I thought we'd see some sort of movement from the Giants by the end of the winter meetings. Something that would help indicate what direction they'll be headed in 2019, but now on the doorstep of the Christmas/New Years period in which nothing significant is likely to happen (though you never know), it could be at least a few more weeks until we get that answer.
The Giants have popped up in news recently though, and they did make an addition to their bullpen in a very interesting fashion. San Francisco added switch-pitching reliever, Pat Venditte to the mix on a one-year deal worth just north of the league minimum at $585K. I haven't seen a dollar amount that the Giants will be guaranteeing the 33 year-old, but from everything I seen I do like the addition. It's going to be fun to watch him flip that glove around and throw from both sides next year, but also to see this guy continue to grow despite being in his 30's. Zaidi knows this guy well, as he had him in both Oakland and Los Angeles. Venditte has battled some injury issues since his debut in 2015 with Oakland, but looked well in his stint in LA last season. The ambidextrous reliever threw 14 innings over 15 appearances, allowing 11 hits, 4 runs and only 1 big fly while striking out 9 and giving up 3 free passes. These numbers all ironed out to a 2.57 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP, both of which are very impressive, despite the limited workload. If the Giants get the same guy who showed up in LA last summer, then this move will look brilliant. And if not, they're out only half a million.
The other piece of news involves the only free agent the Giants have really been publicly linked to thus far. Both Farhan Zaidi and Bruce Bochy made the trip to Southern California to watch the 5x all-star shortstop hold an open workout to reassure interested teams that he's healthy and his foot woes are behind him. The 34 year-old played a couple months in 2017 then had his 2018 completely wiped out due to heel/ankle injuries. The last season in which he was healthy enough to play significantly was 2016 when he appeared in 130 games and put up some decent numbers. He slashed .254/.318/.443 (.761 OPS) with 24 long balls and 79 RBI over 492 at-bats.
Tulo is certainly interesting, especially since the Blue Jays are on the hook for his salary in 2019 so it will cost any team that signs him only the league minimum for next season. That, along with his right-handed pop and likely ability to play multiple positions all add up to make him a potential low-risk/high-reward type player. If the Giants were closer to being competitive then this would really be a no-brainer, but the question for them regarding Tulo now would be whether or not to give that potential spot to a younger player. Regardless of whether they plan to be competitive in 2019 or not though, I think nabbing Tulowitzki would be wise. If worse comes to worse and he doesn't do anything for them and is injured or just ineffective then they're only on the hook for the minimum and could move on without hesitation or consequences. However, if he is indeed healthy and in his usual form, then the Giants would have themselves a mighty fine bargaining chip come trade deadline time. An experienced middle infielder who can hit with power is tough to find and if Tulo is healthy and hitting, then there would be plenty teams inquiring for his services come July!
So far this winter, aside from the signing of Venditte and the team's apparent interest in Tulowitzki, the Giants have been as quiet as any team in baseball. On the contrary, their Southern California rivals just made a huge trade as what many are saying may be an attempt to open up room for a potential Bryce Harper addition. The Dodgers sent Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Alex Wood to Cincinnati in exchange for Homer Bailey's contract and a couple solid young prospects. Teenage infielder Jeter Downs especially, also right-hander Josiah Gray both look like they could have some bright futures ahead of them. The real incentive behind this deal for LA though was to clear payroll for a run at Bryce Harper which just got every team in the NL West's attention.
Extras: Happy Holidays to everyone out there! It's hard to believe 2018 is already over, but hopefully the Giants have some positive things in store for 2019. We'll be back after the new year, hopefully at which time the Giants will have made some sort of move that will impact their lineup on a daily basis. If not, then at least they maybe we'll get an idea of who they're interested in aside from the only name I've heard the last few weeks in Troy Tulowitzki... Speaking of Tulo, it's quite obvious the Giants will be more in a rebuilding type mode this winter, but the interest in these veterans has me unclear on what exactly Zaidi's plan is. That's what makes this such an interesting offseason for the Giants however.
