CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban checks in with the latest on the A's and Giants.
- After failing to sign Adrian Beltre, the A's continue to seek a third baseman. The team has considered attempting to trade for the Pirates' Andy LaRoche or the Padres' Kevin Kouzmanoff. Neither player hit for much power in 2009, however (Kouz hit 18 home runs, but slugged only .420). Adam Kennedy is said to be Plan D or E.
- The A's are still talking to Jack Cust's agent, though they've yet to make an offer. Regarding the idea of returning to the A's after being non-tendered, Cust told Urban, "Stranger things have happened." Urban senses Cust would give the A's the opportunity to match any offer.
- Urban finds Cust a less-than-ideal fit for the Giants. He likes Adam LaRoche, or perhaps Miguel Tejada if LaRoche's demands remain high.
No matter who the Giants sign, they truly failed this off-season in their pursuit to find a big bat. They know that Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez, and Zito will not be around forever and they have money spend yet Brian Sabean has done a terrible job this off-season. Mark DeRosa, Cust, Andy LaRoche, Kouz, etc…, will not be the solution.
Too bad the G Men arent going after Andy Laroche or Kouz. And DeRosa wasnt meant to be the solution, only part. To end here, yes the Giants would have failed, but if they can pick up a guy like ADAM Laroche, their offseason will actually be a success.
2009:
Velez/Torres
Winn/Schierholtz
Sandoval
Molina/Whiteside
Uribe/Renteria
Ishikawa/Garko
Rowand
Downs/Burris/Velez/Sanchez
2010 (with the signing of Adam Laroche):
Rowand
Sanchez
Sandoval
Laroche
DeRosa
Uribe/Renteria
Posey
Scheirholtz/Bowker
Looks like 2010’s lineup would be a marked improvement, with essentially a comparable pitching staff. The Giants would have been fools to give Bay or Holliday the money they got. Bay and Holliday’s production will both fall off by the end of those contracts.
Andy LaRoche or Kevin Kouzmanoff would be nothing short of ideal acquistions for the young Oakland team. I would definitely overpay in a trade for either, as their WAR is going to be at least 1-2 more than any other option out there. Worth every penny.Adam Kennedy = absolutely no way. Horrific defense at 3B with limited power, Oakland already has Jake Fox and/or Dallas McPherson who can play that kind of defense, and actually hit some dingers once in a while too.Definitely like the idea of Cust coming back too. Players with career OPS’s of 926 in Oakland absolutely do NOT grow on trees. Hope the A’s grab Chapman too before winter is over…
I dont know about Kouz in a pitchers park in the AL, but he would fill the hole a 3b for the A’s nicely. I am not sure about what the A’s would offer in return. I know that they have Davis/Crisp/Hairston for CF but I dont see any of them as fits for the Padres (given their contracts or service time). Though a combination of Davis with an infield/pitching prospect could work (heavily dependant on the prospect of course).
No Cust in Oakland. Please. The guy’s time has come and gone. I’ve posted it elsewhere, but Cust’s K/PA rate has stayed level the last three years (about 30-33%), while his BB/PA rate has dropped (from 25% to 15%). In the meantime, his SLG has dropped from .504 to .417. Pitchers have figured him out. He’s done. If we sign him, we’re not getting the fluky 926 career OPS, we’re getting a declining, aging player, whose numerous offensive flaws have been exposed. Do NOT sign Jack Cust!!
As for Chapman, I’m not seeing it. The guy is all projection, and the A’s already spent big on Ynoa last offseason (or maybe it was two offseasons ago). The Red Sox have already offered him $15.5 million; the Marlins are making a push to sign him; I’d be very surprised if we were in on the bidding at the end.
Agree on Andy LaRoche, but can’t see the Pirates dealing him. Also, wouldn’t mind seeing Kouz in the Green & Gold, but don’t think we really need him. I don’t see the A’s as a real World Series contender now, and I don’t think Kouz puts them over the top… rather just hold our guys, see how Cardenas and others develop, and see where we are in June-July before making any major moves.
I didn’t even mention Cust’s defensive shortcomings, which are numerous and disasterous. Oakland should be glad that Jack Cust had a few career years in the Green & Gold, and let him walk away… No more Cust!!
Chill out man, Cust would be a fine DH at $2MM. He had his swing and approch tinkered with last year, to little success. He’s an educated and professional hitter, he is very good at walking, taking pitching, striking out and hitting home runs. If told to go back to that, he will get that 900+ OPS again.
He should NEVER be asked to “hit for contact” like he was last year. Total fail on the coaching staff there. Give me a Cust strikeout vs a Miggy GIDP every day of the week. Strikeouts arent as bad as people say they are, in fact Im sure Rajai Davis would love to have 10 chances to steal instead of some O-Cab 2 pitch groundout nightmare AB.
