San Francisco Giants Should Make Pitch for Derek Jeter

The San Francisco Giants are fresh off a world series victory and about to lose their starting shortstop Juan Uribe, to the Los Angeles Dodgers as sources are now reporting that he is close to signing a three-year deal with them. The Giants will be in desperate need for someone to fill his void, with no one in the system capable of putting up the numbers that he did—Emmanuel Burriss and Eugenio Velez have shown nothing but ineptitude.

Mike Fontenot is a player who could perhaps fill the void, but he is more suited for a platoon and fill-in role, as he is more experienced, and is a better contact hitter than some of the free-swinging Giants. It is because of this that the Giants should look to the free agent market to land themselves a shortstop, and the one player out there who is drawing attention almost daily in the papers, is Derek Jeter, who is frozen in contract negotiations with the New York Yankees.

Jeter, 36, is rumored to be seeking a six-year deal worth ~$150 million, a contract which would bring him to age 42 and pay him $25 million a season. The Yankees maintain that they will not budge from their first and only offer so far of three-years, $45 million, a deal that will pay the aging star a more realistic number. Is Jeter worth what he is seeking? Absolutely not, if you are looking at what he can provide from here on out. But if you want to look to the past and thank the player that has led this team to five World Series Championships, made the All-Star team eleven times, and all while keeping his reputation spotlessly clean with the media, then he is worth that much. One could make the argument that had George Steinbrunner still been alive, none of this would be happening, but he isn’t, and now the career-Yankee, and first ballot hall-of-famer, who will achieve his 3000th hit this season, barring injury, is standing at an impasse with the most powerful team in baseball.

It is because of this that the Giants should make him an offer. Perhaps if he does not get what he is looking for from the Yankees, he would take a smaller deal elsewhere. I would suggest something along the lines of three-years, $60 million. An amount offering to pay him more than the Yankees, but still keeping the years at a realistic number. Jeter’s play dropped off dramatically this season—his average fell more than 60 points, his hits went from 212 to 179, homeruns from 18 to 10, and strikeouts rose from 90 to 106. His numbers were not bad, by any means, but it has obviously caused some concern with Yankee brass.

If the Giants were to sign Jeter, they would have some veteran stability in the infield, something that they sorely needed on the left side of second base last season. As good and clutch as Uribe was—hitting 24 homeruns and driving in 85—he was a defensive liability (as is Sandoval). Jeter’s defense may not be Gold Glove-caliber anymore, despite winning the award this season, but his range is definitely greater than that of Uribe, and he will provide something much more valuable than anyone on this current roster, and that is patience at the plate.

People often wonder why Yankee games last three hours, and that is because they know how to hit. They take bad pitches and force the pitcher to throw strikes, something the Giants have not done since the Barry Bonds-led years in the mid-2000′s. Uribe and Sandoval led the way in free-swinging. It has it benefits, such as Uribe swinging so hard he would almost fall over, guaranteeing that if he made contact, the ball would leave the yard, but much too often he found himself striking out or hitting into a double play. This is something that plagued the Giants heavily, and was the main reason why it took this team until the final game of the regular season to clinch a playoff spot.

I do not think it is realistic that the Giants will get Jeter; for the most part, this is just thinking out-loud. I believe that Derek Jeter will be a career-Yankee, something that fans have been wanting for essentially his entire career. But if these negotiations keep on dragging, and it does not look like a deal is in place, then the Giants should field him an offer. After all, if he signs in San Francisco he would not be labeled a traitor. The Giants and Yankees are not rivals, nor do they regularly even play each other. If he is going to leave New York, than the Golden State is one place he could go.

Giants Take One in Split Squad Games

This afternoon the Giants split their squad to face the Oakland Athletics in one game and the Seattle Mariners in the other. In both, the offense came through as the Giants scored a total of 15 runs today. The pitching was shaky, but it is all part of the learning process.

