The Giants have nabbed Jose Guillen from the Royals for a player to be named later. The PTBNL probably won't be significant, and as Baggs points out, the Giants probably won't pay more than the prorated minimum, as KC is sending cash. The big question, then, is how does Guillen fit in with this team?
Strategically it's fairly obvious he becomes a pinch-hitter. There's no massive platoon split to exploit; Guillen has hit lefties and righties about the same over his 13-year career. He'll probably get the occasional start in LF when the matchup of the day dictates it or when Pat Burrell needs a day off. His D can't be any worse than Burrell's. He'll probably take Emmanuel Burriss' roster spot, with Burriss back down to AAA.
That leaves the chemistry question. Let the hand-wringing commence: Guillen the malcontent will walk into the clubhouse like a skunk into a Ladies' Home Journal garden party, right? Please. I doubt the Giants' collective psyche is so fragile that one guy, if his reputation turns out true, can flush four months of hard work down the crapper with his bad attitude. There are plenty of gamery veterans and veteran gamers to keep Guillen's bad vibes in check, assuming there are any. I have my doubts. Remember all those reports about Aubrey Huff's homewrecking defense? Those were about physical ability, not mental approach, but still -- "reputation" has a way of filtering through rumors, press reports, tweets, and anonymous sources and ending up far away from the truth.
Worst case scenario: Guillen is a grade-A horse's ass who sulks on the bench and doesn't deliver any big hits. And the Giants release him. It's that simple. Unless the PTBNL is of surprising significance, there's really nothing to lose in this deal.
Best-case scenario: Guillen hits several pinch-hit home runs, learns a mean game of dominoes from Juan Uribe, and doesn't punch anyone.
Strategically it's fairly obvious he becomes a pinch-hitter. There's no massive platoon split to exploit; Guillen has hit lefties and righties about the same over his 13-year career. He'll probably get the occasional start in LF when the matchup of the day dictates it or when Pat Burrell needs a day off. His D can't be any worse than Burrell's. He'll probably take Emmanuel Burriss' roster spot, with Burriss back down to AAA.
That leaves the chemistry question. Let the hand-wringing commence: Guillen the malcontent will walk into the clubhouse like a skunk into a Ladies' Home Journal garden party, right? Please. I doubt the Giants' collective psyche is so fragile that one guy, if his reputation turns out true, can flush four months of hard work down the crapper with his bad attitude. There are plenty of gamery veterans and veteran gamers to keep Guillen's bad vibes in check, assuming there are any. I have my doubts. Remember all those reports about Aubrey Huff's homewrecking defense? Those were about physical ability, not mental approach, but still -- "reputation" has a way of filtering through rumors, press reports, tweets, and anonymous sources and ending up far away from the truth.
Worst case scenario: Guillen is a grade-A horse's ass who sulks on the bench and doesn't deliver any big hits. And the Giants release him. It's that simple. Unless the PTBNL is of surprising significance, there's really nothing to lose in this deal.
Best-case scenario: Guillen hits several pinch-hit home runs, learns a mean game of dominoes from Juan Uribe, and doesn't punch anyone.
