With the All-Star Break only two days away and deals already beginning to be swung, the Giants have to make some moves. Being 15 games under the .500 mark and now fading out of the divisional race (like we all thought we would), the Giants are not contenders. So, with that being said what moves can and should the Giants make after the All-Star Break and before the Trade Deadline?

Canidates to be moved: ( AVG, SLG, OBP)

• OF Randy Winn (.286 .407 .356)
• 2B Ray Durham (.287 .413 .381)
• UTIL Rich Aurilia (.278 .436 .333)
• C Bengie Molina (.286 .408 .315)
• RP Keichi Yabu (3-4, 3.38ERA, 31K, 19BB)

These are the only guys that are worth trading and have value to fetch anything worth a return. Any kind of proposed deals? What teams do we happen to fit their needs?

Manny Corpas, Ian Kinsler, Brandon Phillips, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Troy Tulowitzki, James Shields, Yadier Molina, Carlos Pena, and ...

With Evan Longoria signing a 7yr $17.5 million deal with the Rays after only his 6th game, one question has surfaced in the discussion of this topic: Should the Giants ink Tim Lincecum to a long term deal now?

Well, Lincecum is in his second season with the Giants with the statistical line of:

Not too bad, ehh? Yeah, Lincecum has been pretty impressive since first debuting last year. But is it really the best move to lock up Tim Lincecum right now?

Now look at how the Giants handled Matt Cain and Noah Lowry: 
     Cain 
       * Debuted Aug. 29, 2005
       * Signed his contract in March 2007 
       * Contract- 4yrs/$9M, plus $6.25M 2011 club option  
     Lowry 
       * Debuted Sept. 5, 2003 
       * Signed his contract in April 2006  
       * 4 years/$9.25M, plus $6.25M 2010 club option 
Lowry signed his contract a little over two years after his debut, while Cain inked his after his first full season. Both sides of the argument debating signing Timmy to a long term deal have there focus points; i.e. some people believe that Lincecum's mechanics are a cause for health concerns in his career or, on the otherside, he is (along with Cain) the face of the franchise.

What do you think? Should the Giants lock up Lincecum long term this season? Why? What should the length and salary be?

The Giants need to make some moves to show that they are committed to doing anything to turn around the club in the not so far off future. The current Giants roster is for 2008 is $76,594,500. The payroll is at its lowest since the 2001 Giants season. The aimed targets of this post are more than just the usual suspects(although they will be included), but guys like Keiichi Yabu and Randy Winn, yes Randy Winn.

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I know the Giants have started poorly in 2008, but there is no reason to act as somebody did on the last out of the game today. On the flyball to left, Hairston was about to catch the ball when just behind him and in front of Edmonds, another ball drops to the ground. What the hell is the matter with that fan? This was a class-less act by who ever threw the ball.

The Giants, Bruce Bochy, and Brian "the fabulous one" Sabean have the impending 25 man roster crunch on their hands and things are complicated with the guys out of options and veterans holding spots that should be open for the younger talent. While most of the talk is geared towards the bullpen (and with very good reasons), there is a troubling development that has some how slipped through the cracks of Giants nation: the carrying of three catchers on the active roster.

Why would a club carry three catchers? From indications on the radio and through news reports, Molina, Alfonzo, and Rodriguez are all projected to be on the opening day 25 man active roster. But why all three? Honestly, it is a waste of a space and either Rodriguez or Alfonzo should be at Triple-A Fresno. Bengie Molina has the starting job locked up, so the question of who should be the back up lingers on...and Bochy and Sabean don't seem to want to answer it.

1. Experience: Molina started 125 games last year, the most ever in his career thus easy to assume he probably won't have that many this year. So for sake of argument, lets say he starts 112 games, leaving 70 for the back-up(s). Spliting it evenly, thats 35 games a piece with the average of 3 at-bats a game hitting in the 8th spot, equaling 105 at-bats per back-up. Alfonzo is the only of the two to have over 100 at-bats in the majors (Alfonzo-350 in 113 games, Rodriguez-87 in 39 games). Advantage: Alfonzo
2. Skills: Guillermo Rodriguez is the stronger of the two defensively, while Alfonzo has the upper hand offensively (upon comparing 2007 in the majors and minors). Advantage: Push
3. Intangibles: The Giants are in a youthful movement...sort of. Alfonzo is a year younger. Advantage: Alfonzo. Rodriquez is physically in better shape than Alfonzo. Advantage: Rodriguez.

Unless anyone can come up with anything else, as my brain is fried as it is 1:00AM on the West Coast, Alfonzo should be the back up and Rodriquez should be embarking on his 12th minor league season. This one spot determines whether the Giants carry 11 pitchers or 12 pitchers. If the Giants carry 12 pitchers, 5 of those are starters (excluding Lowry for now since he will start the season on the DL) leaving 7 spots for the bullpen. Wilson, Hennessey, Walker and Taschner are guarrenteed for spots. Steve Kline, Merkin Valdez, Erick Threets, Vinnie Chulk, and Pat Misch are fighting for the final three spots. Misch will start off at Fresno, and Chulk will most likely take a spot. Merkin Valdez has definitely earned a spot, thus leaving the question of Kline or Threets...but if there are three catchers, which two get the axe?

The Giants transaction page on March 12th had two new messages: 1)Jose Capellan was claimed off waivers by the Reds 2)Randy Messenger was released. A week earlier, the page said that Messenger was optioned to Triple-A Fresno....And then today I come to find that the Giants have agreed to terms with Randy Messenger on a minor league contract. So what was the deal with all this movement?

Now, the news hasn't been posted on the transaction page yet, but with comfirmation of Chris Haft, the Giants insider and MLB writer, it is official. He did not say what the cause of this entire situation was, but speculating about this leads to the belief that: it had to be done this way in order to remove Messenger from the 40 man roster. That appears to be one major reason... but who knows, it could just be a plethora of moves with Messenger.

Link: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/team/transactions.jsp?c_id=sf

Apparently Randy Messenger was released unconditionally on Wednesday, a week after he was optioned to Triple-A Fresno. Does anybody know exactly why he was released?

He did struggle once he returned from the DL last September, and then gave up 4 runs in 2 spring training innings. But before going on the DL, Messenger had a 2.62 ERA. Guess why released: Randy Messenger requested it upon demotion. Some kind of move had to be done though, because both Erick Threets and Merkin Valdez are both out of options.