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The Delmon Young Effect Is Crippling The Phils Lineup: Does it Need To Be Eradicated?
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday May.19, 2013
Delmon Young has not exactly lit it up for the Phillies this campaign – hitting .208/.286/.619 and just 1 HR, plus 4 RBI in 48 AB. Despite this abysmal start, Delmon Young is still going to hit 5th Today? Really?
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here) Follow @WARROOMPHLCHRIS
Charlie Manuel is, if not anything else, loyal to his players and his gut-feelings when it comes to filling out the Phillies lineup card every day. If it’s his dedication to Jimmy Rollins batting lead-off over the years or leaving Cliff Lee in for 120+ pitches when he might be cooked, he certainly honors a hunch for better or worse.
So it should come to no surprise there exists a strong belief in his mind that Delmon Young is the right-handed bat to protect Ryan Howard in the five-spot.
While maybe later this season that could eventually be true, the Delmon Young Effect has been plaguing the lineup over the past month after his return from an ankle injury.
Any batter entering into the MLB season a month late due to injury–and slightly out-of-shapedness–is going to play a little catch-up baseball at the plate and Young is certainly not an exception to the rule.
Jose Valverde Returns To The Detroit Tigers: Rondon Also Called Up For The Bullpen
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, April.24/2013
Valverde was the best option available for a club that is expected to win the American League Central Division – and possibly return to the 2013 World Series. The ‘Closer by committee’ had less than stellar results thus far- and Jim Leyland was not a fan of operating that way. The slimmer 35 Year Old from the Dominican Republic will assume the Finisher’s role immediately – and should be available for game action tonight in Detroit at Comerica Park.
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
Yes, Jose Valverde has returned to the Tigers and will be available as early as Wednesday night.
This all came quite quickly through the evening on Tuesday. After making three appearances for Class A Lakeland, Valverde was expected to join the Toledo Mud Hens to get some extra extended work before possibly joining the Tigers.
But Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski decided to skip some steps.
Jose Valverde 2011 Highlights – Mature Content so Parental Guidance is advised:
Avisail Garcia Back To Baseball: Decision Possibly Looming For 4th OF Spot In Motown!
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Avisail Garcia made his Major League Debut during the last part of the Regular Season in 2012. The man hit for a 3 Slash Line of (.319/.373/.692) in 47 AB and played a role in the Tigers World Series Berth of 2012 . Garcia had 5 Hits and 3 RBI during 11 AB in the 2012 ALCS versus the New York Yankees.
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
The Detroit Tigers young Outfielder finally returned to baseball this past Saturday.
Avisail Garcia, 21-years-old, played in an Extended Spring Training – game and went 1 for 3, with 2 Walks, 1 Strikeout, and a Stolen Base.
He suffered a severely bruised right heel injury back on March 16th that has kept him sidelined until Saturday. His next step will be a Rehab Assignment, likely in Lakeland for a couple than up to Toledo.
The real decision is what the Tigers will do with him once he is ready for full duty.
Avisail Garcia – from Baseball Instinct:
Giants Farm System Update
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday April. 18, 2013
The Augusta Greenjackets are the official low-A team for the San Francisco Giants.
By Jon Schifferle ( Giants Correspondent – visit his own personal website here.) Follow @jonschifferle
It seems that we are probably far enough into the season to start looking at the farm system and start making some assumptions about players at their new levels. While it is definitely too early to make big judgments on players, it is always fun to speculate, isn’t it?
For this article, I will take a look at players at Low-A Augusta, and will look at the other teams later on. I won’t go over every single player, or else this series of articles could be 20 pages long. For now I will just take on top prospects and potential breakout candidates. Let’s take a look into the Giants Low A team to start:
Joan Gregorio Highlights:
Is Tim Lincecum As Bad As We All Think?
