There are no realistic targets for the 8/31 deadline. The Giants are going to stand pat again. Winn and Molina will still be on the opening day roster for 2009. Roberts and Vizquel will retire after finding no takers on the FA market. Aurilia will sign somewhere, but the Giants won’t have offered him arbitration, so they’ll get no compensation. They will resign Jose Castillo to fill the hole left by Aurilia’s departure.

and I don’t see a great fit between the Giants and Pirates right now, unless the Pirates would be okay with low-minors pitching as a return for LaRoche, which they probably wouldn’t be.

Well, unless that low-minors pitching involved Bumgarner or Alderson, to which I’m sure they’d be more than willing to listen…

(braces self for bodily harm by McCoven…)

I’m still intrigued by the Rockies’ Ian Stewart, but I suspect at this point it might take a lot to get him in the off-season.

Not that unrealistic anyway, he’s not known for being a whiz with the glove.

By 2010 or 11 they could have a nice core

McLouth-McCutcheon-Pearce in the OF with LaRoche and Alvarez on the corners

that’s not undesirable, that’s Ally Sheedy!

You’ll never top this, Grant. May as well retire now.

I see Roberts going, Aurilia staying because he gives great beardjobs, and maybe maybe Winn going. I’d seriously settle for Winn or Roberts leaving but man if both go for almost anything, id be ridiculously happy.

i still wonder what it would take to pry Brandon Wood away from the Angels. he’s hit 10 homers in the past two weeks (i know, it’s the PCL and he plays in Salt Lake) and the Angels don’t seem to want to give him a big-league job. yeah, he’s a bit of a three-outcome player, but he can play short and third and he has power.

i wanna see andy bat behind adam.. that would be kinda cool

Have seen LaRoche play in spurts for the last few seasons and he has a big hole in his swing. If you like walks you will probably love the kid.

SF needs to find infielders. And fast.

Josh Fields

send some pitching to the White Sox for him!

Waiver Deal:
Aurilia plus C level prospect for Boof Bosner
(Boof in the NL could be a very serviceable 5th starter. In the mold of a Blanton in my opinion. Move Kevin to long reliever role where he is most effective.)

Offseason:
Josh Fields for Sosa
(Im not sold on Fields. But he’s probably the best available 3B prospect)

Kendry Morales & Jeff Mathis for Benjo Molina
(Assuming that Tex resigns. Cant see the Halos doing this as Morales is the backup plan at first. Mathis would simply be a place-holder until Posey or Sandoval.)

Jed Lowrie for … I dont know what an appropriate package would be. They could sure use some relief help. Jack Tashner wouldnt be enough, but its a start. Lowrie could be the future at SS even with his questionable range.

Two positive developments from yesterday’s trade deadline visit to the toilet:

- One of my personal transaction fetishes turds is still no longer blocked in the long-term colon, despite rumors that the prospect turd who is blocking him wasn’t traded passed.

- One of my secret transaction fetishes turds was traded away from the Dodgers lumpy. While he was with the Dodgers passing, I knew that there was no way for the Giants to get their grubby little paws on him it to come out smoothly. Now, though…

Brandon Wood

the Angels seem to really undervalue him, yet despite that I still don’t think he would come cheap

Brett Tomko …

Come back!

no Peavy tonight for the Pads. they’re starting righty Josh Banks instead as Peavy went over 120 in his last start and they want to give him the extra day. this, of course, will lead to Peavy starting tomorrow against Zito.

As long as we’re sharing, my trade fetishes over the winter included LaRoche, Hu, Lillibridge, Encarnacion and Hamilton.