Replacement leveled
It seems a little craven to keep up the dismantling talk when the team is on a three-game winning streak. Or should that be Three-Game Winning Streak? Better yet, THREE-GAME WINNING STREAK!!!!!, 'cause, hey, if you can't celebrate the good times, what can you celebrate? Other than legitimately good times, I mean.
Even with the all-caps-worthy streak in progress, the Giants are still ten games out of first. The doom train still rolls on. If the Giants were to completely blow the team up - however unlikely it would be that every tradeable veteran goes - here's how I would rank the vacancy problems:
Would be missed greatly:
Ryan Klesko - He's the first decent first baseman since J.T. Snow snorted the ashes of George Sisler in the second half of 2004, and he'd be replaced by something abominable, like a Chad Santos/Lance Niekro platoon. Yeechh. At least the void might light a fire under management's backside. Because I'm sure that once they realize there's a gaping hole at first base, they'll rush to fill it with a hard-hitting cleanup type. Yeah. That's the ticket. You call the last seventeen years "evidence"; I call it a "fluke." If Klesko had another year on his contract, I wouldn't want him traded at all.
Matt Morris - Maybe "missed greatly" isn't the right term. If he continues to pitch as well as he has been, it would be the right term. If he slumps in the second half like last season, though, he would just barely qualify for "kinda sorta missed". He's still the best chance at a young impact player the Giants have. If teams don't want to ante up for the tailored Mark Buherle suit, Morris is a good Nordstrom's Rack option. How much he'll be missed would depend on the success of the player replacing him, but there's little chance the fill-in - say, Jonathan Sanchez - would be as effective as Morris in the first half, and a small chance they'd even be as effective as a 2006 Morris.
Would be missed more than you think:
Randy Winn - Not because he's any great shakes, but because there just isn't an in-house replacement that's a good bet to hit up to the .284/.343/.421 career averages of Winn. That's pretty sad, but it's the truth. I'd still rather give Schierholtz the full-time gig in right to see what he can do. And if Winn would waive his no-trade clause, he could bring back something of interest. Crazier things have happened.
Would kinda sorta be missed:
Omar Vizquel & Ray Durham - They're a good double play combo, and they're both capable of much more at the plate. There is also a pretty good chance that they're both just old 'n' busted. I like both players, so the "kinda sorta" is mostly based on sentiment alone. At the plate, the team wouldn't notice if they were swapped out with Luis Figueroa and Kevin Frandsen. That's even sadder than the Randy Winn realization. I'd miss watching Vizquel play defense, but he's probably not going to go anywhere.
Really? He was still on the team?:
Rich Aurilia - Love the guy, but he's been the most disappointing Giants hitter of 2007. That should be a tougher award to give out, but there you go, Richie. Try and keep the speech under a minute. His two-year contract looked fine in the offseason, but now it might be an impediment to trading him at all. He'll stick around, especially if he's still gimpy. Hopefully, he'll creep back up toward tolerable, because he's been little more than a less-effective Lance Niekro.
Steve Kline - Pat Misch deserves the chance to replace Kline, and he has a good shot of outperforming Kline.
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51 comments
Comments
Re: Replacement leveled
by Natto on Jun 26, 2007 2:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by howtheyscored on Jun 26, 2007 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by PacBellBoozer on Jun 26, 2007 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
THIS year, he's hitting .169 in those 67 plate appearances. Again...F'ing pathetic and not something that will scare anyone on the mound.
We aren't making the case for what they did LAST year in this discussion, unless I missed that somewhere.
by PacBellBoozer on Jun 26, 2007 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Whether Sweeney goes or stays won't have much impact on the team anyway.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
My point is that if we're in rebuild mode, why not offload him so we can replace him with a minor leaguer who would be withering away in Fresno because we don't have any room on the 25 man roster? Imagine for a second being able to have Figueroa, Frandsen, Schierholtz, Lewis, and Knodeler all on the big league roster. That's called hope, is it not?
At least we're achieving something by having a warm body on the 25 man. Teach the kids how to travel, teach them how to eat properly, let them experience the big leagues this year, when the only alternative is a hack .177 lefty pinch hitter who's almost 38 years old.
by PacBellBoozer on Jun 26, 2007 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
I don't know if I want that.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by Pants Man on Jun 26, 2007 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by EliminateMe on Jun 26, 2007 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Why not unload Sweeney if it means we can bring up a minor leaguer to provide a days rest to our old club? Give Pedro, Omar, and Ray some time off. Give Roberts and Winn some time off as well. Use one of them as a late inning replacement/pinch hitter for Barry.
The problem with Sweeney is that he's playing at a position that we're particularly deep in, and he's a lefty hitter on a club full of lefty's every single day of the week. In looking at the active roster as it stands right now...the only pure righty hitters we've got are Pedro, Frandsen, and both catchers. Are you telling me that you'd pull one of them from a game so Sweeney could hit against a righty on the mound?
