A Little Trade Rumors Chat Insight into the Giants' OF Plan

[rog]

Q:  Do you see Zaidi trading for any other outfield additions?


A:  I foresee him trading for many other OFers this year!
  I think there'll be some revolving door. Obviously they will want to avoid too much of that, but I ultimately dont think he'll hesitate if he sees a more attractive player available.


Rog -- Makes sense and seems to fit the plan and the pattern.  I'm hoping the Giants ultimately trade a pitcher for a good, young outfielder, which could slow the carousel down.

[sfgdood]

Sounds like a GREAT judge of talent...#eyeroll

[klaiggeb]

He claims in whats to make "incremental" improvements in the players he acquires.

Sounds like that might cause A LOT of unrest in the clubhouse.

But, in the end, if we can continue to get better, I'm okay with it.

[rog]

I suspect fringe players are nearly always on edge. They can lose their major league spot in an instant. But as long as they're on the major league roster, they're auditioning. Which beats the heck out of trying to get promoted from the minor leagues.

Here's an interesting concept regarding a player drafted out of college. Let's say he's 21. He can be kept in the minors for three seasons before he has to be placed on the 40-man roster. Then he can be optioned to the minors three more seasons. So he might be 27 by the time he hits the majors.

Now's under complete team control for three more seasons before he's eligible for arbitration. So he would be 30 before he has to be paid more than the major league minimum. Then he's got three years of arbitration before he is eligible for free agency.

So he could be 33 years old before he can offer his services to the highest bidder. His best years are likely behind him at that point, so his shot at a big, long contract are likely nill, and he might be happy to sign for two years.

My point is that while the very best players can make hundreds of millions, for the guy who's a great enough player to be a solid major leaguer but isn't fast-tracked, the money can be somewhat limited.

A lot of money for you or me, but not much for one of the best 750 players in the world.

[rog]

When teams get off to slow starts, I suspect that many if not most of the players begin to worry about being cut or traded. For most, playing major league baseball isn't the most secure of lives.

We complain about all the money a player can make as a free agent (although as I pointed out above, it might take him a dozen years to reach that point, and by then he is likely past his prime earning years), but unlike you or I, they can be uprooted tomorrow.

Now, guys in industry get transferred too, although if they leave their present job, it is most likely because they themselves chose to take a new one. But in many cases, they have the option of staying at their present job, or often they don't even have to move to find another one if they don't like their options.

Most people don't have to fly late at night in their jobs, either.

I got a rude awakening when I heard Chris Speier tell his wife Aleta that he was leaving for "work." I myself had always "played" ball. But for a major league player, it is a job, complete with the responsibility of talking to the press, which most of us don't have to worry about. And while I imagine for most that it's still fun to play the game, there is a tremendous amount of pressure that accompanies the games.