HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Giant fans! College Football is nearly complete, and the Super Bowl is a month away...
And before you know it, Spring will be back in the air, and pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in about six weeks. Personally, I just can't get enough baseball (thank you MLB Network), and keep hoping the Giants will make some more moves to improve on an 88-win season in 2009. Yes, they re-signed Juan Uribe (because he couldn't get a multi-year deal elsewhere), and picked-up the versatile Mark De Rosa; however, that's just not enough for me. Assuming Bengie Molina doesn't return (he's been offered two years by the Mets), another bat must walk through that clubhouse door come spring training.
Brad Penny walked away from the Giants, who seemingly made a comparable offer to the one year deal he inked with the Cardinals ($7.5 million with incentives that could boost the deal closer to nine-million dollars). Penny joins Cy Young runner-ups Carpenter and Wainwright in a solid rotation, and Matt Holiday appears certain to remain in a line-up featuring the great Albert Pujols. Maybe Penny thought the Cards were closer to the NL Pennant than San Francisco.
One pitcher who will not be in Arizona this spring is 46-year-old veteran Randy Johnson, who has officially announced his retirement after twenty-two seasons and 303 victories. A 10-time all-star, 5-time Cy Young Award winner, and World Series MVP, Johnson's accomplishments stack-up against almost any other left-handed pitcher ever in the history of the game. Too bad his season was cut short due to injury, otherwise, he may have won three or four more games.
Juan Uribe is a valuable component returning to this roster on a one-year deal.
Once again, with Uribe and Eugenio Velez, Bruce Bochy can mix-and-match all over the diamond, and ride the hot hand. Uribe was exactly that down the stretch, and raked the ball from the middle of August through the end of the season. He finished with a solid .289 average with 16 homers and 55 RBI's in 122 games.
Add De Rosa to the mix with Pablo Sandoval (a three position player), and the possibilities are unlimited. It's a good insurance policy, but I would like to see a set, everyday line-up. Uribe can handle third base and De Rosa can play left. Or, Play DeRosa at third, and Uribe can spell either Renteria at short, or Sanchez at second. Sandoval can play first or third or even catch in a pinch.
I cannot believe Adam LaRoche turned down a legitimate offer from the Giants. Please. I think he's just not interested in playing on the West Coast. Look at his career to date: the majority in Atlanta, and turns through Pittsburgh and Boston. East Coaster all the way, and probably looking at the A.L. where he can also be a DH.
I would like to see the Giants add a veteran catcher to take some pressure off Buster Posey, and find an outfielder who hits left-handed not named Fred Lewis. Jhonny Damon???
Now that both Penny and Johnson are out of the team's plans for 2010; does that mean it's time for Madison Bumgardner or maybe another veteran arm to round out the rotation of Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, and Zito.
Bobby Howry is gone (signed with Arizona), essentially replaced by Sergio Romo and Dan Runzler to go with Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson. The team did sign Tony Pena, Jr. to a minor league contact, and he could fit into the mix as well. He's making the transition from position player (came up as a short stop with Kansas City) to pitcher.
So, until something else interesting happens, what kind of Opening Day Line-up do the Giants have if the season started tomorrow?
Velez LF
Sanchez 2B
Sandoval 1B
Schierholtz RF
De Rosa 3B
Renteria SS
Rowand CF
Posey C
Lincecum SP
Does that excite any one? Jermaine Dye anyone?
Keywords: Adam LaRoche, Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Barry Zito, Bengie Molina, Bobby Howry, Brad Penny, Bruce Bochy, Chris Carpenter, Edgar Renteria, Eugenio Velez, Fred Lewis, Freddy Sanchez, Jhonny Damon, Jonothan Sanchez, Jr., Juan Uribe, Madison Bumgardner, Mark De Rosa, Matt Cain, Matt Holiday, MLB Network, New York Mets, Pablo Sandoval, Randy Johnson, San Francisco Giants, Tim Lincecum, Tony Pena
