Poll Results: If the Giants don't re-sign Huff, which 1B should they pursue?

Seeing as the Giants just re-signed Huff, I think now is an appropriate time to end the poll...

Here are the results, for those interested:

Poll: Which 1B would you like to see the San Francisco Giants pursue?

It's likely that Aubrey Huff will return to the San Francisco Giants in 2011. He has, however, received offers from several teams. So if he doesn't return, who would you like to see the Giants pursue for first base? Courtesy of MLBTradeRumors.com, here's the full list of first-base options (besides the 34-year-old Huff):

First Basemen

• Garrett Atkins (31)
• Lance Berkman (35)
• Russell Branyan (35)
• Jorge Cantu (29)
• Adam Dunn (31) 
• Troy Glaus (34)
• Mike Hessman (33)
• Eric Hinske (33)
• Nick Johnson (32)
• Paul Konerko (35) 
• Casey Kotchman (28)
• Mark Kotsay (35)
• Adam LaRoche (31) 
• Derrek Lee (35) 
• Melvin Mora (39)
• Xavier Nady (32)
• Lyle Overbay (34)
• Carlos Pena (33) 
• Robb Quinlan (34)
• Fernando Tatis (36)
• Mike Sweeney (37)
• Ty Wigginton (33)

Many of the free-agent first-basemen are old. Some, like Nick Johnson, have injury risk. Others, like Carlos Pena and Adam Dunn, have uninspiring strikeout totals. There seem to be evident weaknesses with all of the above players, but of all of them, who would you most like to see the Giants pursue?

Personally, I would go with Nick Johnson for a very, very cheap contract due to his career .401 OBP. His ability to take walks is something the Giants could use, though his injury risk is tough to ignore. A safer option might be LaRoche, although I doubt he'd want to play at AT&T Park, and he'll never put up bigger numbers than he has in the past (low upside).

Konerko is a proven veteran, but his stock is way too high after finishing second in the AL in home runs in 2010, and I'm very skeptical as to whether or not he'll ever match that production again.

All in all, this is a tough call. The free agent market is stacked with first-basemen, but all of them have injury risks, are in their mid to late-30s, or just don't have great potential. If the opportunity to get Nick Johnson for a very (and I mean very) low cost presented itself, I think he'd be a good fit. He even gets on base against LHP (career .422 OBP) which is good for the Giants, who have several players that had trouble against left-handed pitching in 2010: Pablo Sandoval and Andres Torres are the stand-outs. Again, this would be if he were available for a cheap contract, because his injury risk is very eminent.

So anyway, who would you want the Giants to go after? Answer the poll on the upper right sidebar, or comment with your opinion. 

Is Carlos Pena a Good Fit for the San Francisco Giants?

Mychael Urban thinks that Carlos Pena would be a good fit for the Giants:

"I’m not saying that Pena, 32, is a rock star. I’m just saying his overall package, which includes a relentlessly upbeat personality that’s played well in every clubhouse he’s inhabited, represents a decent Plan B should Huff find a better deal elsewhere -- and perhaps even if Huff comes back and gets moved to a corner OF spot."

I don't so much have a problem with that statement as I do this one:

"After all, Pena’s a year younger than Huff was when he signed with the Giants coming off a down year, and look at the way Huff bounced back. Who’s to say Pena, who likely won’t command a salary any bigger than the reported $3 million Huff got for 2010, can’t be the Huff of 2011?"

Aubrey Huff and Carlos Pena are two pretty different hitters. Mainly, Huff strikes out about half as often as Pena. As a result, Huff usually hits for a decent average, whereas Pena seems to always hover around the Mendoza line. And Pena, as opposed to Huff -- whose best season arguably came in 2008, two years before coming to the Giants -- has shown a steady decline in numbers over the last several seasons:

Year	G	BA	OBP	SLG
2007	148	.282	.411	.627
2008	139	.247	.377	.494
2009	135	.227	.356	.537
2010	144	.196	.325	.407

Many people think that Pena will command around a 2yr/$16 million salary. Is that low-risk? Not by any means. I'd personally be surprised to see a contract that big, given how crowded the first base market is (Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn, Aubrey Huff, Russell Branyan, Derrek Lee, Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Lance Berkman, and Lyle Overbay to name a few...); but if this is the kind of deal he's looking for, it would not be wise to go after him.

The young phenom Brandon Belt has worked his way through the Giants farm system, and will likely be in the majors in 2010. He'll either be playing outfield or first base, and having Pena (along with Huff, Torres, Ross, Schierholtz, Rowand, Ishikawa) could make it very difficult for the Giants to clear some room for the promising star.

Carlos Pena

The other clear problem is that given Pena's power numbers, Bruce Bochy might get the urge to stick him in the middle of the lineup. That could prove disastrous, as sticking a guy who strikes out once every three at-bats could greatly hinder the production of the middle of the lineup. I picture Pena stepping to the plate -- possibly in the cleanup spot -- in a key two-out situation and going down whiffing on three straight pitches. While he has potential, the contract he could command, his steady decline in production, and the promise of Brandon Belt are all reasons that I'd be cautious of signing Pena.

Maybe if the Giants don't resign Huff (which I doubt will happen), Pena could be considered. But I find the notion that he could be a good option "perhaps even if Huff comes back and gets moved to a corner OF spot" to be a little ridiculous.

This, of course, doesn't even take into account whether or not he would perform well at AT&T Park. For a left-handed hitter whose value is almost entirely reliant on hitting home runs, that giant right-field wall might not be so great for him. It worked for Huff and Bonds, who do/did more than just hit home runs. But I'm skeptical as to whether or not AT&T Park would pan out well for Pena.