The Giants are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:
Eligible For Free Agency (6)
- Veteran position players Miguel Tejada, Cody Ross, Mark DeRosa, and Pat Burrell will be eligible for free agency after the season. Tejada, Ross, and DeRosa are making $6MM+ this year, and it probably won't make sense to keep them around at similar salaries.
- Relievers Javier Lopez and Guillermo Mota are both off to good starts in the early going.
Contract Options (1)
- Jeremy Affeldt: $5MM club option with a $500K buyout. I'm not sure this is a good investment given Affeldt's control issues. I'm leaning toward this being declined right now.
Arbitration Eligible (11)
- First time: Pablo Sandoval, Sergio Romo, Nate Schierholtz, Eli Whiteside
- Second time: Andres Torres, Santiago Casilla, Ryan Vogelsong
- Third time: Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, Ramon Ramirez, Mike Fontenot
Lincecum is the arbitration case everyone will be watching. He was aiming for a first-time record before settling on a two-year deal in February of last year. Lincecum is in a class by himself and could seek close to $20MM for 2012. The Giants could try for another multiyear extension instead of working to prevent their ace from shattering arbitration records for his '12 and '13 salaries.
Sandoval and Sanchez deserve consideration for extensions as well. Otherwise, I could see the pair earning around $12MM in total for '12. Torres, Romo, and Ramirez would also make sense to retain at the least. It's a very rough estimate, but the Giants' arbitration eligibles could get around $40MM for next year.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Giants' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $72.933MM including Affeldt's buyout. Arbitration eligible players could put them in the $113MM range, $5MM shy of this year's $118MM payroll. It's difficult to see the Giants taking payroll much higher, so barring trades or money-saving extensions GM Brian Sabean will have to go cheap at shortstop and in the outfield.
Time to lock up Lincy. He’s proven himself consistent and durable and is not as young as he looks. Don’t delay. I’m thinking 7 years/$175MM because he is going to want to shatter CC’s record deal. I know that seems excessive, but we’re at that point with these inflated salaries and as much as everybody loves Lincy, he seems like he’s as much a businessman as he is a loyal member of the organization. He’s earned it and they can afford it.
I think the Giants can do better than that. Say he’s at $20 mil for 2012 and $25 mil for 2013, his last two arb years – aggressive estimates if it’s a multiyear deal – then you’re giving him $26MM per free agent year. Cliff Lee makes $24MM a year on a deal struck on the open market, so if I was the Giants I’d at least want to knock $10MM off your estimate. Assuming they want to make a record-breaking commitment to him like that.
Yes! A 7-year deal for a pitcher is THE way to go!
Sincerely,
Barry Zito
haha, Barry Zito was and never will be a Tim Lincecum.
Cliff Lee’s deal was made to accommodate a team he wanted to be on and still make him insanely wealthy. Do I think Lincy is worth $25MM per over 7 years? Hell no. But do I think he could command that? Hell yeah. Look, if I had my druthers it would cost me a penny to get into the ball park, a pence to buy a hot dog and a beer, the players would be paid in chewing tobacco. 3 square meals a day and rent money and we’d make all the caps and jerseys in the united states and pay the workers a fare wage. However, we don’t live in that world.
In our world, tickets are overpriced, players are overpaid, salaries rise like a geyser and these are the facts of life.
I’m not being facetious either. I just accept the system for what it is.
Giants payroll will increase yet again if they make the playoffs
If they are going to have to go cheap at shortstop, how about Jack Wilson. He doesn’t have much of a bat but a good glove and he could be had cheap enough.
I’m willing to bet Brandon Crawford will be the SS next year at a salary of $420,000
I prefer Ehire Adrianza. Same type of player, just younger and with more speed.
I’d rather have a young and cheap “all glove, no-hit” SS than an old and slightly more expensive one.
No more compromises. Get the best or stick with the kids “journeyman” is a very bad word. Nice to see us get Beltran resigned. I heard he could sign for 10-11 mil. If you let Ross go and that 6 Mil contract this only bumps up the payroll 4-5 million and leaves an outside shot at the only shortstop that could fill three glaring needs: a lead-off hitter, speed on the bases and great defense. Can we afford him? If not look at B.J Upton, Denard, McCutchen or Spenard to lead off and fill our other hole in center field. Journeymen like Wilson at SS or Crisp in center only guarantee mediocrity. Better one good player and go with the kids until we can fill another spot with quality through the kids performing or picking up another quality free agent next year. Bourne would have been great to fill two holes but Beltran is the better hitter and hits well in our home park.
Give a cheer for wildman, Sabean. His latest wow is giving near non-player Fontaneau around 1.5 million! Huff got 10 million for being clean down batter and absentee Rowand got 11 million. A potenial power player “Nate the Great” Shierholtz only got around 450,000. I think that losing pitcher Timmy got 9 million, but he got a new contract for 20 million.
An even greater gaff may be in trading a potential fourth starter in the Beltran deal. Wheeler must be better than Eric Surkamp who was tried at the end of the season.
Well, I have to admit Sabean has all the bravado the team needs to not make the playoffs again.
A cheery note: Gary Brown may have it all just hope that Sabean does not trade him.
Sabean has given Fontaneau 1 and 1/2 million. He gave huff, the magic clean up hitter, 10 million, and reserve Rowand 11 million. It may well turn out that trading top minor league pitcher Zack Wheeler who was considered as possible for Giant fourth starter to the Mets in the Beltran deal. Beltran has gone to St. Louis–thanks a lot Sabean.
One more cheerful note is tryouter Gary Brown who has great speed and good hitting in the minors. Too bad that the Giants don’t trade Sabean for a more talanted minor league manager who could make better trades.