On Friday, Mike Axisa checked in on the stock of free-agent-to-be Marco Scutaro. The veteran has proved to be one of the most high-impact trade deadline pickups since being dealt from the Rockies to the Giants. Scutaro was initially high on staying put in Colorado but has quickly warmed up to San Francisco and says that he would like to stay put. With that said, the free agent market doesn't have a ton to offer when it comes to middle infielders and retaining the 36-year-old could cost the Giants a pretty penny. Here's more out of the NL West..
- Despite Troy Tulowitzki's injury-related setbacks this season, there is no sign that the Rockies are willing to explore a trade for him, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Renck asked the soon-to-be 28-year-old if he would be open to possibly shifting over to third base, but the shortstop rejected that idea.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that it is highly unlikely that we will see suspended outfielder Melky Cabrera appear in a postseason game for the Giants. Doing so would require leaving a roster spot open until the sixth playoff game of the year, which would be a sizable commitment considering that they don't know what he could bring to the table. Beyond that, the Giants are likely upset with Cabrera on a personal level.
- Rockies manager Jim Tracy is happy about the club's decision to go with a five-man rotation in 2013, Renck writes. The Rockies experimented with a four-man starting rotation this season but will now modify that plan to have five starters on a 90-100 pitch count with three "piggyback" relievers. Renck writes that the tweak should make the Rockies more appealing to veteran pitchers such as Kevin Millwood this winter.
- More from Renck, who writes that the Rockies are working to get a better handle on how the altitude of their home ballpark effects them and how they can approach the game differently. That has manifested itself in the form of the aforementioned pitching experiment but could also result in other creative changes going forward.
SUCH a paradigm for Cabrera, imo the only way he truly has the motivation make a better choice and get close to the level he was playing at would be to get a shot at PS. Otherwise it’s easy to see him going into the offseason dejected and unwilling to push himself as much as he could with the recovery boost from the PEDs. It would clearly take a lot for him to see the light of clean baseball.
The Giants clearly don’t think that revelation would come in the playoffs because it’s pretty clear that even half of Melky Cabrera would be more than what they have now in LF. He has certain attributes that aren’t just enhanced performance: speed + base running ability, arm strength + quality OFer.
PEDs can enhance one’s speed and arm strength. There’s a reason even sprinters get caught in track for doping to become faster, as well as pitchers in baseball to throw harder (a la Eric Gange, Clemens).
Of course, but there’s a difference between a slow and a fast runner beyond PEDs that is greater. Similarly the difference between Blanco’s, Nady’s (TJ surgery) arms is also immeasurable. I see what Cabrera COULD be- but the Giants are probably more realistically evaluating what he IS.
PEDs dont only just increase someone’s speed and strength, they also allow for faster recovery when working out. In other words, a guy will lift weights for 2 hours and be able to do it again either that day or the next day. While someone not on PEDs may be only able to lift every other day. Doesn’t sound like a lot but that means Cabrea could lift 2x as much as someone not doing PEDs
how does that make someone a better baseball player though?
(hint: it doesn’t)
Hint, yes it does. The biggest addition of Melky was his hitting ability. While roids don’t affect eyesight, they affect all other things. Train for something three times a week, and have a friend be able to do your same workout 6 times a week. Who is going to be in better shape, and in Melky’s case, be able strong enough to A. Drive MLB pitching and B. withstand the whole year, you or your friend? That’s the difference in roids, and yes, it does make good players better, sometimes a lot better(look at Melky this year and any other year in the past)
Testosterone does affect eyesight- that’s what he was taking not steroids.
I try to just call them PEDs cause there are 1000 types of them that all help out. Whatever it was, it’s the same idea. It undoubtedly helps recovery and if it helps eyesight too, that makes it that much worse IMO
Synthetic testosterone is really it’s own PED. According to Victor Conte the max allowable is a 4:1 Epi-Testosterone/Testosterone ratio where the normal man is 1:1 (athlete’s can be more naturally).
According to Conte the “clear and creams” are so fast acting and quick to pass through your system guys can do it at night after they go home to recover and get up around 7:1 ratio. Then by the morning before they go to the park (where they could be tested) they are back down to 3.5 or so.