You believe Cust will return to 900+ OPS glory. I don’t. Difference of opinion. There’s no proving one opinion right. Only time will tell.
When I look at Jack Cust, I see Phil Plantier. Fast rise, fast fall. Stick a fork in him.
I suppose another comparison to Jack Cust might be Russ Branyan. If Cust could put up Branyan-like numbers from age 31-33, he’d be a good pickup.
“spent big on Ynoa”
Dude it was $4.25MM. Not big at all.
$4.25m is a fairly large speculative investment on a 16-year-old when you spend about $60m a year on your MLB payroll. Chapman would be another speculative investment (his prospect status is mostly based on projection), and any good investor would tell you, you cannot have too much of your portfolio tied up in speculative investments.
In any case, I don’t think we’ll get Chapman.
“Also, wouldn’t mind seeing Kouz in the Green & Gold, but don’t think we really need him”
Um, the A’s “really need” a 3B more than anything in the world. He’s young and decent, and a vastly better option than anyone Oakland has right now.
I didn’t say the A’s don’t need a 3B. I said the A’s don’t really need Kouz. I think we’ve got guys who can put up similar production to Kouz in Fox/Chavez. Would I like to improve on Fox/Chavez? Sure. Do I think Kouz is a vast improvement? Not really.
* Let me qualify this by saying I have no idea how good Fox’s 3B glove is versus Kouz’s. As I remember, Kouz’s glove has gotten better over the last few years. I don’t know about Fox’s defense. So, if there’s a significant difference between Kouz and Fox on defense, I could see the argument. But, on offense alone, Kouz doesn’t seem like a huge upgrade over Fox… so, even though we need a 3B, we may not need Kouz.
If the A’s want Kouz you do not have to overpay to get him. Maybe a low prospect with upside.
What if Tejada came full circle and played third for the A’s?!?!
whos to say Tejada won’t play short for the A’s. He can still play short.
Seeing as he’s never lodged a big league inning there, already stinks with the glove and is rapidly declining with the bat and will be lucky to crack double figures in walks (along with maybe 40 GIDPs), I’d rather puke in my hat and wear it during an entire blistering hot day game than ever see Miggy in Oakland again.
Yeah, the Miguel to 3B idea is good in theory, but I’m not sure it’s all that great in practice. His bat barely plays at 3B, and the switch to 3B doesn’t really take advantage of Miguel’s defensive skills (which are declining). I’d rather leave him at SS; but mostly, I’d rather not sign him at all.
Yeah Tejada to the A’s reunion would be cool.
True…Adam doesn’t want to play in San Fran….let him go
its not that adam doesn’t want to play in SF, he just wants more than 2 years from anyone. i think his asking price will go down and he will end up playing for the giants. and i hope nady comes to the giants as well.
If they showing interest in kouz, why not chase headley? Padres are a 3b producing machine and still have forsythe, darnell, antonelli in the minors. I’d take headley or laroche over kouz.
Please don’t trade Andy, Neal. I still believe in him as a player and if September of last year was any showing, he could be a really good player. And hopefully he can learn to play second if/when Iwamura is gone or Alvarez comes up.
The Giants are already stuffed at 3rd base, with Sandoval, DeRosa, and Uribe all capable of playing the position. Signing Tejada makes no sense to me when we could use more major league quality talent at the other corner, or in the outfield. LaRoche, Branyan, and Nady remain the best fits for the club.
Anybody who says that the Giants failed to sign a bit bat this offseason remain willfully ignorant of the fact that they would have been poor investments for players who didn’t want to play in San Francisco. The Giants won’t have the financial flexibility to sign a Matt Holliday until Zito and Rowand’s contracts are up. Deal with it.
i know it’s a typo but …
“Anybody who says that the Giants failed to sign a *bit* bat this offseason”
i think everyone is saying the Gigantes have signed one-too-many BIT bats.
It’s a weak offseason for free agents. Paying whatever is necessary to nail down a division title in 2010 is just going to lead to another Renteria or Rowand-like signing that will leave fans with a bad taste in their mouth. Every move this offseason has been wisely conservative… With any luck, the Giants will have more money to pursue someone like Jayson Werth after next year, when there’s actually players worth bidding high on. Preferably ones not represented by Boras who leads to contracts like… Oh, say, Barry Zito.
I don’t necessarily agree with you. There are many probable players on the current roster to play 3rd base, but take the following facts into account:
1. Mark DeRosa has played a lot of 3rd base over the last few years… However, his defense is know to be much better in the corner outfield (either LF or RF).
2. Pablo Sandoval is obviously a vital player to have on the roster. He started as a catcher, played some first base, and then moved to third for us last year. It wouldn’t take him long to learn how to master the first base position.
3. Juan Uribe is a great bat, but it’s been a while since he’s been an every day starter. He took part in a total of over 120 games last year, but a large portion of them were pinch hit appearances. It’s been a while since he’s played the third base position. Remember that little bobble that cost Johnathan Sanchez his perfect game last year? Right… I’d like to keep him from being an every day starter at third base.
