The Giants re-signed outfielder Pat Burrell to a one-year, $1MM deal that does not include any incentives. The team announced the deal today.
Burrell, 34, hit .252/.348/.469 with 20 home runs in 437 plate appearances for the Rays and Giants this year. He tallied over 600 innings in left field for San Francisco. The return to the National League, and perhaps the chance to play defense again, resulted in a solid comeback. Burrell isn't known for his glovework, but on the plus side he was the only free agent left fielder to hit 20 home runs in 2010. His agents at Legacy Sports seemingly adhered to his wish to remain in San Francisco rather than shop around for the biggest contract.
Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News was the first to report that a deal may have been struck between the two sides and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reported details on the deal (Twitter links).
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
The Cardinals just MAY have just signed Barry Bonds.
Looks like you can’t buy championships…how much was STL’s payroll?
i may have just won the lottery..
Hank Schulman just confirmed it.
Hell yes!
This is a good thing? Burrell looked finished in the playoffs.
he’s always been streaky. always.
He came up with huge ding dongs all season long.
I’ll chalk the World Series to SSS, he’s still the Machine to me and every other Giants fan in the Bay Area. We need him next year.
the giants won the world series because of JUAN URIBE…he helped the giants and the whitesox back in 05….think about it both teams Juan-o has played for he has been a part of a no hitter and a world series…..look like the dodgers are going to get both soon,…
he was only part of a no-hitter with the Giants because he booted the ball to ruin a perfect game.
he was only part of a no-hitter with the Giants because he booted the ball to ruin a perfect game.
Yeah, Timmy, Cain, Bumgarner, Huff, Ross, F. Sanchez, Posey, Wilson….those guys had nothing to do with it!!
why do i keep taking this kind of bait? here goes anyway…
if you want to think that a .240 hitter who hits a well-timed bomb now and again is the major reason for a world championship, then you aren’t very bright. pitching, pitching, excellent pitching is the reason that they had a shot with a subpar offense.
tejada is a similar player to uribe and without the risk of a 3-year contract. good move. burrell, as cold as he was in the playoffs, is a machine (ok ok sorry for the pun) when he hits a hot streak and really turns the middle of the lineup into something that can’t be laughed at.
bochy proved he can find the hot hand, just give him some options. burrell is a good move at a 1-year deal, very limited risk.
i was being sarcastic about uribe people need to chill ye he was part of two no hitters and part of two WS but i never meant it to sound like he is the reason they all happened
Well he did a good job of making sure that second no hitter wasn’t a perfect game.
I agree, wholeheartedly. If he can stay healthy, we’re getting 30HR potential for 1$M/1. I know somebody is going to say 30 big flies is outrageous, the operative word there is POTENTIAL. I’m not saying it’s extremely likely, but he did hit 20 in 370 ABs last year, 18 of which coming in a mere 290 ABs after signing with the Giants. I don’t know what’s up with him and the AL (that showing in the WS was embarrassing) but he’s a stud against NL pitching. Always a tough out and when he’s hot he really crushes the ball. That mammoth shot off the top of the buidling in San Diego was RIDICULOUS.
The best part about the Giants in ’10 was that everyone contributed, everyone shined at one point. this teams the real deal.
He was just taking bad swings mechanically, he was on every one of those pitches but was dipping under them. Burrell could be the Giants’ version of Jason Giambi off the bench this year and that’s not too shabby with their other OF options being crap in AAA.
if brandon belt is anything near what we hope he is, you put belt or huff in left field if burrell doesn’t perform. no risk in a one-year deal. torres and ross to fill out the outfield, hey that beats the heck out of a derosa-rowand-bowker outfield last year opening day.
Another thing, after that terrible series against the Brewers (IIRC), he took the initiative and called a hitters meeting and righted the Giants’ ship.
I know true believer SABRmetrics people tend to smirk at “intangibles” like clubhouse leadership but Burrell’s presence and mentoring abilities cannot be discounted. He fit in perfectly with the Misfit mentality.
He and Uribe both batted .143 in the playoffs.
