After a season like this one, the intemperate fan is quick to shout, “Flush ‘em all and start over!”

In the interview I linked to yesterday, Brian Sabean didn’t bother to defend the house of straw he’s built the past three years, which only adds to the temptation to approach with a lit match. Matt Morris, now Mark Sweeney: Who’s next? is the evident question.

But I’ll take a contrarian point of view: a few veterans should stay next year. Behold:

* Bengie Molina. As our president likes to say, Make no mistake. Despite his clutch hitting this year, Molina has been merely adequate at the plate. He’s praised in some quarters for his defense and leadership, but he’s only thrown out 24% of runners, he’s already topped his career high in passed balls, and if intangible leadership were so important for young pitchers, why did the Giants jettison Matt Morris? That said, the Giants have no one to replace Molina on a daily basis. Guillermo Rodriguez and Eliezer Alfonzo, who after an ugly knee injury is playing back into shape in the minor leagues, have been adequate backups. But neither is ready to step into the starting role. Behind them, triple-A catcher Justin Knoedler also has career backup written on his forehead.

* Omar Vizquel. Huh? At the plate this year Omar has been worse than Neifi Perez gone organic. But barring a trade, the only conceivable replacement is Kevin Frandsen, who a) doesn’t look comfortable at shortstop and b) is actually hitting worse than Vizquel. Of all N.L. players with at least 150 at-bats, Frandsen has the second-worst OPS. He looks totally overmatched. He may yet blossom, but a full year’s worth of at-bats to find out may become a grim exercise. If the Giants can sign Vizquel to a reasonable one-year contract, they should do it.

* Ryan Klesko. His power is nearly gone, but he still gets on base at a nifty clip. If the Giants strike out again this winter in their attempts to find a legitimate power threat at 1B, Klesko would be a safety net. If someone better comes along, he can back up and pinch hit.

* Randy Winn. He’s so…Randy Winnish. The best thing about him this year (.291 / .345 / .407) is that he’s on track to hit his career averages (.285 / .345 / .420). He is what he is. He’s also expensive, but in a year that could see a lot of rollercoaster rookie performances, Winn may provide a little stability.

* Dave Roberts. I’ll write off his horrid first-half numbers as a byproduct of his injured elbow. His on-base percentage was .410 in July, is .355 in August, and he’s 9–for-11 in stolen bases over the same period. That’s more like it. Managed properly, he’s still an offensive asset. And if Bonds leaves, he can shift to left field where his arm is less of a weakness. Rajai Davis looks promising in a tiny sample size, but behind him there are no other leadoff men in the vicinity so don’t be so quick to ditch Roberts.

And finally….

* Barry Bonds. For the right price. We all said this last year, and the Giants gave the big lug $16 million (or $20 million when all is said and done). He has started 92 of the Giants 113 games. What if they brought him back as a part-time player at (for him) part-time prices? Would he do it? Would he be too distracting? What about $8–to-10 million with an out in case of legal trouble? When he’s in there, he’s still one of the best. In fact, according to OPS, he IS the best in the National League. Sure, his OBP is inflated because teams don’t care if he’s on base, but he’s in the top ten in slugging percentage, too.

All these suggestions are subject to change depending on trades and free-agent signings, of course. If Brian Sabean can trade Jonathan Sanchez and/or others for Hanley Ramirez or Kevin Youkilis, then obviously Omar Vizquel and Ryan Klesko should receive nothing more than a gold watch. We might see a trade or two in that vein over the winter, so we’ll adjust our tolerance for aging veterans accordingly.

NOTES:

Quote of the day: “This is what I do, just get on base, try to get into scoring position and make things happen.” – Rajai Davis, after going 3–for4 with two stolen bases yesterday.

For a serious and not-so-serious discussion of whom the Giants might get in return for Mark Sweeney, click here.

For a heart-warming story about Rick Ankiel, the pitching phenom who suddenly couldn’t throw a strike in the 2000 NL playoffs then spent years in injury hell, click here.