Here’s Bonehead Bochy’s early lineup card:
RF Randy Winn
SS Edgar Rentereia
3B Pablo Sandoval
C Bengie Molina
LF Fred Lewis
CF Aaron Rowand
1B Travis Ishikawa
2B Emmanuel Burriss, Kevin Frandsen or Eugenio Velez
Last season, the Giants were at or near the bottom in virtually every offensive category from the 3 and 4 spots in the lineup. Adding Renteria in the third slot, and leaving Molina as our cleanup hitter is the same as doing nothing. It means that we will be the same team we were last season, an anemic offense with some decent to spectacular starting pitching.
Not for nothing, but I don’t really have a problem with Sabean shit-canning the year and focusing on next. Just be honest about it.
But saying you are going to try and win, and then going out and making no significant changes to a last place offense, well, that’s infuriating. Sabean and company should be broiled for ignoring Texeria, a 28-year old stud who could carry the offense for the next six or seven years.
In fact, this team could hardly need Texeira more, if they intend to play to win, as Sabean seems to be suggesting they are.
Instead, we get to hear how we’re gonna go get the “still dominating” 45-year old Randy Johnson. Again, the team’s strength is supposed to be starting pitching, but we’re gonna sign a fossil of a starting pitcher. Great And after we’re done signing Johnson to another $10 million dollar deal, you will see that the $20 million needed to land Texeira will be laying on the ground between him and Renteria.
That’s just plain stupid.
UPDATE: As pointed out by Giantsrainman, Renteria is batting second. My bad.
But even so, the Giants were at the bottom in that slot as well (87 runs, 14th in the NL, 258 total bases, 12th, .322 OBP, 12th), and Renteria is projected to produce something just like that, so my point still holds. In his last big season, 2007, he scored 87 runs, had 232 total bases, and a .390 OBP, and that was the best season he’s run out in his last five. Last season he was nowhere near any of those numbers.
And your argument that Sandoval will be a big upgrade with the bat and the glove is based on what? Here’s how John Sickels sees him:
…. 2006 was an odd year. He hit just .265/.309/.322 for Augusta in the Sally League, with significant slippage in his plate discipline and no power. He played first base and third base, but without showing enough offense for either position. I left him out of the 2007 book, but would rate him a Grade C prospect, looking like he might get lost in the shuffle, though he was still just 19.
He recovered some stock value in 2007, hitting .287/.312/.476 for San Jose in the Cal League and moving back to catcher. Arm strength remained an asset, but problems with footwork and polish were present, granted moving positions didn’t help him gain consistency. His walk rate was quite low, just 16 walks in 401 at-bats, but the strikeouts weren’t out of bounds at 52 and the better power production was notable. I gave him a Grade C in the book this year, writing that the bat was intriguing but that I wasn’t sure where he would fit defensively.
Sandoval has been terrific this year: .359/.412/.597 in the California League, .337/.364/.549 in the Eastern League, .349/.366/.500 for the Giants. Given his age, I think this improvement is mostly for real, although I don’t think the .349 average will be sustainable over a full season. But I think he can hit .280-.300, with at least moderate power. Defensively, he’s spent time at first base, catcher, and third base for the Giants. The sample sizes are too small at each position for the defensive numbers to mean much, so I’m still unsure where he fits best in the long run. Obviously having a catcher who can hit like that is harder to find than a first baseman.
Poor footwork, lack of experience at the corner infield spots, devastatingly low OBP, and one good year out of four in the minors means he’s better than Pedro Feliz or whoever that horror show was last season?
I sure hope so, because, once again, the team has chosen to ignore the possibility of going after any of the top hitters available. And you can argue all you want about why you think they didn’t, but in the end, not having the financial wherewithal has to be considered one of the primary reasons. And $10 million dollars year for the Edgar Renteria’s of the baseball world is the reason they are in that spot.
I don’t know if anyone really pays attention to hitting splits versus left and right handed pitching but all this talk about Renteria and how much he sucks or doesn’t suck (I’m with the former) got me thinking.
Last 3 years(source ESPN)
vs. Left .349 .424 .528 .952
vs. Right .279 .330 .393 .723
Last year(same source)
vs. Left .366 .443 .561 1.004
vs. Right .239 .274 .324 .598
I hope we see a horrible mess of lefties next year because a .598 OPS vs right handed pitching is going to be hard to watch; and that’s if he can “maintain” his current level.
Panda was the only reason to watch this team’s ABs last year. Young, talented, and full of passion. Just plain fun.
Of course he isn’t enough, but denying his contribution and place is just hating the horse Sabean rode in on.
1. Sandoval is a lump. He may be good. He may be bad. The point is he is another overweight fat ass that Sabean seems to fall in love with periodically with a “maybe he can, maybe he can’t” projected career. He has added two mid-30 middle relievers. Ishikawa? Fuck me. Nobody knows if he can play either. I have my doubts. Once-twice around the league and we’re looking at Lance Niekro redux…pass.
Some are missing Johns bigger, more salient point. There is no change in direction from the past. It is more of the same. IF you do not change input, your output remains the same given the same or similar environment. It is that simple. You can quote all the fucking stats, projections, opinions in the entire world. You can continue your mental masturbating and season-ticket-purchasing justification until Bruce Bochy fits into normal-sized hat. Nothing is going to get better with these clowns this season unless there is a sea change in management. Period
Nice, totally ignore the facts and just argue on raw emotion. You are becoming oh so boring.
