Notes: Vernon Wells, Buster Posey, Manny Ramirez

• If you don't think the Vernon Wells trade was a terrible move by the Angels, read this. And this. And this. 
• On a similar note, El Lefty Malo has a nice realistic take on the impact this has on the Giants' bad contracts (Aaron Rowand, Barry Zito). 
• Bay City Ball looks at Giants first-round position players by WAR. Just another reminder of how special Buster Posey is. 
• If you checked out the 2011 ZiPS projections, you probably already know this, but Brandon Belt is among the prospects that ZiPS projects to do well in the majors. 
• Tune in tonight to the I-70 Baseball Radio Show for an exciting announcement regarding a new website. 
• The San Francisco Giants are #1 on Reddit, among all baseball teams. 
• Edgar Renteria will be making more money next year than Manny Ramirez. That's ridiculous. 
• 20 days till pitchers and catchers report!

The San Francisco Giants and Home Runs

As a baseball blogger, I read dozens of baseball articles each day. I'm fascinated and influenced by the myriads of brilliant pieces out there. A while ago, I ran into this post on Athletics Nation, examining the A's home runs using Hit Tracker Online. I've been meaning to look at the Giants' home runs for quite some time, but I would be remiss if I didn't first acknowledge the Athletics Nation post that influenced this. Anyway, here goes...

I love Hit Tracker Online. It shows the true distances of home runs, the speed off the bat, the date, the ballpark, the pitcher, the hitter, the teams, and a link to the Top Plays Archive, where a video of the home run can be found. To put it simply, it's awesome.

Without further ado, some notes on the Giants 2010 home runs...

• The longest home run of the year...Andres Torres off of Rodrigo Lopez on July 22, 2010, in Arizona. This one had a true distance of 450 ft. I love that Torres has the Giants' longest home run of the year. Not Pat Burrell. Not Pablo Sandoval. Not Aubrey Huff. The speedy guy, whose power nobody seems to trust. Yet, over the past two seasons, in 740 PAs, he's posted an ISO of .223...that's legitimate power. And he swings the heaviest bat on the team. Literally. I also love what Kruk says after this home run..."That's up where Barry Bonds used to hit 'em."
• The second, third, and fourth longest home runs of the year...courtesy of Pablo Sandoval. He may not have had a great season in terms of power, but when he got a hold of 'em, he hit 'em deep. And these were spread throughout the season....One was in April, one came in June, and one came in August.
• Home run with the fastest speed off the bat...Aubrey Huff off of Chris Narveson at Miller Park. 113.4 MPH off the bat.
• Home run with the highest apex...Andres Torres off of Carlos Villanueva at Miller Park. Apex of 134 feet. (Gotta love that four-game sweep at Miller Park...)
• The Giants had two inside-the-parkers...Andres Torres and Aubrey Huff. "That's right Mr. Huff. You hit home runs here, you gotta earn 'em."
• Some other great home runs from 2010, just because...Juan Uribe's HR in World Series Game One. Juan Uribe's HR in NLCS Game Six. Juan Uribe's HR off of Jonathan Broxton. Cody Ross' home runs in NLCS Game One: first and second. Pat Burrell's grand slam (his second HR of that game). Juan Uribe's grand slam (his second HR of that inning). Oh yeah, and I love this Huff home run, for whatever reason. Lastly, of course, Edgar Renteria's HR in World Series Game Five. 

Because there's so many, here are the honorable mentions....Burrell off of Broxton (couldn't find the video of this one). Ishikawa's grand slam off of Ubaldo Jimenez. Renteria's home-opening day home run off of Billy Wagner. 

• One of my favorite things in baseball is the walkoff home run. I love walkoff home runs. Something about a player being able to end the game with one swing of the bat. Something about the brief period of time in which you can watch the ball sail through the air, awaiting its descent into the stands. Something about the way in which the player who hits the home run pauses for a second to gaze at the beautiful work he's done. I love them. I'm very saddened by the fact that the Giants went the entire season without a walkoff home run....but this one from 2009 was pretty awesome.

Notes: Willie McCovey, Pablo Sandoval, Thomas Neal

• First of all, happy 73rd birthday to Willie McCovey, a true Giants great!
• According to Henry Schulman, Pablo Sandoval's conditioning is going well:

"Aurilia lives in Phoenix and told me today he saw Pablo at a shopping mall just before Christmas. Sandoval told him he had lost 17 pounds."