He is the truest definition of dead weight in my book.
by PacBellBoozer on Jun 26, 2007 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jun 26, 2007 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by PacBellBoozer on Jun 27, 2007 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by Roger on Jun 27, 2007 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
It's not like he's got some speed and can be used to pinch run for someone (like Schierholtz/Lewis).
Can't play 2nd, 3rd, or SS (like Frandsen, Figueroa, Aurilia).
And on top of that, he's a lefty on a team stocked full of them. There's no need for him in my book. NONE.
by PacBellBoozer on Jun 27, 2007 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by jponry on Jun 26, 2007 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
These numbers don't get much better in the situations he's best suited for: .406 SLG vs. righties, .395 as a pinch-hitter. He'll take a walk if you give it to him, he knows his role, and he's a good guy to have around in the clubhouse. And he's not a particularly wise use of a roster spot at this point in his career.
by Pants Man on Jun 26, 2007 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by Natto on Jun 26, 2007 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by Brother Bummer on Jun 26, 2007 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Somewhat unrelated but does Kevin Towers know something we don't? According to ESPN, he expects the Giants to close the gap by the trade deadline.
by Natto on Jun 26, 2007 2:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by howtheyscored on Jun 26, 2007 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by jponry on Jun 26, 2007 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
ESPN seems to like our chances in the standings as well.
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Jun 26, 2007 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
If the Giants do end up dealing him, I'd hope they'd take a look at signing him again in the off-season. The Bochy connection should give them a leg-up on the other teams.
by Goofus on Jun 26, 2007 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
I wouldn't hesitate to trade EITHER Randy or Davey if the Giants could get a decent prospect.
by sharksrog on Jun 26, 2007 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Gay for Klesko
by nostocksjustbonds on Jun 26, 2007 3:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Gay for Klesko
by howtheyscored on Jun 26, 2007 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Here's a depressing thought: I just started the 2009 season in MLB '07 The Show, and the Giants still have Vizquel, Durham, Feliz, Molina, Alfonzo, Roberts, and Linden. Alfonzo hits 4th, and everyone but Feliz (my player starts at 3rd) and Molina are starters.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 3:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
If not... why haven't you upgraded!?
by jponry on Jun 26, 2007 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Sadly, my PS2 is dead, so I haven't been able to play it in while.
by jponry on Jun 26, 2007 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Ominously, Matt Cain went 5-15 with a sub-3 ERA.
by jponry on Jun 26, 2007 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
Go for all young prospects in return. Re-build. Younger. Healthier.
by Kid Fresh on Jun 26, 2007 3:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by Smoke on the Water on Jun 26, 2007 6:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by kennv on Jun 26, 2007 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by BawLa on Jun 26, 2007 4:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
My 4 year old crippled cousin has a good shot of outperforming Klein...
by Mordy From Monsey on Jun 26, 2007 4:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
My 4 year old crippled cousin has a good shot of outperforming Klein...
KLINE too....
by Mordy From Monsey on Jun 26, 2007 4:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by delorean on Jun 26, 2007 5:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by NearestNorwich on Jun 26, 2007 6:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by NearestNorwich on Jun 26, 2007 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
You can't look at his numbers so far and expect that he will be that bad because of the elbow injury.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
I must be reading this site too much, 'cause I instinctively started replacing Buehrle in those conversations in my head with Matt Morris.
But I'm not a fan of blowing things up, because I am irrational and I want my team to be competitive every time I watch a game on TV or via Yahoo or go in person (which I will try to do when I come back to SF later on this summer after school lets out).
People may say we suck now and it's got to get worse before it gets better, and maybe they're right. Then again, the lean years of the mid-80s and the mid-90s were much worse than what we're seeing now, I think. I don't have much hope that this season will have a happy ending, but I do think that the current roster (with perhaps some tweaking) can provide an entertaining game on any given day. And that's what I ultimately watch the games for.
by hometownboy on Jun 26, 2007 6:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jun 26, 2007 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
by Goofus on Jun 27, 2007 6:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
And if things don't take a significant turn for the better in '08 this period will certainly be able to make it's claim as the worst in franchise history.
by Roger on Jun 27, 2007 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Replacement leveled
On those bad 90s teams, once you got past Matt Williams and pre-steroid Bonds, about the most interesting thing was wondering whether Darren Lewis was going to keep his errorless streak alive.
On the bad 80s teams, a broken down Vida Blue was the marquee player. They should have put a mic on Krukow, because I'm sure what he had to say was better than his pitching at that point.
by Goofus on Jun 27, 2007 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll say this for Steve Kline
by groug on Jun 26, 2007 9:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

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