Giants 3, Rangers 2: Happy Father's Day for thirty more seconds. It was the best of homestands, it was the worst of homestands. Then it was the best of homestands, leading most observers to shrug and say, Welcome to the Giants. Except when faced with the ridiculously hottest of hot teams, they stay close, they pitch well, they hope a few batters get hot and the rest of the team at least plays fundamentally sound. It leaves us clamoring for more, for a new player or two whose bat will improve the team by a win, maybe two, maybe enough to eke out a wild card berth in the playoffs. Wouldn't that be something?
For those who say this is not a team built to go deep in the playoffs, and there it's not worth making trades to get to the playoffs, step back a minute and think about that. This team could make the playoffs. Wouldn't that be something? Not if they mortgage the future for a short-term Madness-of-King-George type of romp through the hedgerows, but I think we've heard enough recently from the powers that be to trust them that they won't toss the rebuild out the window. (Cross your fingers just in case.)
Even the most calloused cynics, with whom I agree less frequently these days, will admit that a trade of non-blue-chip talent for a decent hitter, if possible, would be welcome. What still divides us -- and by us I mean the two sides of my feverish Libra brain -- is whether a trade of the veteran starters by the trade deadline is worth it. I'm talking mostly about Randy Winn and Bengie Molina. Get something useful for them before they walk as free agents? (There's a good argument whether to keep them and collect draft picks when they sign elsewhere, but that scenario opens the possibility of them accepting arbitration, which would guarantee them a one-year deal with the Giants and probably a raise, to boot.)
If the Giants collapse in the next four weeks, then yes, by all means. But it's not as simple as it looks. Trading Molina by July 31 raises more complications: Does Sandoval become the full-time catcher? He would have to take more days off, and the last thing the Giants need is a lineup without his bat. And what about his ouchy elbow? What if he's forced to play first base again for a stretch?
Unless Winn and Molina get hot and stay hot through July, I can't imagine a team trading bright prospects for either one. OK, perhaps a contending team that suddenly loses a starting catcher would hand over a decent haul for Bengie. But Winn with his negligible power and middling on base skills isn't going to be top-five on any GM's must-have outfield list unless they want Winn's glove in center and the O is all gravy. And that leads to this question: If the Giants are still wild-card contenders a month from now, and the deals for Winn and Molina on the table are for marginal prospects, would you pull the trigger?
What of the other two veteran starters? First, forget about anyone taking Edgar Renteria. We don't need to get into the details. Second, even with his determined climb back to relevance Aaron Rowand is still likely untradeable thanks to his contract. From the Giants' perspective, he's probably untradeable because of his hot bat. To which I reply: On June 12, 2008, Aaron Rowand's triple slash line was .320 / .385 / .507. After today's game, he's at .303 / .364 / .496. That's darn good, and I'll be singing frabjous day if that's his line at the end of the year.
But please heed: He had an OPS more than 30 points higher at roughly the same time last year, and it went downhill from there faster than Picabo Street wearing aerodynamic underwear. Most people feel his overall 2008 was a huge disappointment. And by "most," I mean "all." I'm not saying 2009 will follow the same flight path, I'm just trying to put the giddiness in context.
Now, as for Pablo Sandoval: Context? We don't need no stinkin' context. We are drinking mezcal and laughing until we cough up a lung and pass out with our boots in the campfire. Ha! That's what giddy fanboy worship does to a rational child-rearing man.
But that seems to be the theme of the season. Giants: split personality of happy pitching face / sad batting face. Fans: Go for it / Stand pat / Trade the vets. Randy Winn: Left side, Tony Gwynn-ish / Right side, Brian Bocockesque.
Let's move on to the players of the week. Sandoval does it again with the bat, 10 for 22 with two doubles, two stunning home runs, and four walks, all while returning to third base. No one comes close to his excellent week except Rowand. Hat tip to Matt Downs, who had four hits and four walks in his debut. I especially liked his opposite field double Friday night. Pitcher of the week was Matt Cain, who beat Barry Zito by a nose by throwing one more inning, giving up one fewer run, and one fewer walk. Brian Wilson was also in the mix for his four perfect innings this week, two to save wins and two to preserve Saturday's tie.