Burrell also had an OPS+ of 132 during the regular season for the Giants
He got them there!!!! Look how that worked out. With Ross, rowand, shirholz, huff, and Torres he will not be needed every game. I like the deal for 1 million
Oh I forgot derosa
I’d honestly be kind of surprised if they did. Brandon Belt is near-ready, and Belt, Huff, and DeRosa can all play the outfield. I was assuming that we’d see a Belt/Huff-Torres-Ross outfield this year with DeRosa and/or Rowand filling in until Belt was ready. Guess not.
huff’s not playing OF. at least not decent OF. And derosa’s coming off injuries so I can see how this makes sense. I’m not a pat burrell fan at all (very inconsistent & weak fielder more my taste). But the man did mash for SF, so if they got him at under 6mil I think he’ll fill out their outfield rather well
Maybe you should watch some more Giants games, Huff was above average in left last year and average in right
I think years of being exposed to Fred Lewis has warped our minds when it comes to LF defense. Huff played well compared to Lewis or an old Barry Bonds, but he’s still less than ideal as a defender.
By all defensive metrics he was above average in left. Lewis was bad because he couldnt tell the difference between a texas leaguer and a bomb off the bat
One could argue Lewis was also above average defensively using defensive metrics… only difference may be Huff actually produced offensively and a little more consistently. But like every Giants fan can tell you watching Lewis in LF was an adventure.
I agree Huff is about average in LF (considering LFers are typically poorer defenders then CF and RF) and made the plays he needed to make. Burrell’s speed and size definitely hurt his defense but he’s not a butcher a la Dunn or Vlad.
Good point, but lewis had the speed of a CF, he was just a terrible OF, bad jumps, bad hands, but decent arm and great speed. Huff makes good reads and makes all the plays he should. Thats what makes him average to above average. Burrell is slow but he also make the plays he should and will surprise you occasionally with a very good play once in a while
huff’s not playing OF. at least not decent OF. And derosa’s coming off injuries so I can see how this makes sense. I’m not a pat burrell fan at all (very inconsistent & weak fielder more my taste). But the man did mash for SF, so if they got him at under 6mil I think he’ll fill out their outfield rather well
YEAAAH! PAT the BAT! He is back in Orange and Black! Just think about it… Uribe gone, the Giants cannot lose out on another free agent. We are getting those 20 Home runs back with Burrell in 2011.
full season of burrell, call me crazy but i want 25-35 dingers in 2011, and a ton of walks. and i really think there’s a good chance i’ll get what i want in this case.
Finally! Someone mentions his patience at the plate!
People do know that this site is about rumors right? Therefore when something like “a team MAY have signed a player” is heard of, they report it… Just seems like some people don’t understand what a rumor is.
A reliable reporter reported it, and another reliable reporter confirmed it.
No, I think we all understand what a rumor is.
And in case you haven’t noticed, Tim’s site has expanced FAR FAR beyond mere rumors.
looks like this seals the deal on bartlett. aint happening
DeRosa is an already paid for Bartlett, I guess.
Let’s hope his wrist tendon doesn’t asplode again.
Somewhere, Ned Colletti is throwing stuff.
Can’t really dislike this deal since it is just for 1 year, but got to see the dollar amount. Pat the Bat did well for us last year and he’ll make a great bat off the bench and he is also a great clubhouse guy
Torres CF
Sanchez 2B
Huff 1B
Posey C
Burrell LF
Ross RF
Sandoval/DeRosa 3B
Tejada SS
That looks pretty good along with their pitching staff. They just better hope noone hits the ball to the left side of the diamond.
I don’t think that looks good to be honest. I know, they won the WS. But I doubt very much they do it again next year with that anemic offense.
Do you work for ESPN?
They did it this year, so there’s certainly a precedence for it. Besides, a lot of their boost came from players they acquired late in the season, they will have Ross and Burrell all next season. It stands to reason that the Giants offensive production will be better. Point taken though, the lineup as it stands now isn’t the best ever.
….not to mention Posey and Bumgarner.
Yes, their anemic, league average offense.
Do your research, bro.
