More Offseason Talk....

Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News beat-writer notes:

A lot of folks might assume the Giants are no longer interested in trading for Jason Bartlett, or to a lesser extent, J.J. Hardy and Marco Scutaro. Don’t be so sure of that yet. Remember, the front office has threatened Sandoval with a demotion to Triple-A Fresno to start the year if he doesn’t make progress in his conditioning this offseason. You can’t make a threat like that without having alternatives on the roster, and considering how important defense will be to their pitching-centric club, Tejada is a better fit at third base, anyway.

Well, it's not the case. As recently noted by none other than Andrew Baggarly, the Giants aren't in on Bartlett. He says, "Now I'm hearing Giants are out on a Jason Bartlett trade. They had $5-7 million budgeted for a starting SS and spent it on Tejada." So we're back to square one. The Giants will need shortstop depth. I just don't think Emmanuel Burriss is a decent backup shortstop. And Brandon Crawford just isn't ready...


I suppose it's a good thing that Tejada was acquired to be a starting shortstop (rather than a backup plan at third base), in that it actually somewhat justified his $6.5MM contract. But this means the Giants are still lacking depth at short, and not seeking to fix that with a Hardy, Scutaro, or a Bartlett. Unless of course, they tender Mike Fontenot a contract. I guess I could see him as a backup shortstop. He produced negative WAR with the Giants in 2010, and I've never been too fond of him (he doesn't stand out in any categories: speed, defense, average, power), but as a backup shortstop, I suppose he'll do.

I'm curious as to what the Giants' next moves are...do they need another outfield reserve, like Pat Burrell? Or is it enough to have Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Nate Schierholtz, and Aubrey Huff?

For the price I'm not interested, but Lance Berkman is intriguing. He wants to play outfield or first base, both of which, I suppose he would add depth to (although the Giants are really not in need of a first-baseman). With a resurgence of the bat, he would be the new-and-improved Pat the Bat. Seriously. He takes walks, he has Burrell-like power, and he's a switch hitter. With dedication to fitness, he'd be as good as Burrell in the outfield. But again, too much money, aging, and there's the injury risk. An intriguing name for discussion, though, I suppose...thoughts?

Are the Giants going to get a Matt Stairs? A hitter whose primary, and pretty much only role is to be the pinch-hitter? That was the goal with Burrell, but he sort of forced his way into the starting lineup. I wonder if the Giants will try to get this. Maybe Russell Branyan or a Mike Sweeney? Probably not, though. They have an excess of position players, with Whiteside, Burriss, Rowand, Schierholtz, Ishikawa, and possibly Fontenot.

My guess at the starters for 2011:
C Posey
1B Huff
2B Sanchez
SS Tejada
3B Sandoval
LF DeRosa
CF Torres
RF Ross

So, I think the Giants are pretty much done with their offseason shopping. Some possible bench bats...names for discussion: Branyan, Sweeney, Berkman, any others? I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are...

A more positive take on Miguel Tejada

Because I'm capable of being positive...

Here's what I said about Miguel Tejada on November 24:

So to sum it up, Tejada's defense is pretty mediocre. His power has declined to a point where it's just below average for a shortstop. He rarely walks. He can't cover much range at short. He's pretty much only good for two things: making contact with the ball, and playing in a lot of games. Beyond that, he's just pretty mediocre.

Tejada, however, might be a good option with a little bit of luck. If the Giants sign him to one of those bargain contracts -- the maximum risk should be 1yr/$3MM -- and Tejada has a resurgence, much like that which they saw out of Huff or Burrell, he could just be worth it. He's probably good for anywhere between 1-3 WAR. For $3MM, that's worth it.

Do I want Tejada? Not really. I'd rather have Juan Uribe, Jason Bartlett, Marco Scutaro, J.J. Hardy, Orlando Cabrera. But if they can manage to get him on one of those bargain contracts, he could just surprise people. He should not be a player that the Giants are considering at this point, but as a last-minute cheap option? I say go for it.

The one thing I must say is that Tejada is due for a resurgence. He had an uncharacteristically poor .269/.312/.381 slash line in 2010, and will likely bounce back. He won't be incredible. But he might just bounce back to the point where he's actually a legitimately good option for starting shortstop. With a little bit of luck, he could be a decent shortstop.

Oh yeah, and I change my mind. I would not prefer Orlando Cabrera over Miguel Tejada.

A sad, sad day in San Francisco

The Los Angeles Dodgers have just signed Juan Uribe to a 3yr/$21MM contract. 

And with that, the San Francisco Giants legacy of Uribe has come to an end. It was a fun ride, which culminated in a World Series victory, but it's over.

But now all we're left with is memories...like this. And this. And this.

Uribe has joined the dark side. This really sucks.

Now the Giants have the remaining shortstop options:

• Orlando Cabrera
• Cesar Izturis
• Miguel Tejada
• J.J. Hardy
• Edgar Renteria
• Jason Bartlett
• Marco Scutaro
• Jed Lowrie (not going to happen...)
• Stephen Drew (not going to happen...)
• Jose Reyes (not going to happen...)
• Derek Jeter (not going to happen...)

