We need a bat, but who?

A corked one

there was no “all of the above” option.

Buy low!

ChiSox GM Kenny Williams like to deal. A big bat like that of 35yr old Dye in the middle of the Giants batting order could be very beneficial. Dye is due $11.5M this season (so about $8M still due) and a $12M mutual option for 2010 with a $1M buyout. The monies may not be a problem however since Sabean had mentioned before that SF could possibly take on a contract later this summer.

Dye is an experienced corner OFer with good defense, strong arm and quality bat. He has both playoff and World Series experience. He is a RHH which should play well at Mays Field. If either the Giants or Dye decline the 2010 option there is a very good probability that Dye would be a Type A free agent and the Giants could possibly receive some compensation.

What would Williams want in return? Not sure. What could the Giants offer – some pitching and prospects.

but realistically i can wait until the offseason when we can acquire him via cash rather than prospects.

I’d like Johnson, Huff or Uggla the most, depending on cost.

JESUS AND BOWKER, PLEAZ

I actually like Huff the best out of these choices though I haven’t heard his name in any of the rumors/speculation/rosterbation, whatever that means. Sure, he’s an FA-to-be like Holliday, but probably easier to sign (if we want to). Uggla will cost too much, Johnson will break his femur his first week with the Giants, and the rest are all truly distasteful options.

if we are going to “trade for a bat” I would rather get somebody who has a long term future with the team, here a few guys I would target.

Jason Donald: nobody in baseball is more blocked than a middle IF in the Phillies organization. I know the Phillies are looking for pitching, I’m not sure if they would be interested in Sanchez.

Reid Brignac: assuming Jason Bartlett comes back soon the Rays might part with Brignac, but I doubt we have anything they would want

Brandon Wood: we have talked about him enough

Howie Kendrick: he is having an atrocious year and even got sent down to the minors recently, but his track record is really solid and I think he will eventually come around. The Angels probably don’t want to sell him this low (I certainly wouldn’t if I were them)

Nothing said it had to be realistic

Get Huff or Tejada for cheap and eat some salary. No great prospects need to be given up

For some reason, I’ve always had a thing for Ryan Garko. He wouldn’t cost much to get from the failing Indians, and he absolutely mashes lefties with a career .916 OPS. At worst, we trade some meh prospects for him and platoon him with Ishi. I see him as more of a low risk medium upside type player.

Id say Uggla, Cantu, or Johnson. DeRosa and Holliday are big targets and are going to cost too much.

If the price is atrocious, whatever, stand pat.

Jason Bay and/or Kevin Youkilis for ____________________.

Uggla? What’s the fascination there? If we want to ruin our infield D to add some pop to the lineup just call up Jesus from Fresno. As for all the bats mentioned who will be FAs at the end of the year (Holliday, Beltre, Johnson, Huff,…), I’ll pass on them unless we can pick them up for 2 or 3 very fringe prospects. None of them are likely to sign with us next year unless we offer them an unwise amount of $$$ and years, and they are all too flawed to fit our club at this stage of their careers.

We certainly appear to be legitimate wild card contenders. However, this year is NOT the year to go for broke. This year is still a rebuilding year.

It’s certainly worth it to try to improve the offense in order to try to make the playoffs. But nothing should be done that hurts the future (at least not significantly)

Furthermore, Schierholtz, Lewis, Bowker, Guzman, Ishikawa, and Frandsen have unsure things. We don’t know whether one or possibly even more of these guys will be consistently productive major leaguers. Each is worth taking a look at (to varying degrees). If we bring in a bat (even, say, Dan Uggla) then we will have missed that opportunity to evaluate and perhaps come up with a cheap alternative.

If Sandoval and Romo have taught us anything, it’s that sometimes prospects come out of no where to be productive major leaguers. They just need that chance.

Of course, on the other hand, it’s more likely that these guys will fail. In that case, not trading for Johnson or Uggla or DeRosa or somebody will have been a missed opportunity to improve the offense.

Allow to me to continue my bizarre fascination with Ian Stewart. Plays 2nd and 3rd base, very good glove, current OPS of .903 away from Coors. His 12 HRs would lead the Giants right now. Although a) he’s a LHH and b) he hasn’t hit well at AT&T Park (sub-Burriss numbers) in extremely small sample size.

A month or two ago the Rockies might (emphasis on “might”) have actually listened to trade offers, since Clint Hurdle had no idea how or when to play him, but he’s taken off since Tracy took over as manager. He’s not a big bat, but he’s more of a long term solution.