You really dont think the giants can do it again with that same offense do you? Yea how about you do your research. It’s not looking good so far on paper
Speculation is not research. Last season, the Giants were a league average offense. We won’t know how they do until the season actually starts, but there’s nothing to suggest that their production isn’t sustainable. For every up year, there was a down year. Despite major contributions from unknown quantities like Torres and Posey, and rebound years from Burrell and Huff, there were also notable down years for the likes of Sandoval and Ross. We don’t know what DeRosa’s impact will be, nor how Tejada will hold up at age 37. We don’t know how much Pablo will weigh, much less how he can hit. So whatever inane counterpoint you have about “on paper” doesn’t mean squat.
Say it with me, everyone. The Giants were a league average offense. The Giants scored runs and hit for average well within the expected margin of error of statistical projections. During the regular season, they were not under-achieving, nor were they playing over their heads. And at the end of the season, they had won 92 games.
The Giants offense is not murderer’s row, but neither is it anywhere near the likes of the 2010 Mariners. How you think they will hit in 2011 depends entirely on your opinion of the individual players. Which is not research. It’s opinion.
giants in september led majors in hr. swap uribe for tejada, i call it about even; but i see no reason why this offense can’t be just good enough to get it done again. remember we have burrell and ross and posey for full season now, and although that doesn’t scare most opposing pitchers, it certainly commands more respect than bowker and rowand and molina trotting out there every day.
Point taken, but more exposure of Burrell is not a good thing.
Point taken, but more exposure of Burrell is not a good thing.
You and your logic. If you think that diatribe was a good comeback to “You don’t really think the giants can do it again with the same offense do you?” you are far too mature and analytical for this sight, my friend.
Umm it didn’t look good on paper when we won the World Series haha! They’re a lot better than you Oakland TRIPLE A’s lmao
Haters gonna hate.
Lets face it fellas we got there on the majors best pitching staff.
agreed with the expect soph slump of posey i doubt they make it there again, but their pitching is WS quality….i wonder how zito is going to react to pitching next season when he was not on the post season rosters
Zito won’t react at all. He understands why he wasn’t on the roster (He’s a veteran ffs) and if you didn’t see the Giants celebrating, ALL the team members were celebrating. Including Zito.
agreed with the expect soph slump of posey i doubt they make it there again, but their pitching is WS quality….i wonder how zito is going to react to pitching next season when he was not on the post season rosters
Swap Pat Burrell for Adam Dunn and the Giants would destroy everything in sight.
Just sayin’.
Dunn 2010 (648 PA’s): .260/.356/.536 .892 OPS
Burrell 2010 w/Giants (289 PA’s): .266/.364/.509 .873 OPS
I’m sure whatever the difference in contract values that the two will have will more than make up for the .019 difference in OPS.
I know it sounds smart when you can quote stats but look at the difference in sample size. It can be argued that if Burrell got the same amount of PA’s as Dunn his stats wouldn’t be as comparable. Also Dunn’s stats could improve by lowering his PA’s.
Is it worth paying an extra $15 million for that extra value, though? Especially when you’re already clogged at first base, relegating Adam Dunn to the outfield? We all know that’s a failed experiment at this point; Dunn needs to stay at first or DH, otherwise he loses value quickly.
Yeah its not worth it for the Giants since they only have outfield spots open. Im just saying with the right positions open Dunn has a better value IMO.
Well Dunn can play 1B and Huff play the OF. Huff is better than Dunn in the OF I would assume…
You and I have no clue whatsoever the numbers Burrell or Dunn would have put up given the same number of plate appearances. So, no, that really can’t be argued at all. The point was addressing the “destroy everything in sight” comment. Obviously, Burrell was a different player once he got to San Francisco. Maybe there really is something to the idea of playing in the field positively affecting his hitting. The difference between Burrell and Dunn is no where near the difference in dollars that they will be paid. Hence, the comparison. Btw, I thought that’s kind of what we do on this site…make claims and back them up with proof/numbers.
How’s this for a sample size? 5388 PA’s in the NL from 2001-2008: .257/.367/.485/.852
The difference in 2010 salary could approach $10MM and Burrell’s contract is for one year. Are you suggesting they should’ve went with Dunn instead and saddle themselves with yet another big dollar, long-term contract?
You can look at the differences in the league if you like (though I’d honestly argue that the NL West has the most premium pitching talent of any division in baseball), but there’s also some who would posit that DH-ing is difficult for some because you’re not “fully in the game.” When you have to play the field, it helps maintain your focus, and other arguments of that ilk. Whether there’s any truth to that, I don’t know. But it strikes me that the difference in performance between the leagues is too dramatic to be purely a product of “superior pitching.”
