The Next Move

[Islandboagie]

With the Giants acquisition of Cueto, it would appear they're close to done this off season. Part of me wants them to go out and get Upton, or Gordon, or resign Byrd to a one year deal. But, with Parker and Williamson it gives them the opportunity to let those two battle it out for the starting job. Add Blanco and it gives the Giants a backup plan as well. There's also a chance Tomlinson can play there. With all that considered, perhaps left field isn't an issue.

If I'm the Giants my next move is simple, 6th starter or long relief. In each Championship season the Giants have had that solid long relief/6th starter presence. Chris Heston might be that guy, but what if he doesn't take as a long relief guy? I think Heston would be best suited as a AAA pitcher, ready to fill in if someone goes down.

If the Giants are smart, they'd sign Timmy to a one year deal. That would give them an extra arm, and they won't kick themselves if indeed his hips were in fact the cause of his velocity drop.

[rxmeister]

Timmy is throwing for major league teams next month. Pretty sure the Giants will be there. I expect him to move on though. The Giants don't need to spend more money on another starter, IMO. Clayton Blackburn is probably ready and if not, a pitcher or two on a minor league deal should suffice.

[klaiggeb]

Boagie, I understand your heart's desire to see Timmy make it all the way back, or at least part of the way back.

I would like to see that, too.

But honestly, right now, it's not worth the risk.

I think Mark is right; the Giants don't need to spend money on another starter.


But honestly, at this point we really need to SEE if we can fill that LF hole from our system.

We already have a pretty darned good lineup even with Pagan in CF.

IF we make a deal, let me re phrased that, IF I'M the GM, as I've said before, I want a CF, and I want Angel either in a back up role, or gone.


Right now... here's what I'd do.

Blanco
Panik
Duffy
Posey
Pence
Belt
Crawford
Williamson/Parker

THAT is a pretty darned good line up!

Duffy should be able to hit 10-14 HRs
Posey, Pence and Belt should be in the 18-22 HR range.

I can more than live with that.

In answer to your question in another thread, Mark, YES! I'm happy with Cueto!

boly

[Rog]

But, with Parker and Williamson it gives them the opportunity to let those two battle it out for the starting job.


Rog -- I don't believe Williamson is ready, and I don't believe Parker ever will be. I think their chance (especially Mac's) will come a year from now. I believe the Giants will still acquire a guy who can play center field, whereas Mac and Jarrett are corner guys.



Read more: sfgiantsmessageboard.proboards.com/thread/3167/next-move#ixzz3uMsbAa4q

[Rog]

Timmy is throwing for major league teams next month. Pretty sure the Giants will be there. I expect him to move on though.


Rog -- Sadly, I think the Cueto deal will preclude Tim's returning to SF. He wants a team with a better chance to start, and they no longer need to spend the type of money he is still likely to command -- even on an incentive-laden pact.



Read more: sfgiantsmessageboard.proboards.com/thread/3167/next-move?page=1#ixzz3uMt734Xv

[Rog]

If the season started tomorrow, I believe we would see Angel in center and Gregor in left. I think the Giants would be delighted if either Mac or Jarrett is ready a year from now.

If we were making the left field decision, would we want a guy who has struck out once every 2.9 at bats in the minors (Parker) or a guy who hasn't yet mastered AAA (only .249 at Sacramento in 2015) and who has hit only 13 homers above Class A ball (Williamson)? We can say that Joe Panik and Matt Duffy fared very well, but first, Joe killed it in AAA and Matt in AA. Mac hasn't really killed it anywhere past San Jose yet, and Jarettt struck out once every 2.6 at bats at Sacramento last season.

I will continue to ask which major league player has been successful after striking out as often in the minors as Jarrett has until someone either finds one or agrees that there likely aren't any. Remember too that Jarrett has only a .261 career minor league average and has hit for good, not great, power.

Jarrett does know how to take a walk, has shown an ability to get hit by pitches, is a good fielder, steals some bases and doesn't hit into many double plays. But until he learns how to avoid his ungodly number of strikeouts, I don't see him as being even a .250 hitter. And he just doesn't have the power to be effective hitting that low.