It’s the guys who don’t get the ratio down AND get tested that get caught. But you’re kidding yourself as a fan if you don’t think there’s guys on every team using that exact formula and not getting caught.
you’re entire argument is based solely on the fact that working out and training is the main cause of success, it isn’t
Many MLBers, some of the best of all time, are not what you would call ‘in great shape’ this isn’t football, you don’t have to be a gym rat.
in fact, working out too much, adding muscle, can actually slow down reaction times due to loss in flexibility.
take guys who compete in fitness comps and put them in the mlb, and they won’t be successful.
The point is MLB players work out, yes? PEDs help players work out more successfully by helping them recover from their workout. Does that not make sense? I know Melky did really well and it’s hard for a fan of that team to admit your best offensive player for the year has been cheating, but it’s reality
Melky’s workout routine was not much lifting but more medicine ball type stuff- your point is right though, Melky clearly benefitted from the recovery time more than anything else.
It was just an example, I had no idea what Melky’s training was. But if it was medicine ball, its the same idea.
He had his own training room where he used mainly the ball and other non weight methods. His regiment was new after the 2010 season when he was out of shape.
Point being it was rigorous enough that IF he were to go at it even without the PEDs he’d likely be able to succeed MORE than for instance he did with the Yanks when his routine was more lax.
The question is whether or not he has that kind of drive- and that’s a serious question mark at this point. My point is getting rejected from a potential to play in PS is going to make that choice infinitely harder for him to make. And I’m on the fence as to whether giving him that shot is the right idea. It’s hard to say that if he was inspired to start anew and he went hard at it in the offseason it might not benefit the Giants immensely were they to resign him for significantly less $ than he would’ve gotten.
Don’t want to be a pessimist but I don’t think Melky has as much of a passion for the game than you think. He used a substance that he knew he was not allowed to use, more likely than not in order to receive as big of a FA contract as possible. It’s hard to fathom it for just about all dans( including myself) but Melky lost probably 50 million dollars because he got caught with PEDs! That’s a lot and there’s no reason that he deserves to play in the postseason or possibly win a batting title
No way he should be eligible for the batting title- it’ll only be some justice if Selig has to give that to him knowing full well there’s a near 100% accurate carbon test for Testosterone MLB won’t put into effect.
Now in terms of the penalty he pays- 50 games is the rule and while it is maybe generous to not restrict him from PS the games he misses basically make him a huge risk and one the Giants aren’t taking.
“but I don’t think Melky has as much of a passion for the game”
I’m not saying he does- I’m saying the ONLY chance he would ever is to put him in the heat of PS. It’s similar to the risk the Giants took on Beltran last year- it’s all or nothing. But as a fan: seeing the Giants chances of going all the way being much longer than possibly gaining a good LFer next year I can’t say I don’t want to see it happen. However I understand if they don’t.
3rd base: The retirement home of big short stops
Why would they move Tulo to 3B? Rutledge is a bad defensive SS.
Well let’s see the Rockies are not in it and they are at least 4-5 years away. If I were them I would try and get a massive package revovling 2 top-notch pitching prospects and a couple of other top prospects.
The Rockies will start 2013 with
24yo C Rosario 102 OPS+ .259/301/521
1B Helton(he’s come back strong before he may again/Cuddyer 99 OPS+
2B Rutledge 109 OPS+ .291/.313/.519
SS Tulo 133 OPS+ .287/.360/.486
3B Nelson 100 OPS+ .294/.346/.469
LF Cargo 122 OPS+ .308/.377/.518
CF Fowler 120 OPS+ .307/.391/.487
RF Colvin 116OPS+ .290/.332/.548
With a healthy Jorge DeLaRosa and Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation why do you think that team is 4 years away?
I remember when the Rockies’ roster and farm system had so much potential. Instead of creating trades with the value they had in the outfield and infield in order to (A) get more value coming back, and (B) let the players with the most potential obtain experience, they pissed away so much. Eric Young – wtf are they doing with him, for example. Moreover, what are they doing at 2nd base?! They have PLENTY of depth. Trade some away for value at another position. (Don’t GIVE away talent, either!)
“Doing so would require leaving a roster spot open until the sixth
playoff game of the year, which would be a sizable commitment
considering that they don’t know what he could bring to the table.” This is not entirely true. They can change rosters between playoff series. He can simply be added for the second series–.NLCS. Putting him on the first series roster would be stupid. The problem does arise even in the NLCS if they sweep or win in 4–assuming they are division winners rather than a wild card which would mean one extra game. But if they go 5, or somehow lose the division and get in as a wild card, win the WC game, then go 4, then Melky can be added for the NLCS.