Looking at his splits against particular starters, be it based on starter ERA, FIP, WHIP, or whatever else, might be warranted.
research shows that dh’ing does have a slight negative effect on offensive performance
i wonder why that is…maybe they’re snoozing between AB’s…
You’re totally ignoring the fact that Dunn is solid throughout the year while Burrell is streaky.
Seriously? Dunn is consistent? HAHAHAHAHAH!
The same Pat Burrell that gave you this line in TB this year:
.202 /.292/ .333 /.625 OPS
Granted the numbers in a Giant’s uniform were nice, but if you’re going to quote numbers for a certain season you need to tell the whole story.
That being said, on a one year deal it’s a nice signing. Just temper your expectations a little.
Except for the fact that on set of numbers was produced in the NL East as a DH and one was in the NL West as a position player. That is quite a difference in environments in which the stats were generated. Especially given the fact that one is the environment that he will continue to play in in 2011.
When did the NL East implement the DH?
Justing kidding… i got what you were saying. If reports were true, Burrell absolutely, 100% hated playing in TB. I dont think it was necassarily the team, more the setting and discomfort. Maybe it was the change of scenary or being let go lit a fire under his ass, but his numbers do show a totally different player once he put on the orange and black.
Dunn 2010 (648 PA’s): .260/.356/.536 .892 OPS
Burrell 2010 w/Giants (289 PA’s): .266/.364/.509 .873 OPS
I’m sure whatever the difference in contract values that the two will have will more than make up for the .019 difference in OPS.
including the payroll for the next 6 years. and with huff and dunn for 3 years, where does brandon belt play when he becomes major league ready? no sense locking up dunn into his immobile years. maybe if huff wasn’t re-signed, yes, but not as it currently stands.
i’m guessing sandoval starts more games at 3rd than derosa. but i bet derosa still gets 400 ABs with time at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, left and right. it seems like the giants are forgetting about derosa. is there a chance he’s traded this winter?
I don’t think they’re forgetting, just not putting much faith in a 37-year old who hasn’t played in a year and is coming off a 2nd wrist surgery. I’m sure if he shows up healthy and productive in ST they’ll find a way to get him time.
derosa has zero trade value right now, he has to prove that he can swing a bat without his wrist falling off. unfortunately derosa ain’t going nowhere, but fortunately he only has 1 year left on his deal. after 2011 burrell, derosa, tejada come off the books and the giants will potentially be able to replace them with brandon belt and brandon crawford at major league minimum salaries, allowing that cash to go toward keeping our pitching intact (knocking wood that they’re all still healthy by then). that’s why i love these 1-year veteran signings so much.
DeRosa is horrible at 3rd. How fast we give up on Pablo who despite the tag that he’s gotten, really isn’t bad at 3rd.
totally agree, no way in hell that 2011 pablo is as bad as 2010 pablo. if he can reclaim any of his 2009 success, holy crap that juicy center of the lineup suddenly gets very appetizing and tejada-ross as your 7-8 hitters looks pretty darn good. i’ve been a huge sandoval critic but only because he really can make this offense sexy.
seriously though, if he goes .280-20-80 (doesn’t seem too hard to do, right?) then you’ve more than replaced uribe, and tejada just has to replace the 2010 sandoval at .270-15-60. which also doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
That line isnt something that is out of reach for him. Unless he eats himself into oblivion. I think that he still holds more value as a trade piece then he does as a starting 3B. I think that they could use him in a deal to get Gordon Beckham from Chicago or possibly to get Jose Reyes from NY but you would probably have to bring a 3rd team into that deal. Either of those guys would be an upgrade over Pablo who could rebound but he could also show up looking like Prince Fielder’s big bro.
SF has a solid middle of the order assuming that there is no sophomore slump for Buster and Huff can continue what he did last year. Im not sold on Torres as the answer at the top of the order thats why i think that a Reyes deal would help.