• Speaking of preseason "best shape of their lives" stories, I think this article is relevant. You might recall Aaron Rowand showing up to Spring Training in the best shape of his life, but his 2010 numbers certainly did not reflect an improvement. 
• Thomas Neal, a prospect that I looked at recently, is going to appear on the Hot Stove show on CSN tomorrow night with Mychael Urban.
• I'm excited to say that Urban has agreed to participate in the Ten Questions Q&A series, so you can look forward to that. 
• Ross of Ross and the Heckler Speak has slowly been tackling hall of fame cases for his new-and-improved hall of fame. He recently looked at the cases for Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff.
• Lastly, in case you haven't yet heard: Jason Bartlett agreed to a two-year deal with the Padres, Edgar Renteria's deal with the Reds (one-year $2.1MM plus $900K in incentives) was officially announced today, and the Reds announced a one-year $900K deal with Fred Lewis today. 

Notes: Renteria, Santangelo, Canseco, Brown

• Like what you read here? Help us get to 100 fans. If I'm not mistaken, Mychael Urban is a fan!
• Edgar Renteria was signed to a one-year deal by the Cincinnati Reds. As Red Reporter points out, it's an overpay. 
• F.P. Santangelo will become the TV analyst for Washington Nationals games.
• This is pretty hilarious -- the Hall of Very Good's email encounter with Jose Canseco.
• I love the argument that 8th Inning Weirdness has made for Kevin Brown's HOF case. I don't know if he's deserving, though, with a career K/9 of just 6.6 
• If you're interested in writing for Splashing Pumpkins, email us at blog@splashingpumpkins.com

Notes: Hall of Fame, Renteria, Tejada, Frandsen, Martinez, Simon

• As you've probably heard already, Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were announced today as inductees for the Hall of Fame. No complaints here -- both of them deserve the nod. 
• The Giants have resumed talks with Edgar Renteria, and have said that all they need at this point is a backup infielder. I'm not particularly excited about the prospect of having him return, but as long as they don't give him more than one year at $2MM, I'm fine. I don't think any Giants backup shortstop deserves more than that, because frankly, Miguel Tejada could very well play in 150 games this year -- as he's done in 11 of the past 12 seasons. If the Giants will only need Renteria for 10-20 games or so, that's certainly not worth more than $2MM. 
• Former Giants Kevin Frandsen and Joe Martinez have found new teams. Frandsen was signed by the Padres, and Martinez was traded to the Indians recently in exchange for a PTBNL or cash considerations.
• Miguel Tejada is lending a helping hand to Alfredo Simon. Simon, a right-handed reliever for the Baltimore Orioles, is a suspect in a death investigation, and Tejada has said that he will pay for the legal costs in order to help out his friend.
• For those of you that enjoyed last week's Ten Questions with Mike Petriello, you'll be happy to know that the series will continue with a Rockies blogger next week. 
• Giants will play Opening Day on 3/31 in LA...from @JohnSheaHey:

MLB will announce tomorrow the Giants won't open at home 3/31, as ESPN proposed. But they will open 3/31 (Thursday) at LA instead of 4/1.

Looking Back at the 2010 Giants Projections

To say that 2010 was a season full of surprises would be an understatement: Pablo Sandoval and Tim Lincecum had disappointing sesasons; Mark DeRosa was injured after playing in only 26 games; Andres Torres and Aubrey Huff played far beyond expectations, putting up all-star caliber numbers; and Buster Posey had no trouble whatsoever in adjusting to the majors, becoming an elite catcher from day one (his debut). Lastly, the Giants picked up some phenomenal players on the way, namely Cody Ross, Javier Lopez, and Pat Burrell. Now that we've looked at (and made) projections for the 2011 season, I thought it'd be fun to take a look back at how certain Giants were expected to perform in 2010 (and compare it to their actual performance). This will give context to how surprising 2010 really was. For the purposes of this, I'll use ZiPS projections, one of the most well-respected projection systems out there. If you want to take a look at the 2010 ZiPS projections, they are available here.

