Post by rog on Dec 12, 2018 12:47:49 GMT -5
It has been pointed out that the duck who smoothly navigates the lake may look smooth on the surface, but beneath the surface is paddling like crazy. That may well describe the offseason thus far for Farhan, who has made multiple minor moves but none that have caught much attention by Giants fans.
I thought this blurb out of MLB Trade Rumors explained the situation nicely, especially the final sentence:
Behind the leadership of President of Baseball Ops Farhan Zaidi, the San Francisco Giants will open their playbook to more modern pitching strategies next season, per Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News. A staff comprised of injury-prone veterans like Jeff Samardzija and up-and-comers potentially on innings limits (Dereck Rodriguez, Andrew Suarez) may lead manager Bruce Bochy to employ the Opener strategy or, as Zaidi puts it, “different forms of pitching staff constructions” in 2019. Bochy is a noted traditionalist in the dugout, but in lieu of finding five starters capable of pitching 200 innings, he and Zaidi will be forced to adapt by building a pitching strategy tailored to their current personnel. The Giants may still add to their stable of arms, but outfield is far-and-away the winter priority at this time, and they feel pretty good about where how the bullpen is currently constructed. That said, there has been considerably trade interest in Will Smith and Tony Watson, so the near-term outlook could change if a can’t-miss deal presents itself. Thus far, Zaidi is adhering to a patient approach in his first winter at the helm, which makes sense given the financial and talent makeup of the San Francisco roster.
The Giants have added now pro and amateur scouting directors. The above shows they may be emphasizing analytics more as well.
The Giants are said to be considering the recently released Troy Tulowitzki as a backup for Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik. Obviously that would speak far more to retooling than to rebuilding. Tulo's agent says he would welcome a return to his natived Bay Area.
Farhan says there has been "considerable interest" in Will Smith and Tony Watson. The Chronicle's Henry Schulman says that the Cardinals are "pushing" first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez for Smith. Martinez has a .309 career average with an .850 OPS, but defensively he is best suited to being a designated hitter. The metrics don't show him to be too bad at first base. It would appear he has the arm but not the range for right field. His brief time in left field might make him a newborn giraffe.
Martinez hit.305 in 2018 despite being bothered by an injured left thumb. Over his career he has sprayed the ball almost equally to left field, right and center. A fair amount of his power last season came from doubles rather than home runs. He hit 30 doubles and 17 home runs. Thirteen of the 17 fly balls he has hit to left-center have gone out. He doesn't hit the ball there a lot, but when he does, it goes.
Trade Rumors writes that outfielder Tyler O'Neil might be available from the Cards. The 23-year-old O'Neil put up an .803 OPS in 130 at bats as a rookie after being recalled last season. The right-handed hitting O'Neil is a former top 100 prospect who has posted an .877 OPS in the minors and a .943 OPS in the Arizona Fall League.
I thought this blurb out of MLB Trade Rumors explained the situation nicely, especially the final sentence:
Behind the leadership of President of Baseball Ops Farhan Zaidi, the San Francisco Giants will open their playbook to more modern pitching strategies next season, per Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News. A staff comprised of injury-prone veterans like Jeff Samardzija and up-and-comers potentially on innings limits (Dereck Rodriguez, Andrew Suarez) may lead manager Bruce Bochy to employ the Opener strategy or, as Zaidi puts it, “different forms of pitching staff constructions” in 2019. Bochy is a noted traditionalist in the dugout, but in lieu of finding five starters capable of pitching 200 innings, he and Zaidi will be forced to adapt by building a pitching strategy tailored to their current personnel. The Giants may still add to their stable of arms, but outfield is far-and-away the winter priority at this time, and they feel pretty good about where how the bullpen is currently constructed. That said, there has been considerably trade interest in Will Smith and Tony Watson, so the near-term outlook could change if a can’t-miss deal presents itself. Thus far, Zaidi is adhering to a patient approach in his first winter at the helm, which makes sense given the financial and talent makeup of the San Francisco roster.
The Giants have added now pro and amateur scouting directors. The above shows they may be emphasizing analytics more as well.
The Giants are said to be considering the recently released Troy Tulowitzki as a backup for Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik. Obviously that would speak far more to retooling than to rebuilding. Tulo's agent says he would welcome a return to his natived Bay Area.
Farhan says there has been "considerable interest" in Will Smith and Tony Watson. The Chronicle's Henry Schulman says that the Cardinals are "pushing" first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez for Smith. Martinez has a .309 career average with an .850 OPS, but defensively he is best suited to being a designated hitter. The metrics don't show him to be too bad at first base. It would appear he has the arm but not the range for right field. His brief time in left field might make him a newborn giraffe.
Martinez hit.305 in 2018 despite being bothered by an injured left thumb. Over his career he has sprayed the ball almost equally to left field, right and center. A fair amount of his power last season came from doubles rather than home runs. He hit 30 doubles and 17 home runs. Thirteen of the 17 fly balls he has hit to left-center have gone out. He doesn't hit the ball there a lot, but when he does, it goes.
Trade Rumors writes that outfielder Tyler O'Neil might be available from the Cards. The 23-year-old O'Neil put up an .803 OPS in 130 at bats as a rookie after being recalled last season. The right-handed hitting O'Neil is a former top 100 prospect who has posted an .877 OPS in the minors and a .943 OPS in the Arizona Fall League.