In the end though this team is going to be carried by their starters. I think Bumgarner will be their 2nd best pitcher, taking nothing away from Cain who could be an Ace on 75% of the pitching staffs in baseball. But just watching Bumgarner in the playoffs with his stuff and his makeup if he doesnt win 15 this year i would be surprised. The offense will be better having Ross, Posey, Tejada, and Burrell for the whole year. Plus having DeRo back could help due to his flexibility. Unless they can find a taker for him (the yankees perhaps for Alfredo Aceves).
Thoughts?
Addressing these in order…
I know the Giants are keen on Beckham, but what they really need going forward or guys who are really at home on the left side of the infield. Additionally, Pablo’s future is uncertain but really seems to high a higher ceiling. So, it’s risk reward. At this point, while he’s still very affordable, I think you have to stick with Sandoval.
As for Jose Reyes, he too rich for the Giants’ blood at that position, and if you are any kind of a believer in clubhouse chemistry, I would argue that Reyes is just a flat out bad fit for the Giants. If they were doing a deal with the cubs, I’d rather target Angel Pagan despite our already glutted outfield.
Bumgarner has some great stuff and doesn’t seem rattled by anything, but he’s still young. He’s got great movement on his fastball, but he remains mostly a fastball-changeup pitcher, which is not the makeup of a top-end of the rotation starter. If he can refine some more breaking stuff, he could easily be a #2 guy going forward, and has time to do so. For now, though, he remains somewhat susceptible to righties from start to start, depending on how the ball is coming out of his hand on a given day.
In response to your responses (lol). Mind you i am a Cubs fan and have been my whole life. But I am a Baseball fan first and foremost.
The reasons why i think Beckham is a better fit are as follows. Yes he can play 3rd this year but SF can always move him to 2B next year if they feel that he is better suited for it since Sanchez’s contract will be up. Or if he shows that he can handle 3B they can leave him there and go after a 2B next offseason or resign Sanchez. Just a couple guys that will be available as of right now are Uggla, Omar Infante, Rickie Weeks and Jose Bautista and some possible guys depending on options being picked up are Brandon Phillips and Aaron Hill.
As far as afforability they are pretty much the same. And while Sandoval has a high ceiling i think Beckham still has a lot of potential that hasnt been shown and you dont have to worry about his conditioning.
Reyes does have a high contract number but its only for 1 year so if it doesnt work out youre not on the hook for multiple years. Im not sure how you can argue that he would be a bad fit though other than youre perception that he would somehow throw the chemistry way off. People seem to think that he has had numerous injuries throughout his career. He only missed 15 games from 05-08 and played in 133 last year and still made the all star team. He would give them a true leadoff hitter which is something that they havent had in idk how long plus he is a solid SS with good range. Classic change of scenery type guy who can give you a speed element that this team is sorely lacking and i really dont see him messing up clubhouse chemistry with the guys that they have there if anything i think he would add to it.
Bumgarner i cant really disagree with your points on. However it did seem like he does have a pretty good slider to go along with his other pitches and he will only get better. It was more of me voicing a gut feeling as opposed to stating facts though.
To phrase it differently… This is just my personal opinion – though I know I am not the only one that holds it – but I think that Jose Reyes is very much about Jose Reyes and not about the New York Mets. He strikes me as a player who is cocky, reckless, and not much of a contributor outside of the numbers he puts up on the board. Furthermore, if you trade for Reyes, you are likely giving up a combined 10-15 years, if not more, of team control in the form of mid- to high level prospects, for one year of a player who is good, but not going to fix an otherwise imperfect team. No thanks.
As for Beckham, the Giants have an emerging 2B prospect who profiles to be a plus bat, average to below-average glove at his position named Charlie Culberson. He is not by any means a sure thing, but he is still a top 10 prospect for his position. From top to bottom in the organization, the Giants are thin on talent on the left side of the infield. I would much rather invest in a worthwhile established shortstop or third baseman long term than a second baseman… In fact, at this juncture, the left side of the infield is probably the Giants single biggest area of need offensively and defensively.
Jeebus, send us Ryan Zimmerman.
In response to your responses (lol). Mind you i am a Cubs fan and have been my whole life. But I am a Baseball fan first and foremost.
The reasons why i think Beckham is a better fit are as follows. Yes he can play 3rd this year but SF can always move him to 2B next year if they feel that he is better suited for it since Sanchez’s contract will be up. Or if he shows that he can handle 3B they can leave him there and go after a 2B next offseason or resign Sanchez. Just a couple guys that will be available as of right now are Uggla, Omar Infante, Rickie Weeks and Jose Bautista and some possible guys depending on options being picked up are Brandon Phillips and Aaron Hill.
As far as afforability they are pretty much the same. And while Sandoval has a high ceiling i think Beckham still has a lot of potential that hasnt been shown and you dont have to worry about his conditioning.
Reyes does have a high contract number but its only for 1 year so if it doesnt work out youre not on the hook for multiple years. Im not sure how you can argue that he would be a bad fit though other than youre perception that he would somehow throw the chemistry way off. People seem to think that he has had numerous injuries throughout his career. He only missed 15 games from 05-08 and played in 133 last year and still made the all star team. He would give them a true leadoff hitter which is something that they havent had in idk how long plus he is a solid SS with good range. Classic change of scenery type guy who can give you a speed element that this team is sorely lacking and i really dont see him messing up clubhouse chemistry with the guys that they have there if anything i think he would add to it.
Bumgarner i cant really disagree with your points on. However it did seem like he does have a pretty good slider to go along with his other pitches and he will only get better. It was more of me voicing a gut feeling as opposed to stating facts though.
The Panda is average at best but with the addition of Tejeda(iron hands) instead uf the slick fielding Uribe is a mistake.
DeRosa is horrible at 3rd. How fast we give up on Pablo who despite the tag that he’s gotten, really isn’t bad at 3rd.
solid mix of young and old….well two young guys and a bunch of old dudes
Good DeRosa insurance policy.
I think it will work out to be the other way around.
Exactly. The idea of Burrell/DeRosa at 7m is a bit easier to stomach than DeRosa at 6m. Having said that though, this could also be thought of as Belt/Neal insurance. If Pablo earns a ticket to Fresno, Tejeda/DeRosa might just slide over to 3B if Burris, Rohlinger, or Adrianza (or Crawford, if he gets an invite) make a strong case for themselves at SS in Spring.
They signed Burrell to make Huff happy.
Are you saying it’s a bad thing? They went to college together, and feed off each other’s energy and production. Did you see how pumped up huff was when Burrell hit that homer against the Dodgers in late July? He could barely contain his rally thong. As the Giants have already proven — stellar pitching+great team chemistry+an average offense= a world series
Am I saying it’ll happen again for sure then? Of course not, it’s baseball. And to be honest that offense is average at the LEAST. A whole year of ROY Buster Posey who racked 67 rbis missing two months of baseball, the power of Burrell, former batting title champ Sanchez, Torres who was one of the top in the league in doubles with about a month of no play during the season..Ross the Boss (whos 2x better than Bowker). Do I need to go on?
i also forgot to mention Tejada who has had 170+ hits in his last 10 seasons (yes, last year too lol) ppl already know huff and panda so i’m done explaining here
key thing that all the blind tejada haters are failing to see is that tejada still brings a proven 162-game work ethic. uribe doesn’t offer that. i’ll concede that uribe was better defensively in 2010 but i’m not a bit convinced that it’ll be a significant difference in 2011.
i just don’t think anything is lost going from uribe to tejada on paper.
I don’t get where I implied that this was a bad signing. I am a HUGE Giants fan. I even skipped school (I’ve only missed 2 days of school since Kindergarten and I’m a Senior in high school now, so skipping for me was a big deal) to watch that NLCS game that started at 1 on a Monday when Bumgarner pitched. But I like the signing cause of that reason. Team Chemistry. I have never seen 2 grown men so happy. Without Burrell we wouldn’t have gotten to the playoffs. He came up clutch for us so many times. So take your assumptions somewhere else please.
your comment could be interpreted both ways, thats all im saying. You sounded bitter in your claim!! Anyways, yer a Giants fan and thats all that matters in the end. I’m not here to cause tension within our fan base. lol. Go Giants
where did he say it was a bad thing? don’t jump to conclusions.
I agree with most of the things you said… but I feel you overreacted just a tad lol.
lol i wasn’t freaking out/ticked off. I was just a lil confused. Its hard to read tone through text
I agree with most of the things you said… but I feel you overreacted just a tad lol.
