January 2009 Archives

At the risk of nit-picking, I want to underline something I’ve expressed in various places at various times, and yesterday’s Juan Uribe deal brings it front and center: guys who sign minor-league contracts are longshots to make the team. There...
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2pm UPDATE: The Giants have signed Juan Uribe to a minor league contract, according to SI.com’s Jon Heyman. If he makes the team, he’ll make $1 M. His career batting lines look like something from Pedro Feliz land: .250/.295/.423, with...
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So the big news today is that Will Clark is rejoining the Giants as a special assistant? As the young Clark himself might have said, "!@%$^&*$#%&*!" But I'd be much more thrilled if he were coming back as the starting...
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Anyone who writes about baseball — or who wants to write well about baseball — should know Updike’s famous essay, “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,” which first appeared in the New Yorker in 1960. He was no dilettante cashing in on...
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How much has the market for baseball talent changed in a matter of months? There’s no clearer indication than Andy Pettitte’s new contract. He re-signed with the Yankees for $5.5 million guaranteed plus a boatload of incentives. Perhaps those bonuses...
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Ah, competition. It pushes the human animal to new heights, fuels him with courage and cleverness and not a little bit of fear. So it always has been and always shall be, unless you're a pacifist hippie vegan or a...
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I think about the Giants' roster a lot, far more than is healthy for a grown man neither employed by the Giants nor paid to write about them. Even more worrisome, however, is how often I think about the Giants...
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* First, a big lukewarm thanks to Jeff Kent, who will announce his retirement tomorrow. He was a great Giant, a terrible ex-Giant, and most unfortunately a Dodger. He should enter the Hall of Fame with an SF hat, despite...
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According to the AP, Jack Taschner and the Giants agreed to a $835,000 contract (link tip from MLB Trade Rumors). That’s more than four times the salary of the U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Taschner doesn’t have to roll out any...
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Lefty Jack Taschner has filed for arbitration, according to Chris Haft. He’ll get some sort of raise over his 2008 salary of $400,000, but if the two sides can’t come to terms, and the Giants fear a mediator’s largesse, they...
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I mean that in a few different ways. First, it’s been an outstanding (read: excellent) hot stove season for the Giants, with everything but a final offensive upgrade in place and no sacrifice of the youth movement. Second, it’s an outstanding, i.e....
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Fred Lewis was on the radio this morning and he gave a sunny assessment of his post-bunion surgery rehab: “I’m happy to have on shoes,” he said, and everything’s “fine and dandy.” Shoes: The first indication of a monster season. Say, does that guy...
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As you know, I write a few lines now and then about music. Old habits of former reviewers die hard, but I admit to more selfish reasons: It's damn near impossible to keep up with the latest and greatest, and...
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We salute you, Quiet Marine. That would be Matty Williams, one of the most favorite Giants ever with premature hair loss, but today a garnerer of a measly 7 Hall of Fame votes. I don't think Williams should be in...
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It's been a long time since the Giants traded a good veteran for a passel of prospects, a full-blown rebuilding move. How long? How about never, does that work for you? At least not since Brian Sabean took charge in...
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Baseball Prospectus last weekend posted an interview well worth reading. The interviewee is Tony Blengino, a new addition to the Seattle Mariners' front office. He runs their newly created Department of Statistical Research and has much to say about the...
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Oops, I’ve got Manny on the brain. I meant the Giants’ 40–man roster, which for a few days has had 41. And that’s just not right. Lo and behold, today it’s back to 40, the natural order of things has been...
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Like some kind of Icelandic saga across miles of frozen winter ocean, we continue our discussion of The Big Bat. Today’s flavor of right-handed power is Nick Swisher (OK, a switch hitter) and Xavier Nady. Grant does a good job...
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The Rays have signed Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16 M contract. Burrell was one name bandied about as a possible Giant this winter, more than anything because he's from the Bay Area. He would have been a terrible fit...
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Let's inject more numbers into the Manny discussion. First, recall from yesterday that BP's John Perotto says the Giants are mulling an offer of two different contract structures for Manny Ramirez. The first is larded with incentives and options, the...
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After much ado about Manny Ramirez the past few days, BP's John Perotto hangs digits on the speculation. He writes about two possible Giant offers: ...one which would guarantee two years with vesting and club options that could make it...
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