 era last year..You could make the argument that he wasn't worth the contract he got, but he's an important part of the bullpen that makes ours arguably the best in baseball. Not many teams have 2 good proven lefties they feel comfortable to bring in during a crucial situation.

[sharksrog]

Arias will almost certainly start out at Fresno. Affeldt's ERA will very likely increase, but I see no evidence he will fall apart. As Randy pointed out, there weren't better options, unless they successfully traded for Sean Marshall.

Jeremy cost the Giants a net $4.5 million ($5.0 million replacing a $500K buyout). Decent value for the money. Affeldt and Javier Lopez make up a good southpaw bullpen duo. Without either one, the bullpen wouldn't have nearly as much lefty depth as righty depth.

If the Giants were going to spend $4.5 million on a reliever, I'm not sure they could have done much better than Affeldt. At the time the Giants renewed Jeremy's option I felt they were making a mistake.

Upon further reflection I don't think it was a bad move. Had Dan Runzler not become injured, perhaps the Giants could have gotten by without Jeremy. As things stand now, Jeremy looks to me like a decent option for the money.

[klaiggeb]

boly says:

In answer to your question, Dood, everything I've read, and heard, especially during the Giant/Red's game shown last Saturday night, was that Freddy STILL wasn't even close to being able to throw the ball very well.

The comment I recall the most was made around the 6th inning. They showed Freddy swinging the bat WELL in the cage. Then they said, "but anyone watching Freddy attempt to throw, can see he's still a long way off."

boly

[klaiggeb]

boly says:

Dood: I know. He had a decent ERA. But since I watch virtually every game of the season, I saw Jeremy pitch a lot! IMHO, based upon what I saw, he simply wasn't even close to what he once was. I lost count of the times he'd be brought in to do the job... .and didn't, having to be pulled and relieved by someone else.

That shouldn't be happening. Thus, IMHO, his ERA is very, very decieving.

boly

[sfgdood]

In Re Freddy...I guess it comes down to what definition of "a long way off" we're going with now. I have heard insiders say this as well and it usually was in the context of his ability to make the opening day roster. Yes he's far off from that standpoint, but in terms of when he might be ready, I think the fact that he's even able to do the other things (swinging a bat and fielding) quite easily, leads me to believe it's possible that he could be back by mid or even early May.

In re Affeldt...I wasn't the one that brought up his ERA but I do get the opportunity to watch pretty much every game, either live or on demand...and, while we can debate whether he is worth the money the Giants are paying him, I think overall in his specific role, Jeremy has been very steady. He also is a great clubhouse guy...keeps everyone loose. And, most importantly, you still have yet to tell me who we could have gotten this offseason who is a better option in that role. I can't really think of any.

~Dood

[sharksrog]

I don't think the Giants should count on Freddy anytime soon -- and perhaps not at all this season. But I certainly wouldn't give up hope, either.

Has anyone seen if Mike Fontenot cleared waivers and will be playing at Fresno? The Giants didn't think enough of Mike to keep him, but he has actually hit right-handers better than any second baseman candidate.

The negative there is that Mike built up a lot of his career value with an excellent season in 2008 and actually hit southpaws better than righties last season.

My point is that Mike could provide nice depth at Fresno and could still be part of the plan should Sanchez not be able to return. Mike is the only lefty-hitting second baseman the Giants have had in a while, and switch-hitting Manny Burriss hasn't fared well against right-handed pitching.

Seems unilikely, but perhaps a decent lefty-hitting second baseman aside from Fontenot will hit the waiver wire.

I would go with Burriss as the starter, hoping he can turn a very good spring into far more than he did after a wonderful spring in 2009. IMO Theriot isn't nearly as good as his good batting average would indicate.

I liked the signing of the good-hit, no-field, right-handed hitting Theriot as insurance for good-field, no-hit, left-handed hitting Brandon Crawford at shorstop. But I didn't know how well Crawford would field AND hit this spring, and I didn't realize the signing of Theriot would result in the release of Fontenot.

I would think the Giants would give Burriss a long leash, especially with Sanchez out. Manny is out of options. That said, they also gave him a long leash in 2009, and he failed.

If Sanchez is unable to return or become injured again, the Giants might look to make a deadline deal for the keystone. Right now second base may be their weakest position.

Perhaps the other Sanchez, Hector, will indeed make the squad. It isn't pretty imagining a lineup that includes Crawford, Burriss AND either Chris Stewart or Eli Whiteside.

I think the Giants' opening day lineup will be Pagan, Cabrera, Sandoval, Posey, Huff, Belt, Crawford and Burriss. It's hard to imagine Belt hasn't hit his way into the lineup. And I think he'll play first base, possibly playing left field some of the days Buster moves out from behind the plate.

Huff looks pretty good too, and the Giants could CERTAINLY use a season anywhere similar to his 2010 campaign. Pagan appears to be on a short leash, with Gregor Blanco and the Giants' surprising outfield depth (including Huff and Belt) pushing him.

It appears to me that Nate Schierholtz has for the second time given up a right-field job that was handed to him before spring training. Notice how even his fielding hasn't been its usual self this spring? Perhaps he's just hurting a lot.

And injuries have been yet another factor that have kept his career on an on-again, off-again track.

[Islandboagie]

Randy, Freddy was swinging a bat before last season was over, that never bothered him. His throwing has always been the issue. There have also been rumors about his attitude, and his work ethic since his rehab began. There are a few sources that say Freddy has not really been on the same page as his trainers. I also heard through the grapevine that Freddy didn't show up to the first day of some event, I can't remember if it was fanfest or spring training, but he had to be called by the team to ask him where he was, he showed up the second day. Again, that's just a rumor and I obviously don't know the full story. Then there's also the fact that he didn't show up to give support to him teamates after his injury last year. All this kind of bothers me.

I love Freddy as a player, he was a crucial part of the 2010 WS championship, but it seems to me that when he is on the DL he believes his responsibility to the team ends. If you saw the Showtime episode last year of Freddy at home, you must have had the same feeling I did, which was he looked far too comfortable being on the DL. I hope I'm wrong, but but with everything considered, I do get the feeling he could be rehabbing a little harder.

That being said, he's the best second baseman we got, so I hope he gets better and like you said, I hope he's here by early to mid May. But, at the same time I worry that we've maybe seen the last of Freddy Sanchez in a Giants uniform, prehaps any uniform.

[sharksrog]

We're all on the outside looking at this, but while I have criticized Freddy as being overrated as a player, the little I have seen indicates he is of high character, has felt guilty about being injured as often as he has, and has worked quite hard to overcome the unfortunate injuries.

Back in December he was quoted as saying his throwing was going OK, so I wonder that if anything he may have tried TOO hard and/or too soon to come back.