On the face of it, Dave Roberts's release today is a blip in the news flow from spring training. Aging veteran who never got healthy or lived up to his extravagant contract is cut, and the Giants eat $6.5 million.
But the team has never willingly eaten that much cash, as far as I can remember. And when they've released aging vets, it's usually been mid-year, after they've tried to squeeze at least a few months of final service from them.
Perhaps more notable, the Giants release Roberts even though Fred Lewis isn't yet at full speed after foot surgery, and projected 4th outfielder Nate Schierholtz is nursing a bulging disk in his back. The move opens the door wider to Eugenio Velez, who's gotten reps in left field despite his horror show last year that made us vow, Never Again!
It also gives John Bowker more of a spot, but with Roberts gone, it makes more sense for Velez to replace his speed. Still, let's not get too dizzy from spring (training) fever. The Giants and Velez say he's better this year because he's playing with "confidence," but as Henry Schulman points out, "Velez did not continually get picked off by left-handed pitchers last season because he lacked confidence. He could not read their moves. The same went for his sometimes maddening unwillingness to hit the ball on the ground and use his rabbit's speed to reach base."
If Velez makes the team as the 5th OF, it has a cascade effect on the rest of the roster, opening up another infield spot -- or maybe two, as the Giants might start the year with 11 pitchers, not the 12 we've been assuming.
Also note that Keiichi Yabu was demoted to AAA today, with "age as a factor," as Brian Sabean told Baggs. Yabu is 40 years old. This sets up the very intriguing possibility of keeping Rule 5 pick Luis Perdomo.
The bigger picture is that the new ownership regime is truly putting its money where its mouth is. First it hangs back and refuses to bite on Joe Crede, then despite a window of opportunity, shows the same restraint with Manny Ramirez. Then it eats a significant chunk of change with Roberts.
You could counter-argue that the Edgar Renteria contract (2 years, $18.5 M) shows the Giants haven't quite shaken their old ways, and you'd have a point. But as overspends go, it's far from egregious. (Click here for a dose of stathead contrariness against the conventional wisdom.) The general trend this off-season has been toward youth and toward patience.
