Giants OPS Leaders & Free Agent Replacements

by Kid Fresh on Sep 3, 2006 5:27 AM PDT Comment 10 comments

Giants OPS Leaders:

GIANTS CURRENT OPS LEADERS:

.979 Bonds- If Bonds bolts to the AL to DH in 2007, that .976 OPS will be hard to replace. Consider Torii Hunter at .801, Frank Catalanotto at .871... or a lot of pressure on Todd Linden.

.881 Durham- If Bonds re-signs for one year, would Durham re-sign for one year... or is he looking for one last multi-year contract? I think the Giants should bust the piggy bank on Alphonszo Soriano's .969 ops. Solves multiple problems: 2B, lead-off, team speed, youth, and the guy can even cover LF.

.873 Alou- Gone w/Felipe after this season. Might DH in the AL. Again, this is the third best hitter on the Giants, and the Giants are replacing his roster spot with... Fred Lewis? Jason Ellison?

.807 Alphonszo- Nice, cheap, in-house option for back-up catcher. Who wants to wager next year on Alphonszo's OPS ending up above .800 after a full season? Giants could explore B. Molina or G. Zaun, if Matheney can't go. Piazza just to weird.

.776 Vizquel- Perfect this season in the 2-hole, but will age catch up eventually? Would be an amazing 7th place hitter. Provides all-universe defence. Softest hands on planet earth.

.748 Feliz- Takes a lot of crap, but if the Giants could sign him to a 2 yr/$9M or 3 year/$13M, I would do it. Feliz can play many positions, is never hurt, seems like a low-maintenence club house guy, and can hit 6th or 7th in your line-up and be adequate. Hacks at slop nightly, has a little pop, streaky as hell. Ideally, get enough starting talent to stick Pedro Feliz Navidad back to his "super sub" role, where Feliz was an asset and not a liability. Free-Agent alternatives include R. Aurilia, D. Bell, N. Garciapara. Trade for Tejada would be the dream.

.735 Sweeney- The OPS numbers are now starting to get uncomfortably low. Proof that Sweeney is not a starter on any good team, much less hitting out of the 3-spot in the line-up. Solid bench guy. Leave it at that.

.732 Hillendbrand- If he's willing to sign a 3 yr/$8M to back up 1B and 3B, great. To be the full time starter at either position? Hillendbrand is not the answer. Pass. Unless the Giants can sign him for super cheap.

.722 Greene- Not impressive, even for a back-up catcher. Seems like a nice enough fellow, though. Bald as hell.

.719 Winn- Ah, the magic of Brian Sabean. We are now at the Giants 10th most productive hitter this season, making $7 million per season till 2009. Ugh. The Marvin Bernard signing, on a more grandiose and grotesque scale. Winn would be the perfect fourth outfielder on a championship club, really. Unfortunately for the Giants, Winn bats lead-off, leads the team in AB's, and again, has proven to be the 10th most effective hitter this season. G. Matthews Jr., D. Dellucci, or M. Cameron as F.A. options to bolster the outfield? Trade for Vernon Wells would be the dream.

I will spare us the agony of outining the OPS of Finley, Niekro, Frandsen, Ellison, and Matheney. Suffice it to say, if they were to appear on a major league roster at this point, you would hope each would be the last one off the bench. Only Frandsen shows a glimmer of upside, that of being a solid utility infielder.

Poll

If the price was "fair,' which free agent position player would you most like to see the Giants sign?

A. Soriano

34 votes

T. Hunter

4 votes

F. Catalanotto

4 votes

D. Dellucci

0 votes

M. Cameron

3 votes

G. Matthews Jr.

1 votes

R. Aurilia

2 votes

D. Bell

0 votes

B. Molina

0 votes

G. Zaun

1 votes

49 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Comments

Pending Handcuffs, Bonds To Return

After a season of up-and-down assessments, Bonds at this juncture is providing a compelling argument to be brought back for 2007 -- only Sabean must augment him with three more reliably healthy, more potently hitting regulars.

Durham -- after his career year -- is about as likely to sign a one-year deal as chickens are to moo. Feliz and Hillenbrand settling for anything less than three years and/or anything less than $5 million per year is a Sabean daydream, but not happening.

