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06.16.2009

6/16/09: Move Somethin'

Angels 8, Giants 1: Hats off to reader Dave Jr., who told us several hours before game time in this comment thread that the Giants would make a big roster move today. The lucky winner is Matt Downs, an unheralded 25-year-old prospect who quietly has hit well all the way up the ladder, though his numbers this year in Fresno weren't anything to write home about. But here he is, and there goes Manny Burriss, as we've speculated the last couple days. (To make room for Downs, catcher Steve Holm was removed from the 40-man roster.)

Downs hit two balls very hard tonight, but both landed in Angels' gloves for outs. The same can't be said for most of Jonathan Sanchez's pitches, who seemed determined to reinforce the recent buzz that opposing teams aren't interested in him. As his short outing tonight went deeper into debacle, you could imagine the last few curious scouts putting down their radar guns, shaking their heads and making ominous little scribbles in their notebooks.

So what to do? Downs (and perhaps a few days from now, Frandsen) for Burriss is the right first step. In the next couple weeks, any incremental improvement the team can make without risky trades is worth doing. Sitting Randy Winn against left-handed starters is another step.

What about Sanchez? Baggs suggests in his game report tonight that upcoming off-days make a four-man rotation possible through the end of June. (Though according to my calculations, a couple guys would have to go on three days' rest at least once.) A more radical thought: If Sanchez has options, perhaps he should head back to Fresno to get things together, with his replacement anyone who can consistently go five or six innings every fifth day. Is Fresno pitcher Kevin Pucetas ready for prime time? I don't know. Can Justin Miller or Brandon Medders stretch out and become a fifth starter? Miller was a starter earlier in his career, and he's certainly earned a promotion with his excellent long relief work. You can bet the Giant front office has mulled over every option -- under the assumption that he'd be traded.