Barely.

One quibble, though: I wouldn’t say the organizational plan is currently “acquiring only 30+ players in free agency” though it was in the past (well, wasn’t Zito 28 when we signed him?). Not that they haven’t done that of course, but it really misses the nuance of what the team has done.

Obviously, the Giants signed old guys this offseason, as they have in the past, but to different types of deals and with a different purpose in mind. The Johnson, Renteria, Affeldt, Howry and Uribe moves were short term deals for adequate to solid players who are more or less stop-gap veterans to occupy the roster until the organization starts graduating prospects or trading those prospects for real producers.

There’s a difference in 1-2 year deals and longer term contracts with players who will certainly decline during the life of the contract, which is what was done in the past (Alfonso, Durham, Benitez, Rowand, Zito)

I suppose the casual observer of the Giants might not notice the difference between one set of free agent signings and another, but the subtle difference is there once you look at the context, namely the length of the deals is shorter and along side the team’s investment in developing the farm system (via the draft and through international scouting and signings) to produce both pitchers and position players.

This long term approach represents a monumental shift in organizational philosophy from the short-sighted win-now attitude of the Bonds era. Whether they stick with it, however, is another story altogether.

Im not sure how I can believe this as it ranks the Marlins #29 solely because they have the worst owner in the game.

The whole “related pitchers and hitters” at the right make that page extremely depressing.

Par-tay 2nite!

For further commentary on that we go to SF Dugout…
Also , did anyone else see this nugget in Comments?

Randy Winn is no longer a Giant. Sabean released him.

The youth movement is more noticeable to some than to others , I guess…