The only reason Frandsen seems to have the best glimmer of an upside is that we have seen him the least of that un-glimmerous bunch you mentioned.

by Moggeee on Sep 3, 2006 7:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

My Choices

Frank Catalanotto and Mark DeRosa.

by DrBGiantsfan on Sep 3, 2006 9:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: My Choices

I like this sort of under the radar thinking, although I'm always a little worried about "buying high" after a career year at age 31 or 32 like these guys are having. I don't suppose either of them guys will end up making a ton of money, though.

If Catalanotto regresses to the mean, you still have a solid, versatile high-OBP player. I'm all in. If DeRosa regresses... well, before this season his most AB's came in 2004 when he hit .239/.293/.320.

If it keeps us from signing Feliz for 4 years and $25M, I could live with a dirt-cheap Tony Graffanino as well.

"Robb Nen is going to get you" - Benito Santiago to Chipper Jones, 10/7/02

by Pants Man on Sep 3, 2006 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: My Choices

I just looked up Catalanotto's stats and he would need a platoon partner - the guy has never hit lefties at all. Also it sounds like he's a below average defensive outfielder, which isn't a good match for the tricky right field of Mays Field.

DeRosa worries me. Yeah, he's having a great season, but I can easily see him going all Marvin Benard on us.

"The first point is whether my brain is still operating...I'll figure that out after the season." - Felipe Alou

by EliminateMe on Sep 5, 2006 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Giants OPS Leaders

Here is who I think we have going into the offseason:
C - Alfonzo; Backup - Greene/FA
1b - Hillenbrand/Niekro (who else is there?)
2b - Soriano
3b - Hard to say, but Feliz highly likely
ss - Dreamy
LF - Bonds
CF - Winn
RF - likely a FA

- Alfonzo probably doesn't produce much more than Matheny numbers.
- Hillenkro likely a bit better tha '06
- Soriano significant upgrade, and provides more lineup flexibility
- 3b - whoever it is, about the same as this year
- Dreamy. Probably hits 275 with concomitant drops in OBS and slugging
- Bonds likely will produce significantly better next year - somewhere between '04 and '06
- Winn should be good for 280
- RF is probably the most important FA pickup; A bona fide 5th place hitter, with power, and the Gs have a good chance to take the division.
I just don't buy the 'we're crap, rebuild.' Had Barry and Alou played and produced as expected, we'd be leading the division now.

by allfrank on Sep 3, 2006 10:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Giants OPS Leaders

"RF is probably the most important FA pickup"

Since you've got Soriano at 2B, I'm wondering what RF pick-up could be possibly be more significant than that. Have someone in mind?

My thinking is that if the Giants bust the bank for Soriano, THAT would be their most significant pickup and they'd market the hell out of him.

Putting the "Goof" in "Goofus" every day since 1964.

by Goofus on Sep 4, 2006 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope you realise

That Soriano is an incredibly, shockingly bad second baseman? You can't put him there, it cancels out his bat.

If the Giants are going to sign Soriano, he should play CF. This, then, would necessitate dumping Randy Winn, or relegating him to fourth outfielder status.

I'm scared. Hold me.

by Salemicus on Sep 4, 2006 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Never should have been a second baseman

Soriano has surprised as a competent corner outfielder. But no team should push its luck and play him in center.

Sabean will be determined to make the Winn signing pay off. Winn will be given center, and it just may be he plays better offensively when he doesn't bounce all over the outfield in 2007.

Winn's quiet, uncomplaining teammate Pedro Feliz nods in agreement with this thesis.

by Moggeee on Sep 4, 2006 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't necessarily disagree

But here's the thing - I am very far from sold on Soriano. If he's a corner outfielder, no way should the Giants sign him. If - and it's a very big if - he can handle center field, then I'd consider signing him, provided I already had a nice trade involving Winn lined up.

If he can play CF, then Soriano's going to be a valuable player. If not, then he's just heartache for whoever gives him the loot.

I'm scared. Hold me.

by Salemicus on Sep 4, 2006 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't open the vault, Peter

True. Soriano will be an expensive mixed blessing at best because he is obviously on the dreamlist of many GMs right now -- which means whoever gets him will overpay wildly.

Magowan has traditionally commanded his brass to stay away from open bidding wars of so-called premier free agents. Three exceptions come readily to mind: Bonds in '93, Benitez (sob) in 2004, and Morris (heimlich!) in 2005.

by Moggeee on Sep 4, 2006 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs