I get the point too, but I don’t see the proof in the list of available guys.

1. The list they post conssts of 18 players. Of those 18 we can throw out 5 right off the top (ManRam, Thome, Guerrero, Ortiz, and Matsui), because even if you can get them cheaply (and I would argue that you would only be able to get Matsui and Thome on the cheap), they’re all DHs at this point in their careers, so the Giants can’t use them.

2. Of the remaining 13 names, I only see 4 that we might be able to sign to a deal that would be cheap and short-term enough to make it worth the risk (I would define that as less than $5M for 1 year). Those 4 would be Burrell, Johnny Damon, Alex Gonzalez, and Mark Ellis. Of those 4, Ellis is a no-go, because we’re not paying for another starting 2B/utility IF when we’re already paying Freddy S. and DeRosa so much money and Juan Uribe is a better option. Johnny Damon is also a no-go, because he’s no upgrade over what we already have in the OF (and he’s not going to leave the AL anyway). That leaves Burrell, who we already know about, and Alex Gonzalez

Let’s look at Gonzalez. He’s having a Aubrey Huff-like renaissance at SS this year. His slash line is .275/.342/.464/.806. He’s playing above-average D, and he’s already achieved a 4.1 WAR this season (likely on his way to something in the 4.6-5.0 range). He will almost certainly be highly sought-after this offseason by many teams, and surely land at least a 2 year deal in the $16M-$20M range, at minimum – that’s not what I call cheap. So that leaves us only Pat Burrell from the list, not exactly a revelation for the Giants.

3. The Giants got lucky with Huff and Uribe, but let’s not let that go to our heads. Those results have certainly not been the norm throughout the league among players that were signed to contracts in their mid-30s. On the Giants, specifically, we struck out with the singings of Renteria, Molina, DeRosa, Freddy S., Dave Roberts, Aurilia, and Vizquel.

I would rather see Sabean target younger, fresher, more athletic players that are arb-eligible, or unwanted by their current teams, and may be available via trade or free agency (if they’re non-tendered by their teams). Because their team doesn’t want to risk the raise in salary that they may get in arbitration or they just don’t think they fit into their long-term plans, BS could get something of value to the Giants for little in return.

Sabean should either swoop in and work out a trade right before the Dec. 1st arb tender deadline, or wait to see if they’re non-tendered, then swoop in and sign them to a FA contract. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but guys that I would put in this category are Cody Ross, J.J. Hardy, Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton, Dan Uggla, David DeJesus, Scott Hairston, and Matt Diaz. IMO, this strategy is much more likely to make the Giants a better team in 2011 than signing any of the available guys off the geezer FA list that we’ve been discussing.

I suppose he could be the Giants’ best option at second next year. Sanchez and Fontenot have been mediocre – or worse.