Blogging several days after Tim Lincecum's pot-and-speeding bust, now reduced to a minor infraction, I am too late to drop giggly marijuana references into my post. Besides, it's nothing to make light of. I'm certainly not one to spark up controversy by suggesting a contraband substance is somehow worthy of comedic kindness. No siree, bud. That sort of humor doesn't resinate with me.
On to today's news: Baggs reports that Randy Winn's services are no longer needed in the House of Mays. It's no surprise, but let's pause to officially acknowledge that Randy Winn was a good Giant. He was not a good Giant hitter in 2009 or 2006, when he hobbled around much of the year after fouling spherical objects off his shinbone. But his defense, baserunning, and offense for more than half his Giant career added up to being more valuable than the three year, $23 million extension Brian Sabean gave him in 2006. Whatever you do, however you mock Sabean, you cannot put Winn's contract on the bad side of his ledger. You can mock him, however, for not putting Winn in center field in 2008 instead of signing Aaron Rowand, a real center fielder.
So now the Giants have informed Winn's agent they won't be asking him back, which means a lot more Nate Schierholtz, yes? Is that a good thing? Bochy's refusal to play Nate in 2009, citing among other things his tremendous value off the bench, was often infuriating. Overall Schierholtz kinda sucked for the year, but it could be the kind of part-time, young-player suckage that heralds the blossoming of a less-young player who might not suck. (Note that Bill James's projection system predicts a .288 / .325 / .459 line from Nate next year, for what it's worth.)
What's clear is that Schierholtz is a very good defensive right fielder, and his mere presence out there will keep baserunners from trying to advance. He's that good. Before replacing Nate's bat in the lineup, which is an option the Giants have to consider this winter, the cost of replacing his defense with something worse also must be weighed.
Let's have a poll without all those complicated buttons and bars. Technology. Bah. Just enter your answers in the comments. Should the Giants:
a) Start 2009 with Nate as the RF and keep him there all year, no matter what.
b) Start 2009 with Nate but replace him with a big slugging outfielder if he slumps.
c) Use Nate as trade bait this winter.
d) Keep him as pinch-hitter deluxe and late-inning defensive replacement.
e) Don't bogart that Schierholtz.