At least the Dodgers signed him to a three-year deal. I doubt that he will provide much value in 2013. They paid him too much; gave him too many years. But it was the price they had to pay to deprive the Giants of their beloved Uribe. And it sucks.

Miguel Tejada: Giants 2011 Shortstop Option?

The Giants are reportedly one of the teams currently interested in Miguel Tejada. So...what say we delve into the prospect of signing the 37-year-old...

At first, one might think that Tejada provides at least a decent amount of power...after all, the guy has reached the 30-homer plateau four times throughout his career. This, however, is no longer the case. Even for a shortstop, his power is average at best. His 2010 ISO of .112 indicates that he has the same amount of power as Marco Scutaro and Cliff Pennington. In all fairness, though, it was a career-low, and likely an outlier. His Bill James projections see him having an ISO of .136 in 2011, power closer to that of Jhonny Peralta. Nevertheless, it's nothing special, even for a shortstop. Average at best. He's good for 10-15 home runs, though, and can hit his share of doubles.

The one great thing Tejada does have is that he makes contact a lot. His K rate of 10.5% in 2010 was extremely low (although that's often the case with shortstops). If you want a guy who constantly puts the ball in play, Tejada will do that. He doesn't have the speed to beat out a lot of infield hits, however, and doesn't hit the ball with the same force that he used to.

The major problem that I have with Tejada: he doesn't walk. Over the past three years, he's posted walk rates of 3.6%, 2.8%, and 4.4%. This could greatly exacerbate the Giants' overall problems with low walk rates. Walk rates this low are atrocious, especially considering he doesn't have any big numbers to outweigh it.

As for Tejada's defense, he's pretty mediocre. He has a career UZR/150 of -3.4 at shortstop. In 216 games at short over the past two seasons, he's posted a UZR of -12.3 with -14.2 RngR. He just can't cover much range out there. He never has, and going into his age-37 season, one can't expect him to.

There is one standout when examining Tejada. He is extremely durable. He played in 162 games in each season from 2001-2006. Over the past three seasons, he's played in 472 games. If he's good for one thing, it's being out there in the field every single day.

So to sum it up, Tejada's defense is pretty mediocre. His power has declined to a point where it's just below average for a shortstop. He rarely walks. He can't cover much range at short. He's pretty much only good for two things: making contact with the ball, and playing in a lot of games. Beyond that, he's just pretty mediocre.

Tejada, however, might be a good option with a little bit of luck. If the Giants sign him to one of those bargain contracts -- the maximum risk should be 1yr/$3MM -- and Tejada has a resurgence, much like that which they saw out of Huff or Burrell, he could just be worth it. He's probably good for anywhere between 1-3 WAR. For $3MM, that's worth it.

Do I want Tejada? Not really. I'd rather have Juan Uribe, Jason Bartlett, Marco Scutaro, J.J. Hardy, Orlando Cabrera. But if they can manage to get him on one of those bargain contracts, he could just surprise people. He should not be a player that the Giants are considering at this point, but as a last-minute cheap option? I say go for it.

The one thing I must say is that Tejada is due for a resurgence. He had an uncharacteristically poor .269/.312/.381 slash line in 2010, and will likely bounce back. He won't be incredible. But he might just bounce back to the point where he's actually a legitimately good option for starting shortstop. With a little bit of luck, he could be a decent shortstop.

Is Marco Scutaro a Good Fit for the San Francisco Giants?

It was announced this week that the Red Sox would be willing to trade Marco Scutaro. With the Giants in need of a shortstop for 2011, let's take a look at whether or not Scutaro would be a good option...

Scutaro is set to make $5MM in 2011 with an option for 2012, so he's not too expensive. The Red Sox, however, would likely receive something considerable in exchange for Scutaro, as solid shortstops are hard to come by these days.

In 2010, Scutaro put up a slash line of .275/.333/.388 with 11 home runs. His 7.6% walk rate this year was rather disappointing, considering that he had a 13.2% walk rate in 2009, but it will likely regress toward his career 9% walk rate in 2011, which is pretty good. His bat overall is nothing too impressive...He has relatively weak power, although for a shortstop, that's average. He's essentially a contact hitter -- he had a very low 11.2% K rate in 2010. Anyway, he likely wouldn't be a big presence in the lineup. Nevertheless, he's a serious upgrade over the performance the Giants received from Edgar Renteria over the past two years.

The one nice part about Scutaro is that he's extremely durable, having played in at least 140 games in each of the last three years, and at least 100 games in each of the last seven years. After having a shortstop endure a plethora of injuries over the past two years (Renteria), it would be nice to have a guy like Scutaro.

Scutaro's defense, much like his offense, is nothing too impressive. He's better suited for second base, but serviceable at shortstop. He doesn't cover a whole lot of range, but would likely give the Giants similar defense to that which they've gotten out of Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria over the past two years.