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday April.18, 2013
Lincecum had a better 2nd half in 2012 – with a 7-5 record and a 3.83 ERA. It was still a little too late to bestow Bochy with faith as the teams 1st or 2nd best starter heading into the 2012 playoffs. Lincecum pitched well out of the Bullpen in the World Series run. While he is still 1 – 0 on the year, the former 2 time NL Cy Young Winner has yielded a National League high 12 Walks – while sporting a 5.63 ERA in 3 Games Started and 16 innings Pitched. His WHIP is also a bloated 1.563. These numbers are far above his Career ERA of 3.34 and his WHIP of 1.235. He may be better off to pitch out of the Bullpen.
By Jon Schifferle ( Giants Correspondent – visit his own personal website here.) Follow @jonschifferle
Is Tim Lincecum as Bad as we all Think?
This most simple answer is no he isn’t. While his 5.63 ERA through his first few starts this season aren’t exactly inspiring, there are some definite things that we can take away from his starts.
In his start against Colorado, his line of 6 IP, 4H, 6ER, 4BB, 7 SO, 1 HR is nothing to get excited about, but he did do a really good job of recovering form the bad inning to make it 6 Innings.
Another thing to look at was his line without that bad second inning, which to remind everyone, had a pretty costly error in it. 5IP, 2H, ER, BB, 6K’s. Now that looks a lot more like the old Tim Lincecum, doesn’t it?
Tim Lincecum Highlights:
Justin Verlander Makes Good On His 1st Start After Signing His Recent 5 Year Extension
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Justin Verlander paid immediate dividends for his new Salary Extension in the Tigers Season Opener on the road yesterday at Target field, throwing 5 scoreless Innings and fanning 7 batters. Verlander anchors a talented Detroit Pitching Rotation that features Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello. Detroit GM Dave Dombroski is smart enough to realize that there is possiblu a small 3 year window with Fielder, Cabrera and the former AL Cy Young Award Winner all on the same team signed – and primed for another World Series Title push with this move.
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
No worries, the ‘Holy Grail’ of Detroit will be a Tiger through 2019. Last Friday afternoon, Justin Verlander inked a record-breaking 5-year contract extension.
He will earn $20 Million this season and next season, then a whopping $28 Million per year for the next five seasons.
In case math isn’t your strong suit, that’s a total of $180 Million. The deal also includes a vesting option for 2020 that’s worth $22 Million. So he could potentially earn $202 Million over the next 8 years.
What is a Vesting Option? It’s basically a clause that reassures teams from overpaying to declining players. While we don’t officially know the Vesting Option clause, it is said to be based on Cy Young Award balloting (as reported by Larry Lage, AP).
Justin Verlander Highlights – Highlights from 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance are advised.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 29, 2013
Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I talk about the contract extensions of Buster Posey and Justin Verlander and why I want them both to become Hall of Famers.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.
San Francisco Giants Payroll in 2013: And Contracts Going Forward (Updated Mar.8)
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday March 8, 2013
Angel Pagan (31) led the NL in Triples with 15 in 2012 amongst his 61 Extra Base Hits and 95 Runs. Pagan parlayed his great campaign into a 4 Year/$45 MIL Contract.
By Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
Coming off of the 2012 World Series victory, the Giants haven’t really done much this offseason. Either way every team in the league is going to be trying to take them down. When you’re the Champion of all of baseball, what team wouldn’t be gunning for you? Their biggest contest is going to be their rivals in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has made more moves since August than you can count. The Giants realize what a great team they have and how little moves they made have shown they are confident in what they can do in 2013.
The possibly most important move they have made is resigning the Second-Half-hero Marco Scutaro. His 3 yr./$20,000,000 deal is a great deal for San Francisco. After what he did the Giants probably would have considered paying more for Scutaro. You just can’t match .500 AVG in the NLCS. This man was the definition of clutch for the club. Other very important deals include Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Jeremy Affeldt. Pence, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Phillies, was a huge reason the Giants even made it past the NLDS. His inspirational speeches got the entire squad ready before every game. Him resigning for a 1 YR./$13,800,000 deal was huge for him and the Giants. The team gets to utilize his skills for another year – while he gets to prove he’s worth more come next winter.
San Francisco Giants: 2012 World Series Highlights. Mature lyrics- parental guidance is advised:
Marco Scutaro: From Underrated To Post Season Hero – To Multi Year Re – UP!