Pablo Sandoval
Projected - .320/.368/.516; OPS+ 130
Actual - .268/.323/.409; OPS+ 95

Aubrey Huff
Projected - .270/.330/.448; OPS+ 102
Actual - .290/.385/.506; OPS+ 138

Aaron Rowand
Projected - .273/.335/.431; OPS+ 100
Actual - .230/.281/.378; OPS+ 75

Buster Posey
Projected - .263/.343/.398; OPS+ 95
Actual - .305/.357/.505; OPS+ 129

Freddy Sanchez
Projected - .296/.331/.414; OPS+ 95
Actual - .292/.342/.397; OPS+ 98

Edgar Renteria
Projected - .280/.336/.388; OPS+ 90
Actual - .276/.332/.374; OPS+ 90

Juan Uribe
Projected - .269/.311/.442; OPS+ 95
Actual - .248/.310/.440; OPS+ 99

Andres Torres
Projected - .254/.315/.397; OPS+ 86
Actual - .268/.343/.479; OPS+ 119

As can be seen from these comparisons, which look at only eight of the Giants, there were many surprises. Torres, Huff, and Posey far exceeded expectations; on the other hand, Rowand and Sandoval far underperformed. All in all, the Giants ended up playing much better than expected, taking home a World Series trophy with an offense that, before the season began, was the subject of ample criticism.

The Giants and Baserunning

I recently got the 2011 Bill James Handbook (which I highly recommend, by the way), and one of the sections in the book is about 2010 Major League Baserunning. I was not surprised at all to find that the Giants were the second-worst baserunning team in the majors -- behind only the Kansas City Royals.

For context -- an average major leaguer went from first to third on a single 28% of the time; a very good baserunner will go from first to third on a single about 38% of the time; and a very slow runner will do it about 18% of the time. 

The Giants went from first to third on a single 82 times in 297 chances for a rate of 27.6%...so they were one base below average. 

Now, an average major league player scored from second on a single 58% of the time; a very good baserunner will score from second on a single around 70% of the time; and a very slow runner will score from second around 41% of the time. 

The Giants scored from second on a single 100 times in 170 chances for a rate of 58.8%...so they were one base above average. 

Lastly, an average major leaguer will score from first on a double 44% of the time; 62% is very good, 27% is very poor. 

The Giants scored from first on a double 31 times in 84 chances for a rate of 36.9%...about six bases below average. 

A player is credited with a base taken when they advance on a passed ball, a wild pitch, a sac fly, a defensive indifference, or a balk. The Giants had 167 bases taken, which was about six bases below average. 

The Giants, meanwhile, were thrown out advancing 25 times -- tied for tenth-best in the majors, and were doubled off 17 times -- tied for the worst mark of any major league team. 

In average, a player grounds into a double play (in a double play opportunity) 11% of the time. The Giants grounded into a major-league worst 157 double plays. They had 1135 GIDP opportunities, so that rate comes to about 13.8%, or 32 double plays below average. 

Baserunning Gain comprises all of these statistics...it is "the total of all the types of extra baserunning advances minus the (triple) penalty for all the BR Outs compared with what would be expected based on the MLB averages"....BR Outs "include the sum of Outs Advancing, Doubled Offs, and when a runner is tagged out on the bases when another runner moves up on a Wild Pitch, Passed Ball, or scores on a Sacrifice Fly."

The Giants had 43 BR Outs and their BR Gain of -42 was the fifth-worst mark in the majors. 

Meanwhile, the Giants had an SB Gain of -9, the absolute worst in the majors. SB Gain is based on the fact that stolen base attempts must be successful greater than about two thirds of the time to have a positive result on the number of runs scored. It is therefore "the number of bases stolen minus two times the number of caught stealing (SB Gain = SB - 2CS)." The Giants stole 53 bases (26 of which were stolen by Andres Torres), and were caught stealing 31 times, so that equates to 53-62 which is equal to -9. 

The Giants had an overall net gain (SB Gain + BR Gain) of -51, trailing only the Kansas City Royals as the worst baserunning team. 

Some stand-out individual Giants net gains:

• Andres Torres +28
• Nate Schierholtz +13
• Pablo Sandoval -27
• Aubrey Huff +8
• Edgar Renteria, Cody Ross (with Marlins and Giants), and Buster Posey +1
• Bengie Molina (with Giants and Rangers) -13
• Jose Guillen (with Royals and Giants) -25

It seems as though the Giants have moved in the wrong direction in fixing their baserunning problem, as Miguel Tejada had a net gain of -5, a bit worse than Rent's mark of +1. Jason Bartlett, a shortstop that I had wanted the Giants to go after, had a net gain of +21, markedly better.

Again, if you like obscure yet important statistics like this, I highly recommend that you get the Bill James 2011 Handbook.

Edgar Renteria Feels Disrespected

ESPN reports...

