When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

12.11.2007
Thanks But No Thanks

12:30 PM UPDATE: Rowand, rowand, rowand your boat, gently over the falls…

Punning aside, if it came down to the same contract terms for Fukudome or Rowand, I’d actually lean toward Rowand for his right-handed power and his center-field defense. He’s also more a known quantity; we don’t know how Fukudome’s skills will translate. That said, I much prefer the Giants trade for a really good third baseman and leave the outfield situation as it is for now. Or get Mike Cameron for a year or two and a discount.

***

A brief note this morning from SI.com writer Jon Heyman: “And it should be noted [Andruw] Jones turned down offers that were lengthier and/or more lucrative from the Giants and Royals because of his preference to go to Los Angeles.”

It helps to keep decisions like this in mind when passing judgment on a team’s ability to attract free agents. Fans often say, “Why didn’t my team go after Player X?” (Still a frequent refrain regarding the Giants and Vlad Guerrero.) Fans suffer from an acute form of narcissism. They can’t face the possibility that even with gobs of cash and other perks lavished upon him, Player X still wouldn’t want to play for their team.

When considering a team’s future, the reason for refusal could be benign: for example, perhaps Andruw Jones hates cold summers and doesn’t want to play half his games lost in swirling fog and dodging seagulls. Or it could bode ill because, say, Andruw Jones thinks the Giants are on the brink of a decade of futility and wants to win more than anything else.

Let’s get beyond our own pessimism about which scenario seems more likely and admit: we often don’t know what players think. Sometimes it’s obvious: Mike Lowell reportedly took less money and fewer years to stay with the Red Sox, a good bet to make a dynastic run like the late-90s Yankees. Cynical writers love to tell us that when an athlete says it’s not about the cash, it’s about the cash. But without a direct line to a player’s heart, we really can’t know.

So back to the Giants: Is their current state of disarray a turn-off to potential signees? What do big leaguers really think? If the prevailing sentiment is that the Giants are about to wander through the desert for years, why the hell did a thoughtful guy like Barry Zito sign up for the trek?

* Did he truly not care about winning and losing and simply opt for the highest bidder? I find that hard to believe. He had other lucrative offers, perhaps not quite as lucrative, but from teams whose fortunes one winter ago seemed brighter than the Giants’.

* Did the magic of $126 million delude him into thinking, well, it might look bad now, but if they’re willing to spend top dollar on me, at least the team won’t go cheap and rebuild?

* Or did Zito think highly of the franchise and figure the rough patch wouldn’t last long?

If someone could get Zito, once an affable and candid interview, to open up about his thought process as a free agent last winter, it would likely shed light onto the Giants’ chances to land premium talent in the future.



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[December 11, 2007 2:51 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

Zito assuredly signed for the money. No team offered him close to what the Giants offered. Zito also had the luxury of not having to move since it was just a short drive over the Bridge. In any case, it was about the money for Zito.

Look at Carlos Lee last year, for example. He was offered more by the Giants than Houston offered. In that case, it wasn't the money......although he was going to be filthy rich either way. Here, he didn't have to endure the futility that is the Giants and be closer to his ranch in Houston. Houston didn;t project to be as bad as they were last year. Everyone knew the Giants were going to be awful.

What is disturbing here is that the Giants offered Jones a contract. Management says that they are going to get "younger & healthier", are gong to focus on "pitching & defense", are going to get away from the mistakes thaey have made in the recent past and what do they do?????? Offer a contract to an outfielder (that they already have a surplus of) that is showing signes of rapidly declining skills. I just don't get it.

[December 11, 2007 3:34 PM]  |  link  |  reply
giantsrainman said

Boof,

Sabean has made it clear that the Giants are after two middle of the order bats and it does not matter what defensive positon they play. After he gets them he will then make the necessary adjustments to the rest of the roster. If Sabean signs Rowand and Fukudome, signs just one of Rowand or Fukudome and trades for Rios or Matsui, or trades for both Rios and Matsui then you can also expect that at least one of Roberts and/or Winn will be incuded in future deal(s).

To me the above is now clearly the plan for building the roster for 2008. So, believeing this I am now hoping for the least evil alternative which in my mind is signing Fukudome and trading for Matsui so that we have at least the Japanese marketing angle going for us and keep both Lincecum and Cain.

P.S. I do understand and agree that even if both Roberts and Winn are traded later this still leaves only 1B and one outfield spot for Schierholtz, Ortmeier, Lewis, and Davis to get playing time in. Worse yet if we keep one of Roberts or Winn just 1B. Worst of all if we keep both nothing as this will mean that someone from the group of 4 veteran starting outfielders is going to play 1B.

[December 11, 2007 3:51 PM]  |  link  |  reply
giantsrainman said

ELM,

It is becoming very clear to me that the best MLB free agents for the most part are just using the Giants to jake up the price. Only serious over plays like the Zito signing can entice a few to join what they see as the sinking ship SS Giants. This is why Sabean initially focused on the trade market. I am hoping the the fear of the SS Giants has not spread to Japan and that thus the desire to be on the west coast might somehow actually mean we only have to outbid the Padres (and not the Cubs and WhiteSox) for Fukudome. I am further hoping that the culture of Japan has somehow schielded Matsui for this fear as well and that he will actually waive his no trade clause and sign about the SS Giants. If both of these do not happen I fear the SS Giants will in fact sink with the trading of one Tim Lincecum for Alex Rios.
'te

[December 11, 2007 4:58 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Jefferson said

If Barry Zito didn't pitch every fifth day, would anyone even realize he was actually on the Giants? Talk about a wallflower. Pedro Feliz talks more than Zito.

[December 11, 2007 6:18 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

Jone, Rowand, Fukudome.......this is a rebuilding plan??????


Sorry, I don't buy it. It's sheer lunacy.

[December 11, 2007 11:19 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

According to MLB Trade Rumors site, Fukudome signed with the Cubs for 4 years, $50M.

[December 12, 2007 4:06 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Cyrus said

ESPN reporting that the Giants have signed Rowand to a 5 yr deal...

My guess is 55M. That's a lot of f-in money... too much.

[December 12, 2007 5:31 PM]  |  link  |  reply
The GM said

I'd agree that Zito also signed for the money. As far as wins go, if he can get 15 a year, I'm sure he isn't worried as much about what the team is doing then.