In conclusion, Scutaro is neither a defensive nor offensive star. He is, however, solid in both those categories, and considering that he's a shortstop, that's very acceptable. For $5MM, he would definitely be worth it. The one question seems to be what the Giants would have to give up in order to acquire him. However, considering the other shortstop possibilities -- like Orlando Cabrera and Edgar Renteria -- Scutaro is an attractive option.

A Look at Potential Shortstops

Guest post by Zachary Chiang. 

With Aubrey Huff's seemingly imminent return and adequate options to fill the possible void in left field, the Giants' biggest offseason concern is undoubtedly the acquisition of a capable shortstop. As is the case with most years, the market for middle infielders is quite uninspiring. In general, shortstop is not considered an offensively-minded position, so finding a potent option can prove quite a challenge. Fortunately for Giants fans, Brian Sabean seems to do his best work in the bargain bin. Here is a look at several of his options.

Possible Returns

Juan Uribe: Uribe is looking at a luxurious multiyear deal this winter after originally settling for a return in the utility role with the Giants in 2010.  He provides both power and versatility, hitting 24 home runs while spending time at 2B, SS, and 3B. At shortstop, he was slightly above average with a 3.3 UZR/150.  Although Uribe is a fan favorite and seems to enjoy playing in San Francisco, it's unknown if he will accept another discount. While Giants fans are enamored with his majestic home runs, his slash line of .248/.310/.440 is only around league average. While there are no clear signs pointing towards regression, the Giants would be foolish to overpay him for this year's performance.

Edgar Renteria: Last week, Renteria announced he would like to play another year, even if it means switching to second base. Following an injury-plagued season in which he played just 72 games, Renteria can not be considered a durable option. Postseason heroics aside, he posted a forgettable slash line of .276/.332/.374 in 2010. His defense is still passable, but his splendid 6.9 UZR/150 is probably misleading.  Although it is almost certain that he will not return to the Giants, it will be intriguing to see how the rest of Edgar Renteria's illustrious career plays out.

Free Agents

Orlando Cabrera: Cabrera is coming off a down year with the Cincinnati Reds, posting a slash line of .263/.303/.354. Although there are many question marks about his diminished offensive ability, there are several factors that make him an attractive backup plan.  Although he played in only 120 games this year, Cabrera has been extremely durable throughout his career, averaging 156 games from 2001 to 2009. He plays quality defense (5.3 UZR/150) and provides a little speed on the bases. Most importantly, Cabrera will be cheap, as he received just two million last winter when he was coming off a better campaign. Bill James projects Cabrera to hit .268 with 7 home runs and 13 steals in 2011. If the Giants let Uribe walk, expect them to at least check in on Cabrera.

Derek Jeter: Derek Jeter will be a Yankee next year. There is no chance that the Yankees don't sign him, especially with a weak class of free agent shortstops. But if Jeter was available, would he be an attractive option to the Giants? Probably not. After posting a career worst, 270/.340/.370 line, Jeter's career seems to be on the decline once again. As countless writers have pointed out, he has won yet another Gold Glove with an atrocious -5.4 UZR/150. Other than the intangibles he brings to the field, it seems that Derek Jeter's ability will not justify the contract he is looking to command. However, the Yankees will continue to bring him back out of respect, until he finally decides to call it quits.

Trade Candidates

Jason Bartlett: The Tampa Bay Rays seem to have a surplus of young middle infield options with Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez, meaning that Bartlett is potentially expendable. After an astounding 2009 that saw him hit .320/.389/.490, regression brought him down to an unimpressive .254/.324/.350 in 2010. Bartlett's true offensive talent level is likely somewhere in between. His defense on the other hand, has been on a steady decline, falling to a career worst -13.8 UZR/150 this year. Despite his flaws, Bartlett is an intriguing option for the Giants. Hopefully his reputation as an "all-star shortstop" will not persuade Brian Sabean to part with any top prospects to acquire him.

Jed Lowrie / Marco Scutaro: With two viable shortstops and Dustin Pedroia firmly entrenched at second base, the Red Sox may look to make a move this winter. Lowrie, a Stanford alum, will be more highly sought due to his promising  .287/.381/.526 line this year, albeit in only 55 games. Scutaro has significantly less upside, but he is a solid player that is an asset compared to a replacement level player. Both are somewhat average on defense with respect to UZR data. If the Red Sox choose to commit to Lowrie, they will pay someone to take Scutaro for salary relief. It will take couple of quality prospects to pry Lowrie away, but his long term potential is tremendous.

From Japan

Tsuyoshi Nishioka: Contrary to earlier reports, Seibu Lions shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will not be posted this offseason, but Tsuyoshi Nishioka of the Chiba Lotte Marines may still be headed to America. The 2B/SS led the league in hitting with a robust line of .346/.423/.482. He can also utilize his good speed on the bases, as he swiped 22 in 2010. Bobby Valentine has been quoted saying that Nishioka profiles as a second baseman in MLB, despite his two Gold Gloves in Japan, one of which was awarded for his work as a shortstop. It should be noted that he has played most of his profession career on artificial turf surfaces, like many other Japanese infielders. If the Giants became interested in acquiring Nishioka, they would first have to bid for the right to negotiate with him, as is the case with all players that come through the posting system.