"That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect," Renteria told ESPNdeportes.com Thursday from Colombia.

Yes, the offer lacked respect. Edgar Renteria is the reigning World Series MVP, and deservedly so. The $1MM offer was significantly lower than the $8.5MM option that the Giants declined several weeks ago. So yes, it's disrespectful. What it doesn't lack though, is common sense. Sure, the Giants could offer him $2MM or maybe even $3MM and there's a good chance he'd play well enough to be worth that much. But the Giants pretty much have a full roster already; they already signed Mike Fontenot to a one-year deal; and Renteria's health issues, his age, and his lack of versatility -- he's never played anywhere other than short -- make the $1MM offer a wise decision.

I can understand that people are angry that Rent isn't getting more respect. But baseball's a business, and in this case, it's probably wiser to buy low or not buy at all.

Giants Have Interest in Renteria....Seriously?

According to John Shea, there's mutual interest between the San Francisco Giants and their World Series hero Edgar Renteria.

Let's see here...the Giants have Mike Fontenot on a one-year deal. He can play short and second. They have Freddy Sanchez as their starting second baseman. They have Pablo Sandoval starting at third, and Miguel Tejada starting at short (he can also play third). Then they have Mark DeRosa at the utility role. He can play both middle infield positions that Renteria would supposedly play (shortstop, where he's lived his entire career, and second base, a position to which he recently said he's willing to switch). Then, of course, there's the younger guys, who to be honest, probably aren't the best options: Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Rohlinger.

So to review...at short we have Tejada, Fontenot, and DeRosa. Do the Giants really need a fourth shortstop? And if so, are Burriss and Rohlinger truly incapable of being viable fourth shortstop options?

Then we have Sanchez, Fontenot, and DeRosa at second. Do the Giants really need a fourth second baseman? And if so, are Burriss and Rohlinger truly incapable of being viable fourth second baseman options?

The Giants don't really need another middle infielder. On top of that, it's simply a waste of money to sign Renteria again. Renteria has constantly battled injuries, he's not that fast anymore, his defense is quite mediocre, he's old, he can't hit for power, he can't hit for a high average, and he'd likely cost more than Burriss and Rohlinger combined. Plus, Burriss gives the Giants speed off of the bench.

So...I truly believe that Renteria will NOT man a Giants uniform next season. And if he does...well, I can't even begin to understand what is wrong with the Giants management.

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.

Is Jason Bartlett a Good Fit for the San Francisco Giants?

The Giants, along with the Nationals and Orioles, have interest in Jason Bartlett. The Rays reportedly would be looking for young bullpen arms in return. So...would Bartlett be a good fit for the Giants?

Let's start off by acknowledging that the Giants don't need a great shortstop, or even a good one. All they need is somebody who can maybe cover a little range out there, and get hits at a decent clip (maybe .280). They have depth at most other positions, so they can afford to have a relatively weak shortstop.

When we looked at potential shortstops earlier, here was the verdict on 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.

A young bullpen arm like Dan Runzler is not too much of a price to pay for a viable starting shortstop. And taking into account that Bartlett is projected to improve upon these 2010 numbers (his Bill James projections for 2011 have him at a .279/.345/.380 slash line), that is definitely worth it.

The one great thing that Bartlett brings to the table is speed. In 721 career games, he's stolen 100 bases. Back in 2009, he stole 30 bases. In 2010, that regressed to a mere 11 stolen bases, but his Bill James projections for 2011 have him at 17 stolen bases. How many Giants can truly steal? Andres Torres. That's it. Bartlett would add depth to the Giants' speed department.

His defense, as mentioned, is on a steady decline. However, he was a grossly uncharacteristic 9.3 range runs below average in 2009. It's likely that he wouldn't reach that mark again. I mean, could his range really be that bad? If Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria were able to cover decent range at shortstop for the Giants, I don't see how a speedy guy like Bartlett could be much worse.

I'm not well-versed on the arbitration process, but after making $4MM in 2010, and putting up dismal numbers, he's not going to make a lot of money. Maybe at the most $6MM for 2011 (but I seriously doubt he'd make that much...). If he matches that projected .279/.345/.380 slash line in 2011, plays average defense, and steals a few bases here and there, he'll be well worth $6MM.

So, is Jason Bartlett a good fit for the San Francisco Giants? Yes. The only question is whether or not the Giants would have to give up a lot in order to acquire him. After a mediocre 2010 though, he probably won't be too costly.

