Henry Schulman reports:
Next name to watch for Giants: Xavier Nady. There's some mutual interest, but almost certainly on a minor-league deal + invite.
Xavier Nady:
Just a little better than Miguel Tejada last year, but Nady can play only a corner outfield spot or first. Other than that, sounds good.
There are a couple of folks on Twitter asking why people freak out over non-roster invitations, and it's a fair point. This wouldn't be a big deal. But sometimes the NRIs make the team, and it's also a little tiny window into an organization's thinking. Remember last year when the Giants brought in a guy who was a pitching prospect way back when they played at Candlestick? He got released from AAA in 2010, and he was supposed to have any sort of shot at the roster? Terrible idea. Wonder what ever happened to that guy.
Point is, there's a .0001% chance that Nady could help the Giants next season, but there's a 1% chance that he makes the team. The risk/reward is out of whack, especially when you have an organization that prefers veterans to unknowns -- a description that the Giants would agree with. Not a big deal, but it's January. These little chestnuts are nourishing.
Still, I'm almost -- almost -- rooting for Nady to sign with the Giants and make the team, only because it would be hilarious to see Bruce Bochy give him playing time now.