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If it wasn’t for the Scutaro-Culberson trade in July, the Giants may not have played as well as they did. He hit .362 as a Giant and only swung-and-missed 59 times throughout the entire season. Trading a top prospect for the 36 year-old may have seemed crazy at first, but it without-a-doubt paid off in the end. As one of the best contact hitters in the MLB, he has a Career 3 Slash of .276/.340/731. Last year his 3 Slash Line with the Giants was .362/.385/.859 in 61 Games. The guy also hits well at AT & T for his Career (.322/.377/.827) – a park known to be extremely tough on Right Handed Batters.
By Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
2012 was certainly a season to remember for the NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro. After spending 8 years in the American League with the Oakland A’s, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Boston Red Sox, Scutaro made his return to the National League appearing in a Colorado Rockies uniform. Halfway through the season they shipped him out to San Francisco in return for Second Base prospect Charlie Culberson. This turned out to be probably the Giants most important move of the season.
When Scutaro made his return to the Bay Area he was only hitting .271, about average for the league. Colorado thought it would be a good idea to trade the 36 year-old for a top prospect and plan for the future. The Rockies weren’t the only team to benefit from gathering a solid prospect for a 36 year-old average ball player.
Marco Scutaro 2012 NLCS Highlights:
Detroit Tigers Roster in 2013: State Of The Union
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Thursday, February. 21/2013
The Trio of Verlander, Fielder, and Cabrera represented Detroit at the All-Star game in 2012 as well as on the MVP ballot with Cabrera winning, Verlander coming in 8th, and Fielder coming in 9th. They also combined for an 18.8 WAR in 2012
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @ryandana1
I would never say that a team is a lock to win their division, but I will say that the Detroit Tigers shouldn’t make any vacation plans for October of 2013. They’ve won the AL Central Division for the past 2 years, and added an AL Pennant in 2012. The Detroit Tigers franchise is one rich in history winning 4 World Series titles and having legends such as Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Al Kaline, and Charlie Gehringer passing through the “D” just to name a few.
This proud franchise did suffer a lull in success somewhat recently as they had a losing record every season from 1994-2005. This included a dismal 43-119 record in ’03. The Tigers came back from the abyss and turned their team back into a winning ball club since 2006. This was Jim Leyland’s 1st season managing the Tigers, and all he did was lead the team to 95 wins (a 24 win increase from the prior season) and a World Series appearance.
In 2011, the Tigers lost in the ALCS, and in 2012 they lost in the World Series, so could they improve upon the previous seasons ending once again and win the 2013 World Series? Well, their roster is certainly improved from last year, but it’s all about keeping up with the “Jones” in the MLB nowadays. Every team with money is trying to make a serious World Series run this year. While the Tigers are in the weakest division in the AL, if and when they reach the playoffs, it will be a gruesome battle to endure.
The Tigers have all the makings of a World Series contender. They have Superstars in their lineup like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. They have a true Ace leading their deep, seemingly all in and around their prime, starting rotation in Justin Verlander. They also have good depth on their 25 man roster, and even more in their Minor League system. I’ll start with their rotation. Here’s what it will most likely look like…
2013 Detroit Tigers Starting Rotation: Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello
Detroit Tigers 2012 ALCS Highlights:
Raising Cain: The New Ace Of The San Francisco Giants
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Wednesday February 20, 2013
Matt Cain had been living in the shadow of Tim Lincecum ever since the 2008 season. After Cain’s brilliant 2012 campaign – coinciding with Lincecum’s worst year to date, he has proven himself as the new ace of the Giants’ pitching rotation. He is 55-35 (.611) over the last 4 seasons -with an ERA under 3.
By Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @TheKHolland13
On Saturday, February 16, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced, to no one’s surprise at all, that Clayton Kershaw would be the Opening Day starter for the third straight year. You didn’t have to be a baseball expert to see that one coming. What may have possibly come as a surprise to some is who his opponent will be on April 1 at Dodger Stadium.