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.

A few notes...

Edgar Renteria said he'd like to return to the Giants.

Aubrey Huff hired Ed Hayes as his agent Sunday night.

According to MLBTradeRumors' top 50 free agents post, Aubrey Huff is expected to return to the San Francisco Giants in 2011. Juan Uribe is expected to be an LA Dodger. Lastly, Pat Burrell is expected to end up donning a Padres uni' next year.

Edgar Renteria Will Play in 2011

Edgar Renteria will play in 2011. You can read about it here. He does still have the ability to contribute at the major-league level, as he showed in the 2010 World Series. Considering how thin the free agent market is, it wouldn't be too crazy if a few teams were interested. After all, Renteria is only 35 years old. He could also play the mentor-type role as he somewhat did with the Giants, given his veteran and postseason experience.

In my opinion, it's rather sad. I feel like he has a rare opportunity to end his career on the sweetest of notes, with a World Series-winning home run. But he still wants to keep playing...

"I'm staying, I feel that I still have a lot of baseball in my body. [On] Monday I have a very important meeting with my agents to talk about my future, but I have already decided I will keep playing. That's all I can say until I meet with them."

President Barack Obama Congratulates the Giants

In case you didn't see it, here's the video.

I must say, it was nice to see the president of the United States acknowledge the significance of Madison Bumgarner's ability to stay calm, cool, and collected on the big stage. He also gave a nod to Edgar Renteria, Tim Lincecum, and just the rotation in general.

He was invited by the Giants to throw out the first pitch at Opening Day for the defending world champions, and seemed enthusiastic.

Obama: "I can tell you right now, I'm gonna put in a request and see if we can get out to the west coast."

UPDATE: Edgar Renteria's Future

You could potentially see Edgar Renteria in a Giants uni' in 2011, according to Extra Baggs.

Brian Sabean - “We have to keep an open mind because the free-agent class isn’t very sexy. It’s certainly very short and not at all appealing at the shortstop position. So we’ll see. He still apparently wants to play but there’s plenty of time given the fact we’re not picking up the option and he’d be more of a complementary player.”

Giants Decline Renteria's Option

The Giants officially declined Edgar Renteria's $10.5 million option today. They'll pay him a $500K buyout.

This comes as no surprise...yes,  he won the World Series MVP. But he's plagued with injuries, his legs are not what they used to be (he did steal 34 bases back in 2003), he only managed to hit .259 for the Giants with 8 home runs over 2009 and 2010, and he hasn't been anything special.

He had a few clutch moments with the Giants that were critical. The few that stick out in my mind:

• August 30, 2009 grand slam against the Colorado Rockies (off of Rafael Betancourt)
• April 9, 2010 game-tying homer against the Atlanta Braves (off of Billy Wagner)
• And of course, November 1, 2010 three-run homer against the Texas Rangers (off of Cliff Lee)

He's left his mark in San Francisco Giants franchise history. I'm sure his time as a Giants shortstop is over, though. There is no better time to retire than this year, after winning the World Series MVP.

In other news...Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in 100 days.

Lastly...Many Giants are nominated for TYIB (This Year in Baseball) Awards.

• Buster Posey is nominated for the TYIB Rookie of the Year Award.
• Brian Wilson is nominated for the TYIB Closer of the Year Award.
• Pat Burrell is nominated for the TYIB X-Factor Player of the Year Award. 
• Andres Torres is not nominated for the TYIB Breakout Player of the Year Award. What gives?
• Brian Sabean is nominated for the TYIB Executive of the Year Award. 
• Bruce Bochy is nominated for the TYIB Manager of the Year Award. 
• Lastly, Cody Ross, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson are all nominees for the TYIB Postseason MVP Award. 

Also...Five Giants plays are nominated for the TYIB Postseason Moment of the Year:

• Lincecum's 14-K NLDS Game One
• Posey's play at the plate in NLCS Game Four
• Renteria's three-run homer against the Rangers in WS Game Five
• Wilson's strikeout of Ryan Howard to send the Giants to the WS 
• And..Juan Uribe's go-ahead shot in Game Six of the NLCS

You can vote for the TYIB Awards here.

Renteria = I'm a loner

Apparently, "I'm a loner" in Korean sounds like "Renteria." Awesome.





Thanks to Zachary Chiang for pointing this out.

MLB.com never ceases to impress me with its creative headlines...

Rings-eria