Exactly, Huff was quoted as saying that when Burrell got to SF, the dynamic of the team changed and he really started loving it there. If everyone’s having fun, the teams tends to win… On top of all that, having a strong veteran presence is good for a team when it comes to teaching rookies like Posey and hopefully Belt this year.
Isn’t it strange that as soon as Burrell and Posey showed up, the Giants’ offense started clicking? They were the only two guys in the lineup that would take a walk and it made all those homeruns they started hitting count more since guys were ACTUALLY on base.
Burrell led the team with 4.22 pitches per at bat. He is a disciplined, but streaky hitter, not a free swinger. I think he and Posey stabilized the lineup with their patient approach. Did you see how Torres did better when he did the same thing in the playoffs?
Exactly, Huff was quoted as saying that when Burrell got to SF, the dynamic of the team changed and he really started loving it there. If everyone’s having fun, the teams tends to win… On top of all that, having a strong veteran presence is good for a team when it comes to teaching rookies like Posey and hopefully Belt this year.
Isn’t it strange that as soon as Burrell and Posey showed up, the Giants’ offense started clicking? They were the only two guys in the lineup that would take a walk and it made all those homeruns they started hitting count more since guys were ACTUALLY on base.
now that we know what we know…they signed burrell to make burrell happy. dude, i can’t tell you how much respect i have for pat burrell today. giants fans lose the right to boo burrell for remainder of his career.
smart move, his 18 homers in 90 games was huge for the giants
Good move. After all, Brian Wilson needs The Machine!
Now they can release Rowand
Now they can release Rowand
…and Ned Colletti can sign him.
…as soon as Ned gets done firing the assistant that forgot to fax the 3 year deal over to Burrell’s agent.
The Giants 2011 opening day lineup is much better then the 2010 opening day lineup.
Welcome back Burrell.
am i stupid to call out how much of an offensive liability benjie molina was? even a sophomore slump by posey won’t approach the horrific .310 on-base and .450 slugging that molina struggled to post yet so many giants fans still considered him a good player.this offense in september, and even in october when they hit the playoff-pitching-induced cold streaks, was 8 guys who were capable of producing at any trip to the plate. in april it had been sure outs from our catcher, right fielder, center fielder, and left fielder.
We considered him good because he was one of the architects to our deadly pitching staff. Other than that he was mediocre at best.
Yeah, Molina did a great job of not getting to balls and letting so many pass through his glove. The argument about him calling such a great game always got to me, how hard is it for a pitcher to say no. Posey did okay with them right?
Speaking of .310 OBP, that was Uribe, too.
now if only we could still get bartlett…still a chance, Giants do have a slight surplus in pitching relief (Chris ray, ramon ramirez)
Happy to have him back. He had some big hits for the Giants, most notably that homerun off Jonathan Broxton that beat LA, and put Brox into his latest nosedive.
He may have struck out a lot in the WS, but he had two key at bats where he drew a walk before a big hit, and he had a seven or eight pitch at bat against Lee which Renteria says helped him hit his big HR.
He is a professional hitter and, unlike Rowand, Sandoval or Uribe, rarely swung at pitches in the dirt. Good move for the Giants.
Torres CF
Sanchez 2B
Huff 1B
Posey C
Burrell LF
Ross RF
Tejada SS
Sandoval or DeRosa 3B
There are no easy outs in that lineup. I say it’s good enough to make the playoffs, which is the Giants biggest challenge. Once they’re in, no one wants to face that pitching staff in a short series.
There isn’t an easy out. Not to mention that there are guys on the bench that can come in and do the same thing.
burrell will be an easy out for a good portion of the season, per usual. better hope sandoval loses 30 lbs too.
burrell will be an easy out for a good portion of the season, per usual. better hope sandoval loses 30 lbs too.
There isn’t an easy out. Not to mention that there are guys on the bench that can come in and do the same thing.
1 mill? No way anyone can complain about this!
Wow… I’d have thought Burrell would command more than a $1M base. Good deal for the Giants. No risk and plenty of reward. Makes you wonder how Huff convinced them he was worth $22M…
I was honestly expecting that Burrell wouldn’t make more than $3 million this coming season, regardless of where he played. He also said during September that he wanted to return to SF next season (he grew up locally), and would be willing to do so in whatever capacity the Giants wanted him to, even as a bench bat. This is a bench bat kind of contract, but I still expect him to be the opening day left fielder.