Bruce Bochy announced Monday, February 18 that Matt Cain will be making his first career Opening Day start. For the last 4 years Tim Lincecum took the hill on Opening Day. The 2 years before that was Barry Zito and the 2 before him? Jason Schmidt. That brings us all the way back to when Matt Cain first suited up in 2005. Matt Cain has had a brilliant career since debuting in 2005 with the Giants. Throughout these fantastic years though, Matt Cain has been unable to call himself the ace of the Giants staff.
Matt Cain Perfect Game All 27 Outs:
San Francisco Giants Payroll in 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday February 8, 2013
Without Marco Scutaro during the second half of the 2012 season – who knows if the Giants would’ve gone nearly as far as they did. He hit a very impressive .362 after joining the Giants in July. He hit a new NLCS record .500 versus the Cards last year. Resigning him was definitely a priority for the Giants so signing him through 2015 on a 3 YR/$20,000,000 was huge for both sides of the deal.
By Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
Coming off of the 2012 World Series victory, the Giants haven’t really done much this offseason. Either way every team in the league is going to be trying to take them down. When you’re the Champion of all of baseball, what team wouldn’t be gunning for you? Their biggest contest is going to be their rivals in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has made more moves since August than you can count. The Giants realize what a great team they have and how little moves they made have shown they are confident in what they can do in 2013.
The possibly most important move they have made is resigning the Second-Half-hero Marco Scutaro. His 3 yr./$20,000,000 deal is a great deal for San Francisco. After what he did the Giants probably would have considered paying more for Scutaro. You just can’t match .500 AVG in the NLCS. This man was the definition of clutch for the club. Other very important deals include Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Jeremy Affeldt. Pence, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Phillies, was a huge reason the Giants even made it past the NLDS. His inspirational speeches got the entire squad ready before every game. Him resigning for a 1 YR./$13,800,000 deal was huge for him and the Giants. The team gets to utilize his skills for another year – while he gets to prove he’s worth more come next winter.
San Francisco Giants: 2012 World Series Highlights. Mature lyrics- parental guidance is advised:
Brian Wilson’s Legacy In San Francisco
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Friday January 25, 2013
Brian Wilson suffered a season ending injury in April of 2012. He could only scrape together 1 save in 2 opportunities. The Giants wound up winning the World Series even without their star closer.
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports intern): Follow @TheKHolland13
Brian Wilson has been a member of the San Francisco Giants since the summer of 2006. He started off as a reliever, beardless might I add, and gradually made his way up to the closer he is today. Back then he wasn’t the big name player that he is now. Back when they still had the likes of Barry Bonds on the team. Only recently has he made his way to one of the best closers in the league, and one of the craziest.
2010 is when he really made his way onto the scene. Sure, he was an All-Star in 2008 but quite frankly; the Giants weren’t nearly good enough for him to be noticed. San Francisco finished fourth in the NL West with a 72-90 record, a little surprising considering Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young Award. Out of those 72 wins, Wilson saved 41 and got the win in 3 of them.
Best Brian Wilson Interview Of ALL-Time:
Giants Player Profile: The Return Of Andres Torres in 2013
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Wednesday January 9, 2013
Torres (right) did not enjoy his time as a Met hitting only .230 with a .327 OBP in 132 games. He was done in New York after just one year as they decided not to tender him by the November 30 Deadline – making him a Free Agent.
Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
The Giants’ offseason thus far hasn’t been very exciting from most fans point-of-views. They haven’t made any blockbuster moves. Actually they haven’t made any new moves at all. They resigned the second half hero, Marco Scutaro. They resigned Centerfielder Angel Pagan. They also resigned one of their star pitchers in the bullpen Jeremy Affeldt. The 2013 is going to shape up to be essentially the same exact team as the 2012 World Champions. One new addition to the team? He’s a familiar face actually and was on the 2010 World Series Champions team.
On December 13, 2012, the Giants resigned Outfielder Andres Torres. Torres was a key contributor in the 2010 World Series run with a .268 BA and a .343 OBP. He hit (.350 in the NLCS) and .318 in the 2010 World Series,. He was very reliable in the outfield, playing all 3 positions as he had a very impressive .997 Fld% throughout the 2010 campaign.
