December 2008 Archives

I'm heading to Philly, land of several good friends and baseball fans who still pine for Lenny Dykstra and a sandwich even better than a cheesesteak (you'll have to wait 'til the end of the post to find out). I'll...
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The Unit is a Giant. It's a one-year contract for $8 million, plus as much as $5 million in incentives, according to reports. Until further notice, we'll call it $8 M on the handy-dandy 41-man roster salary tracker to the...
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If reports today are true, free agent Teixeira is on the verge of a massive contract with the Royals. Ha. Made you look. It's the Yankees, of course, in what will go down as the biggest shocker of 2008, save...
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Hey, it was either that or "United Unitarianism." A couple days ago I crunched mad numbers and speculated that, with one more strong hitter, the Giants could have something that resembled a league-average offense. No one has yet called me...
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From the swirl of absurdity surrounding the Rafael Furcal saga, in which his agent seemed to break a verbal promise to Atlanta in order to re-sign with L.A., comes this nugget about the Giants, courtesy of Buster Olney: First, San...
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I think BP’s Kevin Goldstein had the scoop last night on the demise of the Hawaiian Winter League. Seems that it makes more financial sense to run a second fall/winter league in Arizona. Hard to argue with that. The tidbit...
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In 2008 the Giants scored 640 runs, or 3.95 per game. At the Winter Meetings last week, Bruce Bochy floated a trial-balloon 2009 lineup to the press, and it didn’t look much different than 2008. But is it so dire?...
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First, a weather update: My street is covered in tiny hailstones. Fun! Onward. There’s one more third-base option for the Giants now that Ty Wigginton got the old can o’ shite from his employer the Astros. He was non-tendered, as...
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The baseballers at Blogs by Fans, my parent network, are in the middle of a roundtable dissection of the just-concluded winter meetings. Part one, with Depressed Fan asking Kingman about the Mets, is here. Part two: Kingman asks me about...
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SMALL PRINT UPDATE: Now listening to 50 Foot Wave’s new EP Power + Light, streaming here. *** Jack Taschner will remain a Giant for now. The team plans to tender a contract to the frustrating lefty, who is eligible for...
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The Giants were all over the Rule 5 draft today. Here are the players the Giants chose, and the ones who got away. Gained Luis Perdomo rhp (from the Cardinals) Matt Yourkin lhp (Marlins) Perdomo is a 24–year-old who All-Starred in Single-A this...
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Brian Sabean ripped the media a new one tonight, according to Baggs, who tells us he was on the receiving end. It's the media's fault for....what, exactly? Sabean wasn't clear. Something about the public blaming the Giants for not signing...
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As I mentioned earlier today, I’d like to take a closer look at Bruce Bochy’s tentative 2009 opening day lineup. This is what he drew up on the back of a cocktail napkin for reporters in Vegas: RF WinnSS Renteria3B...
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Personal and work matters have kept me off the grid the past 48 hours and will for a few hours more. I'll get back to you later today with a breakdown of the 2009 lineup Bruce Bochy floated yesterday: RF...
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The top Giant rumor of the weekend: the team is talking to Texas about 3B/1B Hank Blalock. Or going to talk. Have a longer look at Blalock's numbers, factor in that he's  declined in power, defense and health the past...
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A couple quotes to note from the Renteria coverage. First, I love what Manny Burriss said about the signing: “[T]he Giants really didn't have to give me a reason. It's crazy that I've gone from playing with one of my...
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Now that the Giants have officially signed Edgar Renteria to a contract suspiciously similar to the one rumored before Thanksgiving — the one the Giants and Renteria’s agents denied — I guess we owe Sweeny Murti of WFAN an apology....
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Well, that was fast. Bob Howry is the latest Giant, at the low, low price of $2.75 million for one year, far less than I expected him to command. If he throws like he did in 2006–2007, not 2008, this...
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The Hot Stove is kicking out a lot of smoke; fire has yet to be confirmed. But here’s where things stand. The Giants put one reliever smartly in the fold by signing Jeremy Affeldt early to a well-regarded deal. If...
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Several marquee players weren't offered arbitration last night. Here's a list of the surprises, according to MLB Trade Rumors: Bobby AbreuJoe BeimelPat BurrellAdam DunnBraden LooperJamie MoyerRandy WolfKerry WoodI would add Bobby Howry to that list. He's no Kerry Wood, but...
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We’re thumb-twiddling as we wait for tonight’s arbitration deadline. Top-tier or “type-A” free agents who don’t get offers of arbitration from their old teams can sign with new ones without the old team getting draft pick compensation. But you knew...
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