It could be worse... at least it is only 12 million a year, which is a 30% increase on Winn. I'd rather have Rowand at that price if it means we keep Lincecum (no more trade talk to Toronto).

Only $12 M a year! Strange times we live in.

Didn't Vlad sign for $14 million back in 2004?

Sh$@#t! Sabean can't help himself..."youth movement" my ass. How many wins will this warrior bring? They need talent at several positions, and the only way to get that is grow it slowly and carefully. This is not careful. What younger talent are they ignoring, or in a lost-opportunity sense, never even recruiting 'cause they can't afford them? I'm checking out on these Giants -- see you when they finally fire Sabean.

man...this offseason was sooo close to a complete disaster that this move does not phase me in the slightest.

Ugh. I like Rowand as a player I really do. But the guy had his best offensive year last year, a contract year, in a much better hitter's park with a much better line-up around him. If he even approaches numbers like last year's it will be nothing short of a minor miracle. This would be great if he was being brought in to be the 4th best hitter in the line-up as opposed to options No. 1 through 7.

At least the Giants didn't trade half their minor league system for Miguel Tejada, who will probably post similar numbers to Rowand, earn more money the next two years, and play a range-challenged SS.

Well, I have had the afternoon to cool off. I see this as a tip of the cap to marketing/selling tickets. It also does, undeniably, make the team better in '08 and '09. But, for '10, assuming he's still walking, do we want Rowand in CF?
He is exactly a RH RAndy Winn. And, altho '07 was a career year, his on the raod numbers were 299/368/475/843 and 10 HRs). This is still in the smaller parks in the East. (Winn: 292/356/462/818 and 10 HRs [eerie, no?]). And keep in mind, Rowand's SLG is inflated by his 17 HRs in Philly's band box). Next year he plays over 100 games in AT&T, LA, and SD, so I expect his production to decline significantly (I also expect a decline as he got hot in Aug and Sep when the Phillies were in a pennant chase and hit 12 HRs - he won't have that motivation next year). It is possible he will benefit from the larger field, as did Randy Winn, who hit significatnly better at home than on the road. I just think there are too many extraneous negative indicators: '07 = contract year, '07 = pennant chase, trying justify new, big contract.
I don't mind the move as an effort to improve in '08 and '09, but I do fear it means we are likely to trade one or more of our young OFs, it leads to slowed development of Schierholtz, Lewis, Davis. So, when '10 rolls around, he won't be the player he is today and our prospects haven't developed much - ie we'll still be wondering if Schierholtz, et al are solutions as regulars.

Frank ,a couple points:

- Rowand at the plate is a lot like Winn, but he's a better defensive CF. Definitely an upgrade over anyone on the current 40-man roster.

- Re. the slowed development of the young guys: I won't be surprised if either Winn or Roberts is dealt, which will free up a lot more PT for the young guys. As it stands I can see Davis platooning in LF with Roberts, Lewis the 5th OF, and Schierholtz back in AAA to work on his patience, which could use a lot of work.

True, on both counts, ELM. I think Rowand will hit a few more HRs than Winn by virtue of hitting RH. To me, the problem with the plan you outline is that, 12 months from now we will know very little more than we know now about Lewis, Davis, Sheirholtz - and absolutley nothing about Bowker. I will be disappointed if we keep all 3, Rowand, Roberts, Winn. And if we end up with only Rowand, I would be pretty happy.

>and absolutley nothing about Bowker

Bowker had a good year in AA. There's no reason he should spend the majority of 2008 in the big leagues, which your comment seems to imply. We'll know plenty about him in 12 months from his work at Fresno. A little major league service time next year would be a luxury.

With the addition of Rowand (who incidently hit me in the foot with a screaming line drive during a spring training game as I sat at the end of the Giants dugout and almost reuined my trip) does this move the Giants offense up from "last place" in the ESPN rankings?

30. San Francisco Giants
Current batting order: (1) Dave Roberts, LF; (2) Omar Vizquel, SS; (3) Randy Winn, RF; (4) Ray Durham, 2B; (5) Rich Aurilia or Dan Ortmeier, 1B; (6) Bengie Molina, C; (7) Kevin Frandsen, 3B; (8) Fred Lewis or Rajai Davis, CF.

Did you know the Giants ranked last in the majors in 2007 with a .387 slugging percentage -- and that was with Barry Bonds?

Now that Bonds is gone, San Francisco has a mix of veterans past their primes and young players who aren't as good as the talent the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Dodgers are running out there.

The Giants made a run at Miguel Cabrera, but you never got the sense that they were really in it. The fact that general manager Brian Sabean is even considering a "Tim Lincecum for Alex Rios or Hideki Matsui" deal shows you how desperate San Francisco is for offense these days.

This guy was cheap enought and would have been a good addition:

TO BASEBALL...BEN BROUSSARD PROVED TO BE A CAPABLE LEFT-HANDED BAT ON A FILL-IN BASIS...BUT NOW THAT ROLE WILL FALL TO SOMEBODY ELSE
THE MARINERS TRADED BEN BROUSSARD TO THE TEXAS RANGERS TODAY IN EXCHANGE FOR 24-YEAR OLD INFIELDER TUG HULETT.
BROUSSARD HIT .275 WITH SEVEN HOME RUNS AND 29 RUNS BATTED IN WHILE APPEARING IN 99 GAMES THIS PAST SEASON.

To ELM and Frank re: ">and absolutley nothing about Bowker"

The point is not getting this guy or that guy into the big leagues. It's the blocking effect. Producing baseball talent is a crapshoot -- you have to keep trying the young guys out until you find a keeper. Even with all the stats and scouting, you never know until they are in the thing.

So Rowand will reduce the young guys' playing time and push 1 or 2 back into AAA, which will keep Bowker or other guys in AA and A, which will discourage recruiting young talent to begin with. It's a system-wide effect.

If they keep buying vets, they'll produce less young talent -- it's a "Duh!" statement, but Sabean apparently does not get that one leads to the other...or more likely, he's stuck in his old ways. And also, the point about marketing/tickets is probably spot-on.

The Rowand signing is really not blocking anyone's development, well any one of note. Most of the 'young' players that have been mentioned are fringe major leaguers at best. Lewis, Ortmeier, Davis are as good as they're ever going to be. Scheirholtz has an OUTSIDE chance of being an everyday player but he has to make some pretty big strides to accomplish that.

As far as Bowker goes, he's been in the system for several years and he had a pretty good year in AA at age 23. This alone is not very impressive. A good prospect should be burning up AAA at this point.

The Giants just have no polished hitters in their system close to the major leagues. Signing Rowand was a good move; his salary is reasonable and it adds a quality bat to the lineup. Frankly, if they can get anything for one of their 'young' outfielders they should jump at the chance.

Rowand is a good pickup as he greatly strengthens a very weak middle of the order. Now if only they would trade Sanchez/Misch/Munter/Lowry for Cincy's 3B Keppinger as mentioned a few times. At 27 he's the youth SF is looking for and he can hit. Or maybe we can send them Ortiz. Baker loved Ortiz as a P as evidenced in the 02 playoffs. Now if only we could find takers for Roberts & Durham. Davis is going to be a base stealing machine! and he should hit better then Roberts judging by last year & his minor stats. Plus his defense looks promising!

Eric Gagne!!!!

I knew he was on roids!!!!!!