Andres Torres Triple Against Jon Garland (Padres) 2010:
Torres as a member of the Giants in 2009. He hit for an Average of .253 in his 3 years as a Giant.
After a disappointing 2011 season in San Francisco, the Giants shipped him off to the New York Mets in exchange for Angel Pagan. The deal clearly worked in the Giants favor as Pagan was giant in the World Series run. As he was tearing it up in San Francisco, Torres struggled big time. He hit .230 with a .327 OBP in 132 games. He had a very sub-par season this summer as a part of the Mets.
When the Mets decided not to offer Torres a contract on November 30 – he had plenty of options. Although more than enough teams were showing interest, he displayed his intent to sign with the Giants from day 1.
“No disrespect to [the other teams], but I told my agents that I wanted to play for the Giants. My heart was there. The Giants were the team that gave me an opportunity.”
Torres reportedly signed for the “low” salary of 1 Year/ 2 Million Dollars. He likely got higher offers from other contending teams but San Francisco is where he wanted to participate in 2013.
The playing time is going to be very limited in San Francisco for Torres. The Giants have a set outfield. Blanco in Left Field, Pagan in Center Field, and Pence in Right Field. Torres is likely going to be playing when one of those guys needs an off day. He may also be in the lineup against Left-Handed Pitchers as the Giants have been looking for a Right-Handed Batter, or switch hitter, to replace Blanco.
Torres was a great signing for the Giants because of a few reasons. First, the Giants needed that player to replace Blanco in the lineup. Second, the Giants weren’t looking to spend a large sum of money this offseason. 2 Million Dollars is not a huge amount of money. It’s perfect because Torres knew that he was not going to be making the big bills next year. His disappointing season as a Met basically told him he wasn’t worth a lot of money. Plus he was willing to take any amount of money from the Giants just in order to be a part of the club.
Back through 2009-2011, Torres made himself a fan-favorite among the San Francisco faithful. Instead of signing Shane Victorino for a huge amount of money, they ultimately chose Torres. Fans hate Shane Victorino. For one he’s a dirty player in general. Giants specific fans mostly hate him because of that brawl that happened on August 5, 2011. I went to the game the next day on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I’ve never heard louder boos. I’ve been to Red Sox vs Yankees games and the Sox game against the Rays after Luke Scott made those comments about Fenway Park. Those boos to Victorino were by far the loudest. Giants fans hate this man. There is no doubt they would take a lousy fan favorite over a hated, overrated, and dirty player.
With Torres knowing he wasn’t going to be a starter in 2013 – he just wanted to go where he knows he will have fun playing. There’s not a prayer he starts the majority of the games next year unless injury occurs. He is just happy to have another opportunity to bring home another ring while playing in San Francisco.
Andres Torres (right) strongly expressed his interest in coming back to San Francisco in 2013. He was big in their World Series Championship in 2010 hitting .350 in the NLCS and .318 in the World Series.
(*The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com*)
Welcome to our newest Baseball Intern: Kyle Holland:
Kyle is a life long baseball fan outside of Boston. He is a sophomore in high school has played baseball since he was 5. Although growing up in one of the best baseball towns in the major leagues, he has been a Giants fan since 2009. He credits his aunt with the Giants being his favorite team as she lives in San Francisco. Some of his favorite players include Buster Posey, Stephen Drew, Trevor Bauer, Stephen Strasburg, and Minor leaguer Danny Hultzen. You can find Kyle on Twitter Follow @TheKHolland13.
Please e-mail us at: mlbeports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
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The San Francisco Giants 2013 Player Roster: State Of The Union
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Monday December 24, 2012
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern): Follow @TheKHolland13
There’s no question that the San Francisco Giants have been one of the best teams in the MLB in recent years. This includes 2 World Series championships in 2010 and 2012. Without an injury to Buster Posey in 2011, we could be talking about a three-peat right now. 2012 was without a doubt the greater year between 2010 and 2012 making sure they would have a spot in October baseball. In 2010, they cut it close by not clinching the NL West until Game 162. This year, they wasted no time at all as they took out the Dodgers by clinching the Division on September 2nd. When they were in the playoffs, they won won 6 straight elimination games during the NLDS and NLCS, versus the Reds and Cardinals respectively, erasing 2-0 and 3-1 deficits. The Giants then swept Detroit on their way to their second World Series ring in 3 Years.