Burrell told his agent he wanted to come back. Not that he wanted $.
Huff had a similar offer from another team, I’ve heard it was the Dodgers or the Rangers.
This is the kind of deal that won them the world series last. Not at all saying they will repeat but a very good move by giants. No risk whatsoever. Huge upside with burrell’s power and locker room presence.
WOW! with all these players playing strictly for the money and forgetting about everything else, you have to love Pat for this one. Talk about playing for the love of the game and taking a hometown discount!
Derek Jeter do you hear me?
jeter is so moved by this that he calls up casey close and says, screw the yankees, i want to be part of that kind of team. tell sabean i want $1m in 2011.
Best deal of the offseason so far!! Talk about playing for the game and his hometown, much respect to Pat the Bat!
WELCOME…………TO THE MACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE.
I love that it’s for 1mm. Having his presence for that much is a huge bargain. Good Job sabean!!
I love that it’s for 1mm. Having his presence for that much is a huge bargain. Good Job sabean!!
Great signing at that price.
Pat the Bat sure moved up in my book, nice to see an athlete play for the love of the game.
I wonder if Pat’s agent is Dr. Evil from the Austin Power’s movies…
Dr. Evil: We demand the sum… OF 1 MILLION DOLLARS. Muahahahahahhahahaaa!
Wow, I wonder how much the incentives are? 1M seems like an awfully big hometown discount. Huff resigning probably factored into his decision as well.
No incentives. $1MM. PEriod.
Wow. If Huff has any sense of fairness, he should share some of his $22 mil to his buddy Burrell.
Nice signing Sabean.
No kidding. Dinner’s on Aubrey every time they go out.
No kidding. Dinner’s on Aubrey every time they go out.
Really close now. Soon the Giants will be in position to stand Pat.
$1MM with no incentives. Awesome.
and if you believe everything you read, that was far from his best offer available. amazing move by burrell, this gesture guarantees that i’ll be there opening day to ensure that everyone in my section gets on their feet to recognize his sacrifice on our behalf.
huff+burrell for $12m in 2011? suddenly looks pretty good. same trick we keep playing with zito+lincecum for $25m and rowand+posey for $13m and derosa+sandoval for $7m, etc.
A player take less money to play where he loves??? Unheard of!!!!
A player take less money to play where he loves??? Unheard of!!!!
It does give you warm fuzzies to see Burrell signing for next to nothing, simply for the chance to play for his chosen team. But does it not occur to anyone else that it might turn out to be a good decision for Burrell financially, long-term? Yes, he probably could have gotten $3-4 mil a year to play in a reduced role (DH or platoon maybe) in a town/situation he was less comfortable in. But even assuming he did well within that capacity, what kind of deal would he have been in line for after 2011? Not much more than that. If he believes playing every day in an environment he’s comfortable in can get him closer to his 2008 numbers, and if he can play every day in the field without being overly horrible (no guarantee there, obviously, but still) he’ll be looking for a one or two year deal after 2011 as a regular for much, much more money than he’d have gotten in a couple years as a well-paid role player.
Or, in short, he’s probably hoping to pull an Aubrey Huff.
It does give you warm fuzzies to see Burrell signing for next to nothing, simply for the chance to play for his chosen team. But does it not occur to anyone else that it might turn out to be a good decision for Burrell financially, long-term? Yes, he probably could have gotten $3-4 mil a year to play in a reduced role (DH or platoon maybe) in a town/situation he was less comfortable in. But even assuming he did well within that capacity, what kind of deal would he have been in line for after 2011? Not much more than that. If he believes playing every day in an environment he’s comfortable in can get him closer to his 2008 numbers, and if he can play every day in the field without being overly horrible (no guarantee there, obviously, but still) he’ll be looking for a one or two year deal after 2011 as a regular for much, much more money than he’d have gotten in a couple years as a well-paid role player.
Or, in short, he’s probably hoping to pull an Aubrey Huff.
Deal just got better, no incentives.
Not bad for 1M.
Excellent deal for the Giants.