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Theoretically, I do think the playoffs are enough of a crap shoot that anyone could win it all if they get in.  Every season, there are huge surprises - just look at the Marlins.  They're not the best team in baseball or anything, but they're respectable, and their entire payroll is about the price of a grand-slam breakfast at Denny's (no pun intended).  I don't think anyone in their right mind expected them to be anything more than horrendous.

Same goes for the playoffs.  As Grant pointed out, anyone can get hot at any time and go on a run.  The Giants usually are better in the second half of the year than the first half, but they've never had a team THIS old before...  If they make it to the postseason, they've got a shot, but every time I watch a game, I just find it very difficult to imagine THIS team actually winning it all.  The team has been the definition of mediocrity for an entire half, and mediocrity of this magnitude, I dunno.  It's tough to imagine them even going on a big winning streak during the season, let alone making or getting results in the postseason...

The Giants are not streaky, which may be very beneficial in the series.  Play 500 ball for the first 6 games and hope for a little luck or a Jason Schmidt gem in game 7.

I think the worse thing would be to just sit pat at the deadline and not do anything. If we can ship off mediocre outfield prospects like Ortmeier or lower level guys for even a modest option at 1st like Casey we should do it, as it'll give us an infintely better chance of getting to the playoffs instead of the turnstile of crap currently at 1st (and in the number 3 spot in the order).

That, or trade our valuable veteran free agents for major league ready talent to rebuild. I think just sitting on your hands here is the worse option and doesn't give us a very good shot of making it into the playoffs, nor of rebuilding for the future. Sabes needs to pick a direction and go with it, and not do just another meaningless Ricky Ledee deal.

Yes, Grant, in a sense the playoffs are a crapshoot. Wasn't it in "Moneyball" where somebody said that you construct a team to win during the season, then what happens in the playoffs is a crapshoot? I subscribe to that theory. The problem is in our attempting to shoot craps during the season, and then optimistically considering our possibilities in the post-season.

As many of us have said before, yes, this team could get to the World Series. Many, many, many things would have to break just right for that to happen, including David Wright's left tibula. At this point, just winning our division seems unlikely. We are sorta/kinda reasonably situated to compete for the wild card, but again we have too many competitors to make that likely with the team as presently constituted.

So I think it comes down to this: is this the kind of team that you want to gamble on and go for broke with a big July trade to acquire that player that gets you into the playoffs, or a team that needs to plan for the future? In 2002, Sabean correctly saw that he had a good enough team and gambled on Kenny Lofton. That was a good decision. But senator, I knew the 2002 Giants, and these, sir, aren't the 2002 Giants.

Therefore, I believe we should have "DNR" put on our medical charts, and no heroic measures to revive our season should be taken. If we get in, we get in. Bully for us. But under no circumstances do we trade away our promising youngsters.

I would prefer we trade Jason Schmidt for 2 prospects before the deadline, assuming other teams are interested and have the kinds of players that would be worth the risk. The Yankees are desperate for pitching, as are the Cardinals, but I don't know that they have the prospects needed to make a good trade with us. Maybe the Tigers go for broke and offer Cameron Maybin or Brent Clevlen or Jeff Larish or Jordan Tata. I don't say trade just to be making a trade, but if we can get 2 prospects off of somebody's Top Ten list, go for it. Just losing Schmidt to FA next year would get us one draft pick, but I'd prefer to trade him for 2 prospects.

However, since MerriamWebster has already asked for a Giants team photo to place next to "mediocre" in their next dictionary, I foresee us hanging around .500 for quite some time. And I fear this false hope will cloud Brian Sabean's mind and cause him to not trade Schmidt. I believe that would be another lost opportunity.  

I inspired a new thread. Awesome.

I'd love to see a power hitting 1b/Bonds/Alou combo tear it up in the playoffs. Or see Schmidt/Morris/Lowry shutting down the opposition in a short series. But I don't see it happening. We all envision it. Want it. I know I do, but you have to get there first. I'd rather not stumble into the postseason having relied on a crap division. I know must of us will take what we can get at this point, but this a total set up for failure I'm sure we'd all like to avoid.

If there was a way to get John Smoltz (I know, the farm sucks, but he's one of my favorite pitchers ever) or a power bat at 1st, I'd be right there with you guys. But even THAT is a longshot. When you can't even get the pieces you need to contend, it doesn't bode well for any plans of a division title.

As a fellow denizen I am sick and tired of a mediocre team.  Just because the Giants in the past have played better in the second half {is this just supposition or are their facts to back this assertion?}, does not mean they will do so this year.  It seems the health of our players will be somewhat determinative, and there is no guarantee on that front.  As with most of my fellow denizens, I do not want to see young prospects disappear, for fear of another Liriano leaving the system.  However, I doubt that any other team will want to take Linden or Ortmeier or any of the other lower level prospects - {they can read DrB's list of prospects just as well as you and I}.  So, what are we left with?  The NL West will have to get better and with the young players on the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Rockies getting big league experience - it may happen as early as next year.  Perhaps it would be prudent to attempt to steal the division this year, even if it means a trade for a Casey or a Craig Wilson.

I've forgotten the exact question but this team is unlikely to be the answer. Being middle-aged, I have a lot of sympathy for it -- it's almost like my generation is out there on the field -- but it's hard to love. I'd be happy but embarrassed for baseball if by some fluke we managed to win it all.  
For some strange reason, I can't shake the idea that we need the Mayor in the lineup, if only for a day. A big game from him so he gets another start and then enjoys the two-week run of a lifetime....We need some moments of magic to warm our hearts if not save the season.  

 The absolute worst thing would be to trade any young players--and I mean any-- for somebody like Casey. Nice guy, but we'd be better off standing pat with Ishikawa, who's a similar player now, but will have more power than Casey in a couple of years.
  That said, I agree with Grant. The Giants' starting pitching could carry them into the World Series if they can win the West-- which sure seems doable.