Mac has an eventual shot, but he's still quite raw. He has fewer than 1200 minor league at bats.

[Islandboagie]

Boly- Boagie, I understand your heart's desire to see Timmy make it all the way back, or at least part of the way back.

Boagie- I can't believe you do fully understand my feeling for Lincecum, Boly. There are probably very few here that look at Lincecum, or any current Giant the way I do Lincecum.

Just about everyone here except Randy talk about Mays, McCovey, Marichal with a fondness that can't compare to the way they feel about any current player. But I feel I have that same fondness for Lincecum, Cain, and Posey.

I'm not stupid about the history of baseball, and the Giants. I knew who the legends were when I was 12 years old. I educated myself on the history of baseball, and it was also fed to me by aunts and uncles who grew up in Atherton in the 50's and 60's as Giants fans. They were never die hard like me, but they knew enough to relay to me the frustration they felt every year always falling short (often coming in second behind the Dodgers.) I began to know exactly how they felt about always falling short. 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003. Year after miserable year, always disappointment, always frustration. After 2002, I was certain the Giants were destined to always be a disappointment.

Then came 2007. Tim made his debut, I was visiting my parents and I told my dad and mom, who were fans, but not die hard "you might want to see this tonight." We started watching the game and I recall my mom saying "he looks like he's 10 years old"

I don't know if I ever said this about a Giants player before, I certainly don't remember doing so...I forget what inning it was, but Lincecum was on the mound, I turned to both of my parents and said "you see what's going on here? This small kid is going to lead the Giants to a Championship. I don't think I would have predicted what had happened from that point until November 1, 2010. But if you had told me 2 Cy Youngs and finishing off Texas in game 5 to seal a World Championship, I wouldn't have called you insane.

To me, Boly, Tim is to Giants fans as Moses was to the Jews. If I were a tattoo guy, I'd get a tattoo of Tim Lincecum holding up his finger on a pile of Giants. That moment will never be reproduced for me. Of course a lot of good Giants made that moment happen, but none more than Timmy.

I will not see Tim Lincecum in a Dodgers jersey, I won't do it, Boly. I can't.

Be a use of that, and because I can guarantee you I'm not alone, the Giants would have it in their best interest to resign him. He's not just a Giant, for me and many others he is THE Giant, the one who made it all happen.

[sfgdood]

I'm curious which finger Tim would have raised on your tattoo, Boagie

[rxmeister]

Beautifully written, Boagie, and I'll also never forget that first start after he dominated the minors, and fans of other teams saying they wish they were Giants fans because of how exciting he was. I'll never forget going to Shea for his first NY start and seeing him strike out Carlos Beltran and everyone looked at the scoreboard and it said "99 mph" and you could hear the whole crowd ooh and ah. That being said, time marches on, and his last contract was 2/35 and it was obvious that was a sentimental contract and he earned little of it with his performance those two years. The Giants have offered him a minor league deal, and you would think he would gladly take it to repay the team for the last deal and to stay with the only organization he has known, but he turned it down in search of the couple of million he might make after he throws for other teams. I'm loyal to Timmy too, but that loyalty cuts both ways.

[Islandboagie]

Randy- I'm curious which finger Tim would have raised on your tattoo, Boagie

Boagie- Not the same one that Pablo raised towards the fans and the organization when he left San Francisco.

[Islandboagie]

Thanks Mark, and I understand where you're coming from, and where the Giants and Lincecum stand. I realize they are probably going to go different directions now, because it makes sense for both to do so...but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

[klaiggeb]

Well said, Boagie! Well said!

NOW I have a fuller grasp of what Timmy means to you.

boly

[Rog]

I'll also never forget that first start after he dominated the minors


Rog -- I won't either, for multiple reasons.




Read more: sfgiantsmessageboard.proboards.com/thread/3167/next-move#ixzz3uRxgjDXv