If Miguel Tejada is willing to play third for the Giants for a decent price… GRAB HIM. He still has an above average bat and that allows up to place DeRosa in the outfield and Pablo at first. Uribe/Renteria will still get time at shortstop.
I’d frankly prefer DeRosa play LF; it’s certainly an upgrade over a Velez/Torres platoon. The more I hear from Sabean, the more I believe that DeRosa will be our starting LF. I’m aware that he’s not a great 3B (-7.9 UZR/150 in 2009, if I remember correctly), but he’s still capabable of playing the position. And that bobble during the no-hitter by Uribe was a tougher play than people act: the metrics are much more favorable to Uribe at 3B than at SS.
Though frankly, I prefer Sandoval as our starting third baseman. He wouldn’t be very tall for a 1B, and his power is more valuable at third than at first. I’ve said this before: Play him at 3B, and he’s one of the four or five best starting 3Bs in the National League. Move him to first full-time, and he’s more like top 10. Just like I think it’s stupid to move Sanchez to 3rd to make room for Uggla at 2nd, I think it’s stupid to scatter three third basemen to the far sides of the ballpark to make room for a fourth, when we are still looking for a capable first baseman.
Square peg, round hole. If you bash it hard enough it might fit, but that doesn’t mean it will fit very well.
Well, hands down Adam LaRoche is the best fit for the Giants right now. Bringing in a first baseman would mean Sandoval keeps his job at third base and DeRosa plays left field.
Bottom line though is that if the Giants end up signing an outfielder of the free agents that remain, you’ll see Pablo at first in spring.
i agree with you 100%. laroche needs to be a giants and play first so sandoval is at 3rd. derosa in LF and sign nady to play RF.
rowand-cf
sanchez-2b
nady/schierholtz-rf
sandoval-3b
laroche-1b
derosa-lf
posey-c
renteria-ss
pitchers spot
i lineup like that doesn’t look too bad to me.
to bad that posey isnt ready to start yet and i think that schierholtz should transform into a center fielder because rowand blows.
it doesn’t matter if posey isn’t ready now. he’s more than likely going to split time with whiteside. and i agree that rowand blows. i’d really like to see schierholtz in center. he’s got the speed and the arm to cover a lot of ground at at&t park.
Well, hands down Adam LaRoche is the best fit for the Giants right now. Bringing in a first baseman would mean Sandoval keeps his job at third base and DeRosa plays left field.
Bottom line though is that if the Giants end up signing an outfielder of the free agents that remain, you’ll see Pablo at first in spring.
I’d frankly prefer DeRosa play LF; it’s certainly an upgrade over a Velez/Torres platoon. The more I hear from Sabean, the more I believe that DeRosa will be our starting LF. I’m aware that he’s not a great 3B (-7.9 UZR/150 in 2009, if I remember correctly), but he’s still capabable of playing the position. And that bobble during the no-hitter by Uribe was a tougher play than people act: the metrics are much more favorable to Uribe at 3B than at SS.
Though frankly, I prefer Sandoval as our starting third baseman. He wouldn’t be very tall for a 1B, and his power is more valuable at third than at first. I’ve said this before: Play him at 3B, and he’s one of the four or five best starting 3Bs in the National League. Move him to first full-time, and he’s more like top 10. Just like I think it’s stupid to move Sanchez to 3rd to make room for Uggla at 2nd, I think it’s stupid to scatter three third basemen to the far sides of the ballpark to make room for a fourth, when we are still looking for a capable first baseman.
Square peg, round hole. If you bash it hard enough it might fit, but that doesn’t mean it will fit very well.
Kouz has been able to muscle out 18 home runs a year in Petco, even hitting 23 in 08. The Coliseum may also be a pitcher’s park, but I don’t think it’s out of line to think that Kouz could hit 25 there.
LaRoche would be an incredible pick up for the A’s at 3b. I just can’t see Huntington giving up on him after just one year. Callaspo from the Royals is a much better fit. Deal from a position of strength and move Ryan Sweeney for him. Both teams would benefit from this type of move.
I dont think we need to sign another hitter, well not this year. The free agents still available arent worth the money theyre asking for. So why not give Bowker, Ishikawa, Schierholtz, Velez, and all the other young guys a shot?
The Giants should wait for LaRoche’s price to come down. With Sandavol, LaRoche and DeRosa, the Giants are starting to get somewhere. The Giants don’t have to money for an expensive free agent and there are no pie in the sky trades out there.
Will32, with all due respect, we need to a big hitter like laroche to help this team make playoffs. Lets face it, our awesome pitching staff isn’t getting any younger and stats are shown even for zito that when we produce at least 3 runs we have like an 80-90% chance of winning. I don’t know the exact amount but its up there. how crazy is that?