To add Aubrey Huff, the Giants have designated for assigment Merkin Valdez. Someone will certainly give him a look. I always thought he could be the next closer if Brian Wilson ever got injured or too expensive, but the Giants didn't have the patience or the roster flexibility, apparently, to wait for him to improve. Interesting that they released Valdez and kept Kevin Frandsen, who has been banished to the back of the doghouse.
And lookee here: as soon as Huff signed, Adam LaRoche agrees to a deal with Arizona for a sliver of what the Giants offered.
During Felipe Alous 2nd year as the Giants manager he went on record saying that Merkin valdez was an untouchable player/prospect...A good example of the long odds of becoming a star.
Laroche screwed himself by not accepting the Giants deal thinking he would get 3 years elsewhere. I don't think it had as much to do with him not wanting to come here as it did the length of the deal and now he has to play in AZ with the DBags!
I am a little dissapointed that Merk was the odd man out. I too thought he had the potential to be something special but how many years ago was it that we traded russ ortiz to Atown for him and that Aussie lefty? It has been at least 8 years and he hasn't really shown any signs of figuring it out, change of scenery may help.
I think we will start to see a trend of these somewhat well known young players getting shown the door like Frandsen and Lewis and Burriss next. I wish they developed into major league talent or else I wish we could trade them for something as opposed to giving them away but I don't necessary think it is a bad thing to start rotating out the old and seeing what the new has to offer.
Merkin is not that young anymore, at 28 he is probably at his peak given that he does not appear to be a pitcher whose experience will make up for his physical losses, and he had a pretty horrible year. Plus, he was killed by RHH, which is pretty bad for a RHP. And he was pretty bad on the road, and only so-so at home.
Altogether, he had a pretty horrible 2009, the only month he had an OK ERA was May and he didn't deserve that with the walks he gave up. He was nothing like the pitcher he was in early 2008, and if the Giants are seriously looking for another reliever, someone would lose their spot and Wilson, Affeldt, Romo, Runzler, Medders, and long man (either Martinez or Pucetas) look pretty set, leaving Valdez at odd man out. Plus Joaquin was showing pretty good stuff as well, meaning Valdez was already off the MLB depth chart even before the FA reliever is signed.
Burriss still has an option left, if I got my count right, so he'll be in AAA for 2010.
Lewis is my best bet for next to go. With Bowker and Schierholtz battling for RF, plus Velez and Torres battling too, and Lewis unwilling to play the one position his offensive performance fits, leadoff, I have to think the Giants would dump him for someone else's OF disappointment at some point, he still has some trade value I think with his sporadic performance in 2009, whereas Valdez was just uniformly bad in 2009.
If Frandsen were really in the doghouse I have to think the Giants would dropped him with this move instead. Then again, they are talking about another reliever, maybe a catcher, maybe even another starting pitcher. People will have to be dropped for them.
But there is still a MI reserve spot open and I would have to think the Giants would rather have Frandsen and Rohlinger battling for that spot than to just give it to Rohlinger.
Laroche screwed himself by not accepting the Giants deal thinking he would get 3 years elsewhere. I don't think it had as much to do with him not wanting to come here as it did the length of the deal and now he has to play in AZ with the DBags!
I am a little dissapointed that Merk was the odd man out. I too thought he had the potential to be something special but how many years ago was it that we traded russ ortiz to Atown for him and that Aussie lefty? It has been at least 8 years and he hasn't really shown any signs of figuring it out, change of scenery may help.
I think we will start to see a trend of these somewhat well known young players getting shown the door like Frandsen and Lewis and Burriss next. I wish they developed into major league talent or else I wish we could trade them for something as opposed to giving them away but I don't necessary think it is a bad thing to start rotating out the old and seeing what the new has to offer.
I am surprised they gave up on an arm while they have 10 Kevin Frandsen's in their system. But that shows they are ready to put Joaquin into that spot and I have confidence in him.
I was hoping they could have used Valdez in any trade ideas, but c'est lavie....screw the LaRoche Motel, so glad he turned down that ridiculous offer by Sabean....
Pendejo LaRoche.
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