Now the question all Giants fans are asking: What is needed for the Giants to have the possibility to repeat in 2013?
So far the Giants have done a lot this winter. That all but means you’ll see a different 9 guys on the field opening day. Right now it looks like it may be the same 9 that started game 4 of the World Series. The Giants haven’t really made any changes so far. They have resigned their 2 Major Free Agents, Marco Scutaro and Angel Pagan. They even resigned their major pitching Free Agent, Jeremy Affeldt. Their projected 25 Man Roster is going to be a tough one to take down in the NL West. Even with he Dodgers looking to eclipse the 250 Million Dollar Mark in Payroll, the Giants should still make a push for the Division in 2013
First, let’s look at their starting pitching. It’s not going to change much besides the order. You can expect Matt Cain to be taking the bump when the Giants open up on the road against the Dodgers on April 1st. Cain was their ace in 2012. He led the team in Wins (16) ERA (2.79) and SO (193). He also got the W in-Game #5 of the NLDS, Game 7 of the NLCS, and he started Game 4 of the World Series. His most memorable moment of the 2012 season was a Perfect Game against the Houston Astros on June 14. Read the rest of this entry
2012 Offseason Giants Key Free Agents: To Sign Pagan and Scutaro?
Thursday November 29th, 2012
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer):
It is not an outrageous thought that the San Francisco Giants, coming off their second World Series title in three years would not have a problem signing two key free agents. Angel Pagan was a fixture at the top of the lineup throughout the year and played a big part in helping the Giants reach the playoffs and World Series. Marco Scutaro, a trade deadline acquisition, provided the Giants with the boost they needed to leave the Dodgers in the dust in the NL West. Not to mention, Scutaro caught fire in the NLCS against the Cardinals and wound up NLCS MVP. Signing both of these guys would most likely make the Giants favorites for a Wild Card at the least. It could be hard to compete with the Dodgers for the West after the blockbuster trade that they made with the Red Sox, but Scutaro and Pagan could help. So, how likely is it that both free agents sign with the Giants and return for 2013? Also, why has this team been so quiet in pursuing other Free Agents so far?
Unfortunately for most Giants fans, not very likely. I see the Giants signing one or the other. Angel Pagan, coming off a great season, will undoubtedly ask for more than he’s worth. The Giants also have highly regarded prospect Gary Brown waiting in the wings. He is suited to man centerfield for years to come. Pagan is probably looking for at least four years, and Brown will most likely be ready by late 2013 or 2014. Pagan would probably demand somewhere around $10-12 million per year. He has been a great fit for the top of the Giants lineup, setting the table for Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey. He led the league in triples and scored 95 runs, partially due to his great second half. Pagan’s speed is especially valuable in the spacious outfield of AT&T Park. Gary Brown also has great speed, so there will not be too much of a discrepancy in the defensive abilities once Brown is a Giant. What comes to my mind when I think about rewarding Pagan with a large contract is Aaron Rowand. The Giants made a huge mistake by giving Rowand a large contract after just one good year. Pagan, like Rowand at the time, has not had a streak of consecutive great years, so signing him for more than a few years could be risky.
Baseball’s Best Bullpen: Arizona Diamondbacks
Friday November 2nd, 2012
The Diamondbacks are looking at having an incredibly strong bullpen in 2013.
Alex Mednick (Baseball Writer and Analyst):
In 2011, the Arizona Diamondbacks made a really nice push in the AL West and finished with 94 wins, 8 games ahead of the second place San Francisco Giants. They performed well above expectations, and they did so with a relatively unglamorous starting rotation, that consisted mainly of Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders, Josh Collmenter, Daniel Hudson and a revolving 5th starter. What really carried the team in 2011 and made the Arizona Diamondbacks a competitive in 2011, happened to be their weakest link in their miserable 2010 season: the bullpen.