The Giants have popped up in news recently though, and they did make an addition to their bullpen in a very interesting fashion. San Francisco added switch-pitching reliever, Pat Venditte to the mix on a one-year deal worth just north of the league minimum at $585K. I haven't seen a dollar amount that the Giants will be guaranteeing the 33 year-old, but from everything I seen I do like the addition. It's going to be fun to watch him flip that glove around and throw from both sides next year, but also to see this guy continue to grow despite being in his 30's. Zaidi knows this guy well, as he had him in both Oakland and Los Angeles. Venditte has battled some injury issues since his debut in 2015 with Oakland, but looked well in his stint in LA last season. The ambidextrous reliever threw 14 innings over 15 appearances, allowing 11 hits, 4 runs and only 1 big fly while striking out 9 and giving up 3 free passes. These numbers all ironed out to a 2.57 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP, both of which are very impressive, despite the limited workload. If the Giants get the same guy who showed up in LA last summer, then this move will look brilliant. And if not, they're out only half a million.The other piece of news involves the only free agent the Giants have really been publicly linked to thus far. Both Farhan Zaidi and Bruce Bochy made the trip to Southern California to watch the 5x all-star shortstop hold an open workout to reassure interested teams that he's healthy and his foot woes are behind him. The 34 year-old played a couple months in 2017 then had his 2018 completely wiped out due to heel/ankle injuries. The last season in which he was healthy enough to play significantly was 2016 when he appeared in 130 games and put up some decent numbers. He slashed .254/.318/.443 (.761 OPS) with 24 long balls and 79 RBI over 492 at-bats.
Tulo is certainly interesting, especially since the Blue Jays are on the hook for his salary in 2019 so it will cost any team that signs him only the league minimum for next season. That, along with his right-handed pop and likely ability to play multiple positions all add up to make him a potential low-risk/high-reward type player. If the Giants were closer to being competitive then this would really be a no-brainer, but the question for them regarding Tulo now would be whether or not to give that potential spot to a younger player. Regardless of whether they plan to be competitive in 2019 or not though, I think nabbing Tulowitzki would be wise. If worse comes to worse and he doesn't do anything for them and is injured or just ineffective then they're only on the hook for the minimum and could move on without hesitation or consequences. However, if he is indeed healthy and in his usual form, then the Giants would have themselves a mighty fine bargaining chip come trade deadline time. An experienced middle infielder who can hit with power is tough to find and if Tulo is healthy and hitting, then there would be plenty teams inquiring for his services come July!So far this winter, aside from the signing of Venditte and the team's apparent interest in Tulowitzki, the Giants have been as quiet as any team in baseball. On the contrary, their Southern California rivals just made a huge trade as what many are saying may be an attempt to open up room for a potential Bryce Harper addition. The Dodgers sent Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Alex Wood to Cincinnati in exchange for Homer Bailey's contract and a couple solid young prospects. Teenage infielder Jeter Downs especially, also right-hander Josiah Gray both look like they could have some bright futures ahead of them. The real incentive behind this deal for LA though was to clear payroll for a run at Bryce Harper which just got every team in the NL West's attention.
Extras: Happy Holidays to everyone out there! It's hard to believe 2018 is already over, but hopefully the Giants have some positive things in store for 2019. We'll be back after the new year, hopefully at which time the Giants will have made some sort of move that will impact their lineup on a daily basis. If not, then at least they maybe we'll get an idea of who they're interested in aside from the only name I've heard the last few weeks in Troy Tulowitzki... Speaking of Tulo, it's quite obvious the Giants will be more in a rebuilding type mode this winter, but the interest in these veterans has me unclear on what exactly Zaidi's plan is. That's what makes this such an interesting offseason for the Giants however.
Comments
The other guy I think we should get is Marwin Gonzalez. He's versatile and he can rake too. I think he had an off year last season too so they might be able to get him on a discount. We could put Jones in right and put Gonzalez in left around Steven Duggar. Plus Jones could play center vs. lefties or if Duggar isn't healthy then Jones could slide to center permanently. Dallas Keuchel would be an excellent starter to add too. I'd love to Keuchel in the #2 rotation spot behind Bumgarner. With Rodriguiz and Suarez and Shark behind them, that would be a nice rotation IMO.
The Giants can do this, but they have to be smart and get the right players but that's why we brought in Farhan am I right? I want to see what all the hype is about! Lets Go!