Mia – you’re just like all the other armchair GM’s out there who do nothing but bitch and moan. So what’s your solution? Let’s hear it. What did you expect, one year of re-building and the Giants would be WS contenders? The fact is, Renteria isn’t blocking anyone in the minors (hence the 2 year deal) and Randy Johnson would be a nice addition at the back end of the rotation for one year giving Alderson and Bumgarner some more experience in the minors.
Maybe Ishikawa isn’t the answer at 1B. But I’d like to give him a shot and see what he can do until Villalona is ready. Same goes for Sandoval. These guys are young and cheap – isn’t that what “fans” like yourself have been berating Sabean for? Not giving the “kids” a chance?
Why the cherry-pick John? You left out one of the good paragraphs in Sickel’s assessment.
“Sandoval hit .330/.383/.425 for Salem-Keizer in the Northwest League in 2005. The Giants moved him to third base, where he showed a strong arm but needed a lot of polish charging balls and such. Scouts were impressed with the bat, and I liked his low strikeout rate (33 Ks in 294 at-bats), liking the bat enough that I gave him an aggressive B- in the 2006 book.”
That’s 2 good years out of 4 actually. And really, only the top prospects don’t struggle in the minors at some point (the Longorias and Uptons of the world).
And for all your crying over the lack of power on the team, here’s a guy who could actually provide that. ZiPS (the most pessimistic projection I’ve found so far) has him projected at .284/.313/.455, which is a slightly league average at the plate once you take park factors into consideration. Aurilia and Castillo, the two main guys who played 3rd last season, hit .283/.332/.413 and .244/.290/.381 respectively. Pablo will probably be around -5 runs in the field playing most of the time at 3rd, but that’s only slightly worse than the about average defense those two older guys performed last season, plus he’ll more than make up the difference with the bat.
Pablo’s not yet an average third baseman, but he’s way above replacement and could likely develop into a good one.
Are you serious? Are you really basing you opinions on the value of adding Reteria on runs scored and total bases? You don’t really live you baseball life this far back in the dark ages do you? The only predictive stat you list is OBP and here without any evidence to support your position you just assume Renteria will just match the .322 OBP the 2 spot in the Giants lineup achieved last year. Even the most conservative projection system (ZIPS) sees a .341 OBP for Renteria. The other two that are already out (Marcel and Bill James) see a .345 OBP for Renteria.
But this is not even your biggest mistake. Your biggest mistake is comparing batting order position rather then to the players actually being replaced. Renteria will be the Giants SS in 2009 and therefore his plate apearances are replacing the plate appearances of Vizquel, Ochoa, and Boacock. These 3 Giants SSs last year combined for an almost unimaginably bad .259/.260/.519 OBP/SLG/OPS last year. The projections for Renteria’s OBP I provided above average .344. His projections for SLG are .389/.403/.417 Zips/BillJames/Marcel respectively and therefore average .403. Therefore the Giants are projected to improve by .085/.143/.228 OBP/SLG/OPS at SS. This is a huge improvement. Replacing last year’s 1B with Teixeria is not even projected to provide this much improvement.
giantsrainman
man…that is some good kool aid you must be drinking
why is winn still on this team? why are we spending so much for rowand and renteria?
man…cant wait till the end of st so i can watch guys like you bitch and moan
I am wary about signing Texeira, since this blocks Sandoval at what is probably his best position, 1B. He surely won’t make it at 3B — by June I am confident that 90% of Giants fans will agree with me about that. I have no idea whether Sandoval can make it at C, but until we know he can I would hold off making any big $ commitments to an alternate first baseman.
Further, the Giants would have zero chance to sign Teixeria even if the Renteria and Johnson $20M was still available. If Teixeria is willing to stay on the West Coast (unlikely) he would stay with the Angels. Most likely he will join RedSox to win, be close to home, and almost max his dollars. The Giants could not even compete with the Orioles and Nationals for him since they are most likely to max his dollars by approaching 10 years and they are his clear location preference if only he though they actually had a chance to become winners with him.
The Giants only chance at a difference maker free agent was CC and their indecision on getting involved killed that chance. That said, I do not think they would have been able to compete with $161M from the Yankees anyway.
You are so blinded by your hatred of mistakes made by the Giants in the last years of Bonds and MaGowan that you can not even see and understand your own writing or see the obvious improvement the Giants have made in their lineup for 2009.
RENTERIA IS HITTING 2ND NOT 3RD – You wrote this above but still could not see and understand – SANDOVAL IS HITTING 3RD
Obvious Improvements in Giants 2009 Offense Vs 2008 Offense
- 600 Plate Appearances from Renteria instead of Vizquel Boacock, and Ochoa
- 450 Additional Plate Appearances from Sandoval instead of Castillo, Rohlinger, and Gillispie
Not As Obvious but none the less likely Improvements in Giants 2009 Offense Vs 2008 Offense
- 450 Additional Plate Appearances from Ishikawa instead of Aurilia
- 250 Additional Plate Appearances from Schierholtz instead of Bowker
Only likely Reduction in Giants 2009 Offense Vs 2008 Offense
-300 Plate Appearances from Frandsen instead of Durham
The Net of these changes is likely to be the Giants offense improving from bottom 3rd NL Offense in Middle 3rd NL Offense. Only your blind hatred prevents you from seeing this.