The Diamondbacks won 29 more games in 2011 than they did in 2010. The most drastic changes made by the organization were in the bullpen where the D-Back’s added closer J.J. Putz and setup man David Hernandez. The 2011 bullpen allowed 100 fewer runs than their predecessors in 2010 and dropped their group ERA from 5.74 in 2010 to just 3.71 in 2011. It goes without saying that their newly revamped bullpen allowed Arizona to stay close in a lot more games and gave them a better chance to be winners.
Following their great 2011 season, the D-Back’s found themselves reverting back to their former ways in 2012. Finishing 13 games behind the first place Giants, and just barely hanging on to a .500 record, the Diamondback’s finished 81-81. You want to know something interesting? It was their bullpen, once again, that failed. Read the rest of this entry
Game 4 Recap: Giants Sweep the Tigers to Win the 2012 World Series
Monday October 29th, 2012
Kyle Holland: If your favorite sport is baseball, what more can you ask for in a game? Even if you love or hate the Giants, you can’t help but have been amazed by game 4. Any baseball fan should have enjoyed that contest. The war between the Giants and Tigers. Like the guy who sat behind home plate all series. He wore a Marlins jersey and hat to all the games. That is dedication. That is a man who loves his baseball.
After the grueling 162 game regular season, the San Francisco Giants are your 2012 World Series champions! This crown did not come with ease, as most of you know. They went down 0-2 vs the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS. They miraculously came back to win that series. Then came the NLCS. They split games 1 and 2, and then the Giants lost 2 straight to go down 1-3. They somehow made a comeback against a great Cardinals team to even make it to the Fall Classic. Read the rest of this entry
Marco Scutaro: The Best 2012 Trade Deadline Deal And NLCS MVP
Wednesday, October.24/2012
The Post Season almost ended for Marco Scutaro in Game #2 in St. Louis as Matt Holliday slid late to break up a double play. Scutaro stayed in that game and collected a key hit before being pulled as a precautionary move. He would come back and play from games 3-7. —Photo Courtesy of giants.com
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I am pleased to always write about a player that has appeared one of my #UnheraldedAwarenessWeeks on Twitter. For those that don’t know what that is, every week I pick a retired player and a current player to talk about and share info, stats, stories and funny anecdotes about. Marco Scutaro was one of those players in September. My buddy Patrick (who hosts a PODCAST I do MLB Expert Interviews on called ‘The Big Ticket Show‘) was the first one to say this signing was good. I did remember that Scutaro was able to plate a 100 runs for the Jays in 2009 despite only playing in 144 games and also provided solid offense out of the Shortstop Position. He was hitting in low .300′s at the time of the trade on July.27 to the San Francisco Giants from the Rockies. I wasn’t as sold on the guy heading to AT &T Park to play half of his games at home. I quickly came on board when he started tearing it up in his 1st week as a Giant. Boy did I ever turn out to be wrong with him batting in San Francisco too, where he hit .352 in 33 games at AT &T Park in 2012. That is an incredible average for what is one of the toughest parks on player averages in the Major Leagues!
With his 3rd organization since Jan.21 of this year, Scutaro has provided the necessary spark to the Giants lineup that was voided with losing Melky Cabrera. At 37 years old, he should be able to garner one more multi-year contract
Scutaro ended up being the best trade deadline acquisition in the Major Leagues this year. Not only did he hit .339 in the second half, he also hit .402 in the month of September and the last 3 games of the regular season in October. After going 0-12 in the 1st 3 games against Cincinnati in the NLDS, Scutaro has put a 9 game hitting streak together-and he had 6 multi-hit games in the NLCS en-route to being named the NLCS MVP. He has pivotal game changing hits in Game #2 (where he also got run into by a hard and controversial slide by Matt Holiday before leaving) and in Games 6 and 7. Scutaro tied and LCS record by recording 14 hits in 28 AB for a .500 Average. while scoring 7 runs. The man has also contributed solid defense at second base, a position the Giants have struggled to fill since Jeff Kent left almost a decade ago. Read the rest of this entry