In the first game, the Giants fell to the A’s 8-7. Matt Cain was handed the loss when he gave up 8 hits that led to 5 runs (4 earned) in 2.2 innings. Relief pitcher Steve Johnson would account for the other three runs, but a barrage of six other relievers did not allow a run. This included spring training invites Guillermo Mota, Santiago Casilla and Denny Bautista. Brian Wilson was the only other regular to pitch today and he threw a scoreless 7th inning.

For the offense, the team’s leadoff hopeful Aaron Rowand went 2-3 and upped his average to .476. DeRosa also went 2-3 and Huff went 1-3, bloating their averages to  .714 and .353 respectively. Top prospect Buster Posey also went 2-4 this afternoon.

In the Giants win, they defeated the Mariners 8-4 to improve their spring record to 9-3. Kevin Pucetas tossed three perfect innings in the start to get his first win of the spring. Steve Edelfsen was roughed up in the final inning and his ERA bloated to 11.57. Giants also saw appearances from former Pirate Eric Hacker, last season surprise Brandon Medders, Osiris Matos, and Sergio Romo.

Andrew Torres made a case for a regular job when he homered, tripled and scored 3 runs while improving his batting average t0 .318. Giants would also get hits from Renteria, two from Lewis, Bowker, Whiteside, Rohlinger, Pill, and Velez.

The Giants are slated to face the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow as Jonathon Sanchez makes his third start of the spring.

Giants Need Veteran Bats to Step Up to Achieve Success

Since the departure of Barry Bonds two seasons ago, the San Francisco Giants have undergone a youth movement. From the completely revamped and most feared starting rotation in the major leagues, to the likes of Pablo Sandoval and  Eugenio Velez in the infield. The Giants will be expecting big numbers from Sandoval, dubbed the “Kung-Fu Panda” by teammate Barry Zito, a nickname that has since stuck. They will also need contributions from Velez, who has been up and down for the last three seasons as well as outfielder Fred Lewis.

Players like John Bowker and Buster Posey are no shoe-ins to make the team right out of spring training, but they too will need to be relied on to bring offense to a team who was the worst ranked run support in the entire National League last season, and not much better the year before. But with all the fresh, promising new faces in the lineup, the veterans will still have to lead the way if the team wants to make a run at the division title, and go anywhere in the playoffs.

Aaron Rowand, who saw time at lead off during the middle of last season will begin there on opening day. He does not have the blazing speed that one would like at the top of the order, but his contact ability and power may be more appealing than anyone else in the Giants’ lineup at that spot. Aubrey Huff was acquired in the off-season and they will desperately need power out of him. Huff has 15 HRs and drove in 85 RBIs but has hit 20 or more homeruns six times in his career.

Utility man Mark DeRosa will also be needed. He is likely to reach 20 homeruns because he is a right-handed batter and in order to be a successful power hitter in AT & T Park, you need to bad from the right side (save for a certain #25). He can play 1B, 2B, 3B and outfield, but he will most likely be starting in left field come opening day, with Rowand at center and Schierholtz in right.

Bengie Molina, who I feared would not sign with the Giants, ended up inking a one year deal with the team and he will bring leadership as well as offense. He has had career numbers since coming to San Francisco and has driven in no less than 80 RBIs in each of his three seasons here. But what will be more important is his ability to work the young pitching staff, which may be even younger if Kevin Pucetas and Madison Bumgarner make the team.

There really is not much to expect from Edgar Renteria, the Giants veteran shortstop. He hit well at the end of the year but that was not enough to erase a disastrous campaign in 2009. I would expect he gets the chance to start at short, but with how Juan Uribe ended last season, do not be surprised if he is even given a chance at all. The Giants need power this season and if Uribe can match what he did last year, then the team will be in for a treat.

Over the next few weeks I will be giving my stat predictions for hitters and pitchers on the Giants. The rebuild is slowly but surely getting there, and I think we are in for an exciting season in 2010.