If it’s a Pittsburgh firesale he would be perfect. He’s owed 6.1M for ’09 with an 8M club option for ’10 that becomes guaranteed with 635 PAs. That seems a little rich for the Pirates.

If we are to get a hitter I would want to find a way to include Juan Uribe in the deal, he’s doing well but Frandsen could be doing the same thing and I feel bad for the kid.

My answer though would be rid Uribe in minor trade, drop Aurilia, add Jesus Guzman and John Bowker. For Guzman, spot starts and ALL starts against lefties either at 1B or the outfield. We have a surplus of outfielders, and all save K-Fred* are plus defenders. And Winn is making 9.6 million! In this economy, with that offensive production? Not getting our money’s worth. But there is a way. An outfield of Winn, Rowand, Guzman (when Guzman plays i’m not saying every day). Based on how likely said batter is to hit the ball to Jesus Guzman, he and Randy sprint and change positions in the outfield possible every new hitter. If the only thing holding Guzman back is his defensive, than -by golly- just switch with Winn so the ball goes to Winn instead who is obviously a great defender. The Man is making 9.6 million this year, it’s not too much to ask him to switch places in the outfield during at bat changes if it means maximizing his defensive ability and allowing Guzman’s bat into the lineup. So you potentially eliminate Guzman’s negative defense, while maximizing Winn’s plus defense.

Personally I think Barry Bonds needs to be added as a part time player this season to go for it all. For financial reasons, it will be pro-rated league minimum without giving up anything. And you get Barry Bonds. Dammmmn that’s a steal.

So either Bonds starts, gets 2 at bats, then replaced for defense (Schierholtz/Winn/Lewis/Guzman/Bowker/Torres we got the outfield depth this year to use them frivolously and still get legit defense. Or, the other way around. Or save Barry as a pinch hitter in RBI situations late in games. And always, ALWAYS have someone else out there in left for the 9th.

Adding the bats of Bonds, Guzman and Bowker would make our offense at the very least NOT dead last in scoring runs. And since already we have the 3rd best record in the N.L. and a 21-9 record at home, we could be legit. Too me it seems a waste to FINALLY have a team this year to complement Barry Bonds, yet he’s not on the team. Some time in July, take the man back. We need each other.

Is Alex Rios available? I’ve always liked Rios, even though I didn’t like want to trade Lincecum for him. He’s a RHH with power who could play a nice RF for us.

That said, I’m still thinking we got where we are now despite a lot of poopy ABs from Burriss, Aurilia and Ishi. We can do better than that from within, so I don’t want to trade too much of our future away.

For me, any discussion of improving the offense has involves a three-step process:

1) Look for in-house options (Bowker and Guzman)
2) If in-house options don’t work (i.e. fail) seek long-term trade (Brandon Wood, etc.)
3) All else failing, look for quality, but cheap, hitter (Dye, Huff, maybe LaRoche, etc.)

Hes 27, plays RF and LF

is batting .288, 8 HR and 9 SBs. Not a really powerful guy, but well rounded, and I think the Indians might be interested in pitching.

Id be happy with Uglla or Holliday too though

eww

Part of me really wonders what it would be like to bring back Bonds. Can you imagine the media blitz?

Anyway, back to reality.

I like the idea of a shorter term solution ONLY if the price is congruent with the talent and time spent. No Sanchez for Johnson, but maybe something else. No LHH if we need a power bat unless they go oppo a lot.

Somehow, I feel trading for Holliday would be awful for us and Sabean would be taken for a ride. Too many teams seem to be clamoring for him and he’s an expensive rental. LaRoche seems to be a decent option as i haven’t heard as much about him as Johnson or Holliday. No DeRosa either unless he can be had for a steal, and he won’t be.

Let the Mets and Yankees have their Holliday and DeRosa. Swoop in and gnab the second tier of talent and we will not only get a better deal, but maybe we can get a couple of them.

If it looks too ridiculous as far as pricing goes, why not use this opportunity to trade Sanchez for a sure-fire AAA power bat and a starter?

GINAS BRAZZZZZ

Swoop in and gnab the second tier of talent and we will not only get a better deal, but maybe we can get a couple of them.

I thought our OF was already full of second tier talent.

Giants are now gunning for Mets, Dodgers in bombers hit.

another vote for none of the above. Maybe Tejada if it was real cheap, or a salary swap. I was pushing Beltre all winter but can’t really now.